Welding Tips and Tricks

I'm gonna try 7018. I've gotten pretty good at using 6013 and 7014. Should I use a steep rod angle to control slag, or is slag not a big problem with 7018?

No. Keep a drag angle 0-10degrees. Tight arc is essential. Flick the flux off the end of the rod with your gloved thumb for restarts.

thx

I use a file to get the slag of the end of the rod for restarts.
Using your gloved thumb rips the leather and before you know it you use your skin to get the slag of.
My gloves last a lot longer since i started using the file.

Using a file is fine for the weekend wars. If you're doing it on the job you haven't got time to screw around with files and besides your gloves get destroyed by grinder action, sharp burrs and burned way before flux flicking makes a difference.

If you're cutting up your gloves with flux you're doing it wrong. It's more of a squeeze than a scrape. You don't need a full end clean, you just need to expose metal in one spot so you can strike an arc.

I use a file and a wire brush. Rods cheap. I don’t relite on anything important everything else gets tapped on my file or a nearby hard ungrounded surface. Just a matter of habit.

Poland308 wrote:Rods cheap. I don’t relite on anything important everything else gets tapped on my file or a nearby hard ungrounded surface. Just a matter of habit.

And its a GOOD habit too. Anything x-rayed deserves fresh rods for every restart. A few rods are far cheaper than grinding or cutting out a failed weld.

After jackin around a bit I finally started getting nice looking beads and "peelers."..with the 7018

They are Lincoln 3/32. It says to use 65-100 amps, but I couldn't get a stable arc on 1/4 plate steel unless I turned up to 120 amps. 100 amps seemed week. 110 was a little better, but 120 seemed to be the sweet spot.

Is it common to have to turn the amps up out of spec to get a stable arc? The pics I attached are 120 amp beads on 1/4 steel.

My machine is a Sungold arc200

I seem to be likin that weld Dan. I think that the machines of today are only in the ball park of getting the settings. I really don't know if they are all "tuned" to be the same when set at a particular number on the dial. I think it is all what works for YOU.
Stay safe, warm and healthy.

Thx BillE... Good point about the machine amp dial too. My little inverter didn't run 6010 or 6011 very well on the recommend amp range, per the dial setting. Perhaps if I kick the amps up on the dial I'll have better luck... Going to try it..

Could just be a calibration issue with the machine. With 3/32" Lincoln Excalibur 7018, ive used 75-95 with perfect results.

My miller Dialarc like about 115 amps for 3/32 7018, won't hardly run them at less than 95.
Tap the rod on the concrete floor when it's still hot, works pretty good for restarts.

Well I can make some nice 7018 beads on a flat surface but my 7018 fillet welds are ugly. Getting slag inclusions.

I think I need to run hotter.

Never had to use anything over 100 amps for 3/32 7018.
My idealarc 250 likes 85-95 amps on DC+ polarity for flat welding. For vertical up, I’ll run 80-85 amps.