Start depositing metal with your new rod about a quarter inch before you keyhole, do this in order to build up some heat so you can punch through the backside of the old keyhole, hold the rod there for just a sec to start filling it in then continue running out the joint, are you allowed to grind th...

I agree with the previous post, electrode preference is personal and depends on your machine, buy a few differnt brands run some passes and play with the amps a little bit and see which one gives you the best results. Personaly i like excaliburs but thats just me but it is also good to be comfortabl...

I would turn off the dig, you dont need dig for 7018. Also after the first fill pass i would switch to 1/8 electrode, pull back your arc length and add a slight side to side wiggle with the tip of the rod to flatten out the bead, also you want to overlap your previous bead by half when stacking bead...

Have you tried a slight drag angle? this sometimes helps for the filler metal to build up, also i dont usualy wip in over head roots becasuse i find it doesnt build up well, which is why pipe welders wip at the top of the pipe so it doesnt build up inside, you want your rod to run just hot enough so...

What brand of E7018 are you using? I find i run a lot hotter with lincoln excaliburs than i do with say hobart 7018. When i run vertical up i tend to run a little hotter and hold a slightly longer arc length (not long arc length just a little longer than i would running flat position) this might hel...

Hello, I am going to be purchasing a TIG welder in the near future as the demand for some work has been poping up. A lot of the work will be stainless and aluminum. Most of the work will be in nearby boat yards welding on things such as stainless handrails and brackets and aluminum masts and bracket...