Welding Tips and Tricks

I just got my Forney 180st stick (DC) machine. I've got access to some scrap metal from old refrigerators and stoves and even some automotive sheet metal that I want to play around with for now till I can get my hands on some thicker stuff.

Once I clean the material of all the coatings, what type rods do I go at this with? I know it would have to be a 1/16th rod or close to that but 6010? 6013? Etc etc. I know it won't be easy but it's something I want to tinker with till I come across other stuff.

Once I find thicker material then what rods would be cheap to buzz through upon learning on heavy stuff? ... cheap as in 6013 or 7018 etc in what sizes like 5/32 etc etc. I'm still looking at brands of rods as well. I have a fascination with wanting to practice on automotive grade metals due to that's the primary reason for me learning to weld.

I'd stay away from 6010 for the stuff you're talking about.
For thin sheet metal practice 6013 is the go.
6013 is also good practice on thicker steel too until you get a higher level of proficiency.

Would loud and green be a Kawasaki?

I seriously recommend learning on some thicker metal first with a forgiving rod like 6013 till you clean up and try to practice on the old stoves and refrigerator then burn through every 1/2 inch you may just be learning bad habits bad language and how to quickly become an alcoholic most local scrap yards will sell you scrap at scrap prices like 8 dollars a hundred pounds

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weldin mike 27 wrote:Would loud and green be a Kawasaki?

Nah,
That would be a Victorian consuming VB.

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weldin mike 27 wrote:Would loud and green be a Kawasaki?

Lol, my nic came from the first engine I ever built by myself and painted. That little v6 was a beast!

6013 or 7018, whatever you can get cheaper. 6013 is easier to re-strike, but 7018 is easier to remove the slag after it has cooled (sometimes comes off altogether as one piece). 6011 deep penetrating, easy restrike, but the slag is a bi@!! to get off without a wire wheel/disc on a grinder. Don't even look at 6010, 99.9999% sure your machine can't run it.

Sounds like a great thing.

I've been looking around online (Amazon, Walmart, Lowe's etc etc) trying to find the 1/16 6013 in bulk (5lb or more). I've seen a few name brands I'm not familiar with that has some in bulk but I'm having trouble trying to find those rods by brand names in bulk by brands I'm familiar with (Lincoln, Hobart, etc etc).

I'm starting out and don't want to use a brand that I'm not sure of their quality and end up causing issues when I'm trying to learn and understand what I'm doing and paying attention to the process and outcomes of my work.

Am I over thinking this? Am I not going to find the 1/16 6013 in the brands I'm familiar with in bulk to save some ching by the pound? Or is there an "off brand" in bulk that would suit my needs?

Thanx in advance!!!

i know lincoln makes 6013 (easyarc?) and it comes in fairly decent sized boxes.
you don't have to buy it in bulk, its not expensive and nothing worse than having tons of something that you don't use anymore.. start with one box. there is tons of different 6013's so you may find one you like better than the others.

tweake wrote:i know lincoln makes 6013 (easyarc?) and it comes in fairly decent sized boxes.
you don't have to buy it in bulk, its not expensive and nothing worse than having tons of something that you don't use anymore.. start with one box. there is tons of different 6013's so you may find one you like better than the others.

I seen the 6013 you mentioned but I didn't see any in 1/16. I kept snooping around and stumbled across an Asian site for Lincoln.... I think that's what it was, and found something close to my interest but after about a weeks worth of looking around online and not really coming up with what I was looking for.... I bought Lincoln fleetweld 37rsp 6013 which is 1/16 in a 1lb pack from Lowe's .

Those 1/16" stick electrodes might have their place, but my God are they flimsy to run when they're at full length! They wobble a lot unless you hold the electrode mid-way up. 3/32" is much more forgiving IMO.

If you want a good, inexpensive electrode to work on while you're learning, look for Kiswel rods on Ebay. This 50lb tin of 3/32" E6013 was ~ $100 shipped. Nice and inexpensive for a brand new (not N.O.S.) rod for using on either practice or basic, non-structural repairs for friends & family.



