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Author Topic: Arc / Stick Welding  (Read 3884 times)

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Webby the Bear

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Arc / Stick Welding
« on: 10 January 2015, 16:11:18 »
Afternoon fellas,

Getting quite used to this mig welding now. Can do buttwelds, t joints, lap joints etc with decent penetration.

My future brother in law has a stick welder he's going to lend me as I really want to try my hand. especially as I have a few future projects that will need thick metal welding (watch this space ;))

SO.

If I borrow it and get good / like it and he doesn't want to sell it to me (he doesn't use it) then what machine wuld I be looking at buying? wouldlike to be able to weld up to 1/2''. and I only have 220v at home. ac or dc etc?

any info gladly welcome :) cheers girls
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omega3000

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #1 on: 10 January 2015, 16:24:46 »
Btw these mite help you if you have not got some already mate .. :-\

magnet
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Nick W

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #2 on: 10 January 2015, 16:30:21 »
The cheapest £50 buzzbox that have been around for years will do all of that and more . But they're a fair size, and heavy. They are simple DC transformer, which is why they are so cheap. If you're going to use one, then an inverter will give more power and are smaller/lighter/much nicer to use but are more expensive. The rods are expensive unless you buy them in bulk, but if you do that and don't use them much/store them properly you will be throwing most of them away.

By the way, I've had the leads to do arc welding with my TIG welder for 10 years, and have used them once. That was just to see how well it worked, not for an actual job.

You already know where you can borrow an arc welder IF you ever need one, which makes buying one unnecessary. You would be better off putting this money into a refillable cylinder of CO2/argon and a nice regulator for use with your MIG.
« Last Edit: 10 January 2015, 16:40:03 by Nick W »
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #3 on: 10 January 2015, 17:11:29 »
Thanks for that.

Ok, fair points. I'll borrow his and see how I go :)

Would you say its easier than MIG or harder? Cos even though everyone on the net is like ''migs easy''..... I didn't think it was at all. to do it properly that is. took me a while.
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Nick W

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #4 on: 10 January 2015, 17:26:09 »
It's a knack.

You have to swipe the rod  across the metal to strike the arc. Next pull it back so you maintain the arc, and then feed the stick into the arc as you move the end along the joint. That has to be one smooth, quick and easy motion. It's not as easy as it sounds; what you will end up doing doing is melting a lot of rods to the metal, and not doing any welding.

Once you've got the knack, you have to watch the rod as you feed it into the arc, and the weld burning into the metal. You control that, so it's another knack to learn. This control is why(one of the reasons why) arc welding is used in far more critical applications than MIG.

I haven't done any arc welding in years, but a borrowed 'machine' was what I started with. Doing jobs like repairing the footpegs on my 125, constantly rewelding Ian's Mini exhaust manifold(because he was too cheap to replace the knackered engine mounts) and some patches on my car were what made me buy my first MIG.
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #5 on: 10 January 2015, 21:37:02 »
Ok thanks nick

I presume you can weld outside cos it's got the flux in it?
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05omegav6

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #6 on: 11 January 2015, 00:59:56 »
Reading Nicks post... Is it a two handed process? :-\
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Nick W

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #7 on: 11 January 2015, 08:07:21 »
No.
But it is easier with two hands to keep everything under control. That also applies to MIG.
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #8 on: 11 January 2015, 12:53:21 »
Like MIG it's easier cos you support your ''gun'' holding hand with your other. I get around this by supporting my gun hand with my arm so no real problem.

TIG on the other hand....  :'(
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #9 on: 11 January 2015, 16:43:49 »
ps, heres some of my attempts at fillet welds. never the prettiest as usual but functional and they tie in to the base metal really well...which in my opinion is most important.
this is 3mm steel





sorry about the dodgy pics. and also ignore the nicotine patches im resting them on  ::) ;D
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Broomies Mate

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #10 on: 11 January 2015, 17:43:47 »
Fair play Webby, I've never seen such shite pictures!  ;D ;D
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #11 on: 11 January 2015, 21:31:30 »
Quote from: Broomies Mate on 11 January 2015, 17:43:47
Fair play Webby, I've never seen such shite pictures!  ;D ;D

The welds shite or the pictures of the welds?   ;D
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omega3000

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #12 on: 11 January 2015, 21:48:09 »
You only on step 1 patch  ::)
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05omegav6

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #13 on: 11 January 2015, 21:51:50 »
Quote from: Nick W on 11 January 2015, 08:07:21
No.
But it is easier with two hands to keep everything under control. That also applies to MIG.
Got it :y I had ass u me d that the rod was in addition to the electrode, rather than actually being the electrode... ::)
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Arc / Stick Welding
« Reply #14 on: 11 January 2015, 21:56:16 »
Quote from: Taxi Al on 11 January 2015, 21:51:50
Quote from: Nick W on 11 January 2015, 08:07:21
No.
But it is easier with two hands to keep everything under control. That also applies to MIG.
Got it :y I had ass u me d that the rod was in addition to the electrode, rather than actually being the electrode... ::)

TIG..... Definitely a no no for me.  :'(
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