Welding Tips and Tricks

Horizontal butt joint,3/32 7018,1/4 plate,1/16 land,1/16 gap...Using a 5 to 10 degree work angle with 20 degree travel angle.I'm on a Miller Goldstar 302.Blowing holes quick with a 105 amp's so I dropped to 95 and got hardly any penetration.Played with the heat some more by going up and down and it's still one or the other.Blowin holes or not penetrating.Makes me wonder how in the hell you guy's weld pipe in the 6g position and make it look easy I've been told by other guy's in the class to try pokin it through all the way down like 6010 overhead or even weaving it but my instructor say's not to ,so I'm trying to do it the way he say's which is drag it.No go,so far.Any advice,vet's?

Your WPS may not allow it, but DCEN makes open root with 7018 childs play.

See if you can run a 3/32 gap, and figure out which amperage suits your travel speed. I'd start at 90 amps, and adjust in 2-3 amp increments from there. Gotta run hot enough to keep a real tight arc, but not much more than that. Increase or decrease travel speed accordingly.

Can you post pictures?

Shieldarc what you running 7018 open butt on? Structural? I've never seen that on process piping.

kermdawg wrote:Shieldarc what you running 7018 open butt on? Structural? I've never seen that on process piping.

Just to see if I could do it.

jones318 wrote:Horizontal butt joint,3/32 7018,1/4 plate,1/16 land,1/16 gap...Using a 5 to 10 degree work angle with 20 degree travel angle.I'm on a Miller Goldstar 302.Blowing holes quick with a 105 amp's so I dropped to 95 and got hardly any penetration.Played with the heat some more by going up and down and it's still one or the other.Blowin holes or not penetrating.Makes me wonder how in the hell you guy's weld pipe in the 6g position and make it look easy I've been told by other guy's in the class to try pokin it through all the way down like 6010 overhead or even weaving it but my instructor say's not to ,so I'm trying to do it the way he say's which is drag it.No go,so far.Any advice,vet's?

What is your bevel and how long is the test piece? I have never really tried 7018 root, will give it a try. I am almost sure your amps are to high, could be wrong though.
-Jonathan

With open root pipe, or plate, either with 7018, or 6010. Rod angle is everything. If you're not getting a keyhole point the rod toward the direction of travel. That will allow you to cut in. If your keyhole is to big, point the rod back in the direction of the weld already deposited.

Forget the guys name but maybe he will chime in. Think he was from australia, but he said where he's from they dont even use 6010 or 6011...they use 7018 all the way out on open butt pipe joints. Never even heard of it till he said that hehe. So it definately can be done, and apparently done well

Would you say it's easier to run 6010 or 7018 on the root shield? I'd think 6010 would be easier since that's basically what it was designed for.

kermdawg wrote:Would you say it's easier to run 6010 or 7018 on the root shield? I'd think 6010 would be easier since that's basically what it was designed for.

Yes 6010 is easier! You have a lot more control. With 7018, if you get into trouble you can not whip out of the puddle to let it cool. Well you can, but you end up with a bunch of little vent holes in the weld!

I'm gonna bring one home tomorrow and post a pic.Probably give you guy's a better idea of what's going on.I tried gapping it with a 3/32,putting 3/32 land on it and turned my heat down for that.Got through better but the penetration wasn't consistent or uniform on the back.6010 was a bit easier I thought as you have the keyhole and "bacon fryin" to go by.As far as I know there isn't any indication that you're penetrating with 7018.Just got to run it,then look,I think I've got to go to work now, but like I said ,I'll post pic's tomorrow.Thank's.

jones318 wrote:I'm gonna bring one home tomorrow and post a pic.Probably give you guy's a better idea of what's going on.I tried gapping it with a 3/32,putting 3/32 land on it and turned my heat down for that.Got through better but the penetration wasn't consistent or uniform on the back.6010 was a bit easier I thought as you have the keyhole and "bacon fryin" to go by.As far as I know there isn't any indication that you're penetrating with 7018.Just got to run it,then look,I think I've got to go to work now, but like I said ,I'll post pic's tomorrow.Thank's.

How did everything work out?
-Jonathan