Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello,
I have started working at a company that pipe welds using 6010 for the whole joint. Im a new welder, and have certs for pipe welding. I am finding out that welding in a classroom setting and welding in a shop is alot different from welding in the field in tight spaces.

Okay, here is the problem. I am running 1/8 6010 Lincoln 5p++ at about 125 amp DCEP, running it hot and fast, in the shop im getting really nice looking dimes, but when im out in the field, my welds look like I have never touched a welder. I have noticed the puddle looking really funny, only way i can describe it, is to say it looks foamy. I am wirewheeling every pass.

This company hired me cause I was top of my class in welding school, being one of 4 people in the last year to take and complete a 2" heavy wall tube test(tig root and hot, and 7018 fill to cap) and then having the ASME 6010 open root and 7018 fill and cap, and my welds right now dont show the kind of welder I have been. If anyone has any suggestions to what may be the issue lemme know, any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Almost forgot, I was taught to weld uphill and these guys have me welding downhill

Up or down, 6010 doesn't care.

Back the power off a bit. 105A.

WFO works in the shop, because there are no mitigating factors like worksite dirt, dust, and wind.

My two cents.

Steve

Otto Nobedder wrote:Up or down, 6010 doesn't care.

Back the power off a bit. 105A.

WFO works in the shop, because there are no mitigating factors like worksite dirt, dust, and wind.

My two cents.

Steve

Thank you, that is what I am going to try Monday, to turn down the amps. Any thoughts on why the puddle may look foamy, it aint overflowing molten, its almost like bubbles foamy? I have never seen it till I started welding pipe with the 6010. If I get a chance Ill snap a picture of the weld.

Downhill is different. Make sure you have a steep drag travel like 20 degrees and keep the rod buried with a steady travel. Try running 3/32 for the root pass. Up or down it tends to be easier to control the puddle and speed without putting so much heat into the pipe. Worked for me anyway.

Nick,

I don't know about you, but I've never met two welders who do it exactly the same.

Does that make us snowflakes?

I like the different approaches taken here. I'll take someone's suggestion, and try it at work just to see if it will work for me. Sometimes it does!

I'm trying to introduce this site's format to others I participate on. I'm not having much luck.

Somehow, Jody created something special here.

Steve

Lol yeah well I can only comment for what has worked for me. I have a close family friend who welds very similar to me but he didn't teach me a thing about welding or very little anyway. All I can say is whatever works for me or you wont always work for the next guy. Its the human factor.

hey, only way to find out is to try it, and even if someone elses approach dont exactly work out for me, I may be able to modify it to work for me. I like trying it all cause as of right now, how im doing it aint working, my roots come out fine. I actually only run my roots at about 80-90 amps with 3/32 gap

Yup sound bout like what i run. Around 90 amps. So the problem seems to be more on the hot pass or fill or cap or which one? You have to get progressively hotter as you go out. Somethin like 5 amps per pass... ish. When you are gettin to the cap the puddle does get funky lookin but it mostly cuz your runnin much hottter. Make sure you give the pipe a chance to breathe too. Letting it get to warm will mess with things like your amp settings. Remember 6010 is a fast freeze too so you should be able to watch it build up and freeze behind you. I watch that as much as I watch the puddle. It gives me a feel for the way the bead is running. Just another thought.

I welded some Thread Olets on 4" pipe today, turned amps down from 125 to 105 and it ran alot better, I think I need to turn amps down more still, or move faster. Weld looked alot better though and didnt get that foamy looking puddle.
Im going to assume it was the fact i was running to hot for out of position welding, that and i never took into account that at the shop im running off a machine that just plugs into a wall and out in the field im running a gas powered machine.
I dont know, but the suggestions you guys have provided, have taken me closer to being happy with the end result.

Great! Glad i could help some.

Wouldn't hurt to try lower amps, Jamie,

If the reduction worked so far...

A can of 1/8" 6010 will give a working range of 80-120 amps. I can run them as cool as 80 on a well-fit joint, but usually I'm expected to go faster (and prefer to).

Don't be afraid to slow down to get it right. You'll pick up speed with time and practice, and make a better product for your efforts.

Steve

Thanks guys,
I tried to do things the way my work wanted me to, I guess they will have to give me some time and let me do things a bit slower untill Iam able to run faster and hotter.

Greatly appreciated advice and help guys.

I realize this is a really old thread, but I thougtht I could add something useful for someone looking at this in the future. I'm no expert by any stretch, but I have found that amperage is only relevant to the machine your working with. I had a Miller trailblazer that would weld like a dream at a certain amperage and my friend had the exact same machine but I needed to be about 15 amps hotter on his. I had access to a Miller Dial-a-arc machine and it was about 10 amps lower than my trailblazer with all other variables the same.

I guess the point is don't be afraid to adjust the amps even if you had great luck with certain settings on a different machine.

Thanks,

Jason

Jason,
You make a very good point about not getting too hung up on the amperage setting you THINK you are running. Every machine runs a little bit different and you can't be afraid to crank it up or down to suit your own individual requirements.

WelderJamie.

Reading the comments on your '6010 weld puddle' question, made me curious.
How is that 5p++ running?

Alexa

Yeah I agree, a "buck twenty five" is too hot. Back off the amps a bit.

Yeah man.. 125 is a bit crazy.. If you have a smart phone, miller has an app called 'weldsettings' that helps figure out what settings, filler rods, and polarity you need if you're in a quick bind and can't remember shit (happens to me)