Help with 6013 rod.

JoseAMG · Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:34 pm

Excuse my english but i'll try to explain as clear as i can.I've been assigned a project at this ranch where the electricity is realy low to the point where i have to krank the welding machine to its top amprage and i'm having problems keeping an arc lidd.Everytime i try to strike an arc the machine's energy goes way down and the rod sticks very easily.I'm using a small Lincon 140 amp arc welding machine with 6013 rod on 1/8inch tube.Some of my questions are,should i separate the rod more from the material and reduce my travel speed or is that not good?Or does it have to do with the rod angle as well?

Bill Beauregard · Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:41 pm

You are rolerskating in a gravel pit. If you can make it work you're a better man than I. You need an engine welder.

AKweldshop · Sun Oct 26, 2014 9:11 pm

I'm afraid your screwed mate....
You need to have a real welding machine to make real welds.

Superiorwelding · Sun Oct 26, 2014 9:44 pm

JoseAMG,
Welcome to the forum!! It seems that we need to help you with the situation at hand. My first question would be what size electrode are you using? I would suggest to drop to a smaller size electrode and see if that will help you. If you are stuck with what you have you can try to long arc the rod to a point however there will be a point of demishing return. It seems to me if you have low power input you might have to make the best of what you have.
-Jonathan

Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:24 pm

Jose,

I agree with Jonathan. A 1/8" 6013 will take 130-140 Amps to run well with good input power. If you can get and use a 3/32" 6013, you will be better able to adjust for the low voltage with a higher current setting than the rod would normally call for.

If you are stuck with the larger rod, yes, you can hold a longer arc to avoid sticking. Since you are welding 1/8 square tube, you should be able to do this without much trouble, as long as you don't have to get so long your arc wanders.

Don't apologize for your English; It's far better than my Spanish. Yo hablo solamente un poco.

Steve S

Superiorwelding · Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:40 pm

Otto Nobedder wrote: Yo hablo solamente un poco.

Steve S

What did you just call me???

-Jonathan

GreinTime · Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:54 pm

I call one dude in the kitchen senorita all the time, it irks him to no end because I won't teach him any swear words in English. So I get screamed at in Spanish by a 5ft tall Mexican dude while he's brandishing a knife at me. It's always a good time. #truckstoplife

Fri Oct 31, 2014 6:35 pm

The only other language I know is Pig Latin. Lol

Sat Nov 01, 2014 9:00 pm

weldin mike 27 wrote:The only other language I know is Pig Latin. Lol

How do you say, "E-Bay" in Pig Latin?

Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:26 pm

Ha. The struggles of an ancient language trying to deal with modern society.

Mick

Tassie Dave · Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:42 am

6013 2.5 rods.
I recently went online and bought some to re stock. The mob i buy from advertised these rods in a can. when the rods arrived they were in a card board box. no big deal there but the writing on the box was ALL Chinese. Thats where the fun started.
Any way i got one of my " rods out of the packet and did a run at 50 amps on my Esab and got slag inclusions in a lot of the run.
I put the amps up to 60 and repeated, same result. Up to 70 same result. Up to 80 same result. As a last ditch attempt i tried 90 amps which i know is way over the top and it still did the slag.
I tried a 3.25 rod burned perfect . Threw that rod in the bin. Any way this morning i went to the shed and tried it again, a super quick run on the 2.5 rod and it cam out half nice at 50 amps. ?
I am also in the process of making a dust trap for our cut off saw.

Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:02 am

The only rod with a slightly Asian name you should bother with are Kobe's. Made by Kobe steel from Japan. Very good quality. Some big name manufacturers operate in China but that's a different keetle of fish. Best home ones are satincraft 13s from Cigweld or a 12xp. (6012) can't go wrong.
Mick

MinnesotaDave · Fri Nov 21, 2014 4:33 pm

Tassie Dave wrote:6013 2.5 rods.
I recently went online and bought some to re stock. The mob i buy from advertised these rods in a can. when the rods arrived they were in a card board box. no big deal there but the writing on the box was ALL Chinese. Thats where the fun started.
Any way i got one of my " rods out of the packet and did a run at 50 amps on my Esab and got slag inclusions in a lot of the run.
I put the amps up to 60 and repeated, same result. Up to 70 same result. Up to 80 same result. As a last ditch attempt i tried 90 amps which i know is way over the top and it still did the slag.
I tried a 3.25 rod burned perfect . Threw that rod in the bin. Any way this morning i went to the shed and tried it again, a super quick run on the 2.5 rod and it cam out half nice at 50 amps. ?
I am also in the process of making a dust trap for our cut off saw.

Could be the rods are not very good or you did not keep the flux lightly touching the plate.
I like running 3/32" (2.4mm) 6013 in the 75-100 amp range.

: 6013 2.4mm.GIF (40.97 KiB) Viewed 1939 times

Tassie Dave · Fri Nov 21, 2014 4:35 pm

Thanks Mike.
I got stung on that one and from guys that i buy from regular.
I will give them a email asking for an explanation as to why.
I have some 7018's as well, they are a WIA brand. Nice rods but i prefer the Lincoln Easyarc because a lot of the work i do is Galvanised and i get less fumes.

Tassie Dave · Fri Nov 21, 2014 4:39 pm

Thanks also Dave J i did try various lengths including just touching the slag onto the job and it made a slight difference but still had the slag. As i said that rod went to rod heaven and i tried another the following morning and got a damn good bead. All happy now. 75 to 100 amps. I can run 3.25's on that setting and get good penetration with my Esab.

Fri Nov 21, 2014 5:42 pm

Another awesome one is Ferrocraft 22s. (7014) the strength of a 7018 with out the need for a rod oven.

Tassie Dave · Sat Nov 22, 2014 1:07 am

Thanks Mike .
I may get some of those Ferrocraft rods 7014.
I have used varying sorts of rods here in Australia Lincoln rods for Gal work brilliant.
I also got some from Boat owners warehouse some china brand and they worked nicely. Slag curled up behind me and needed minimum cleaning.

Sat Nov 22, 2014 1:34 am

No worries mate. Cheapest worst rods ive bought were Nuweld 3.2mm 6013s but that was back in the day when i wasnt the picture of awesomeness you see before you. hahahaha

AKweldshop · Sat Nov 22, 2014 1:51 am

weldin mike 27 wrote: (7014) the strength of a 7018 with out the need for a rod oven.

Really?
Then why even have 7018?

dsmabe · Sat Nov 22, 2014 2:02 am

Probably some over educated fool said so, or am I the fool?

Sat Nov 22, 2014 2:25 am

7014s have no low hydrogen properties, therefore not for code/work, because the coating can not be certified with in the permissible difusable hydrogen levels of most codes. Pound for pound, its the same core wire.

Mick

dsmabe · Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:40 am

Well, turns out I was the fool! But now this fool has slightly more knowledge, thanks Mick!

Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:46 am

No worries cob. 7014 is a great allround rod (with in reason) because it has the strength of 70xx but needs no special rod treatment/ conditioning.

Mick

Bill Beauregard · Sat Nov 22, 2014 9:47 am

I feel 6013 is like sex with a quadriplegic, it just lays there. I can't seem to do it in any other position!