I haven't tried any of their other rods, but these run as nice as Lincoln 6013s. Also, Esab Atom Arc 50lb tins can be found sometimes quite cheap. I got four 50lb tins of 3/32" E7018 on Ebay for $75/tin.

The vendor that I bought the Kiswel rods also sells Hyweld brand electrodes, who might be the Asian manufacturer for Kiswel, that can be found at a good price. Another rod brand that I find acceptable is Böhler. I've tried their 7018 and 6010's and they run decent for the most part. They're not Lincoln's, but if you can find them for less than $2.50/lb for the 10lb tubes, or less than $2.25/lbs for the 50 lb tin, then they're be a good buy. The main difference I have found between Lincoln (which I consider to be the best, as an opinion of course), and other brands including cheapie house-brands from LWS's, is that equivalent Lincoln rods can run with slightly lower amperage, and the slag clean off easier/nicer.

Don’t mock the humble washing machine repair patch. I’ve used many of them . Half of the box on my GMC is either kelvinator or Maytag. Hey. It works. I did use my Handler and 030 flux core. The last one was done with Tombstone and 6013. Yea it’s a PITA but it works. The secret is getting it clamped nicely or flanged for a nice fit.
Something to help is a nice piece of copper 3/4” or whatever water pipe hammered flat on the end. Shove it behind the panel and it will help[emoji1695]with burnthrough..


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Thanks! I've got funds to figure and a few more pieces of equipment to buy as well. Rods are at the top of my list but I do need to go to whichever welding supply and start trying on gloves to find what I need... in the size I need. I just got moved to a location that allows me to start up welding so I'm trying to get everything right to put the hours in.

For Gloves, I like the black Tillman MIG welding gloves. They're soft, and thin for flexibility, but that makes them susceptible to heat over-exposure, so I put those $5 aluminized backer pads on both gloves, so regardless of which hand I'm using to hold the torch/stinger, it helps protect the gloves.

loudandgreen wrote:I've been looking around online (Amazon, Walmart, Lowe's etc etc) trying to find the 1/16 6013 in bulk (5lb or more). I've seen a few name brands I'm not familiar with that has some in bulk but I'm having trouble trying to find those rods by brand names in bulk by brands I'm familiar with (Lincoln, Hobart, etc etc).

I'm starting out and don't want to use a brand that I'm not sure of their quality and end up causing issues when I'm trying to learn and understand what I'm doing and paying attention to the process and outcomes of my work.

Am I over thinking this? Am I not going to find the 1/16 6013 in the brands I'm familiar with in bulk to save some ching by the pound? Or is there an "off brand" in bulk that would suit my needs?

Thanx in advance!!!

Honestly I think you’re going a bit overboard especially with those 1/16 rods. There’s a whole bunch in a pound of those. That’s a lot of not the most enjoyable sheet metal welding. Those little guys unlike the others in my experience take quite a beating in storage simply because they are so thin and short.
If you’re going to do a ton of thin sheet then grab yourself a cheap wire feeder off Craig’s list or HF . They work far better on tin and are so much easier to use than tiny sticks. Besides guys are always selling them to upgrade to true MiG ( which ain’t all that special anyways), just easier faster and less cleanup / fumes). I do almost everything thin on my HH135 without gas with no problems. You don’t need all that digital display gadgetry either. If you decide you want a real MiG down the road you can sell it for what you bought it for. You can do some really thin sheet with .030 and it’s far nicer and EASIER than using that 1/16 rod trust me.
When it comes to my stick stash I try to buy the ones I use a lot in 10 lb plastic boxes. That’s a good size price wise. That’s a good size for us ranch/ farm types. Just store them long term in a nice warm dry place in their boxes and theyll last indefinitely.
Which brand[emoji79]? Personally I’m all over the place buying sales ,mostly Hobart at TSC and they all work fine in my world. Last year I welded a couple patches in my truck with [emoji79]HF 030 flux core and it works fine. A bit of wire wheel and or flap disk touch up and you’re good.



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