Welding Tips and Tricks

I have a chance to pick up an older craftsman AC/ DC stick welder for 1 bill. First is this enough DC amps to weld up to 1/2" plate? Btw this welder has the old turn knob on top, where you loosen the knob and swing the pointer to the amp selection then tighten the knob down. I've got this same style welder in AC only mode and i am not sure how accurate the swing pointer is because there seems to be a little play in it but i practice with it anyway. I am going to look at it tomorrow and would also like to know what rod type i should take with me to test the DC function. I will only be running a bead or two on 3/16" mild steel plate. Please advise, thanks!

Hvacr wrote:I have a chance to pick up an older craftsman AC/ DC stick welder for 1 bill. First is this enough DC amps to weld up to 1/2" plate? Btw this welder has the old turn knob on top, where you loosen the knob and swing the pointer to the amp selection then tighten the knob down. I've got this same style welder in AC only mode and i am not sure how accurate the swing pointer is because there seems to be a little play in it but i practice with it anyway. I am going to look at it tomorrow and would also like to know what rod type i should take with me to test the DC function. I will only be running a bead or two on 3/16" mild steel plate. Please advise, thanks!

Take some 1/8" 7018's, and some chunks of 1/2" or thicker plate, and try and weld.
Max it out at 140amps.

If it won't run it nice, don't buy it.....

Take some 1/8" 7018's, and some chunks of 1/2" or thicker plate, and try and weld.
Max it out at 140
If it won't run it nice, don't buy it.....[/quote]

Ok, i have both and will give it a shot, thanks for your reply.

1 bill=$100 correct? If yes, and if that machine runs, buy it....that is a heck of a price for an AC/DC machine. Its not a pro level machine like a Dialarc or an Idealarc, but that is a nice step up from the 110v welder you are running now. Comparable to a miller thunderbolt. You never see them for that price. Usually that's the price for an AC only machine and the AC/DC units are 2-3 times more money

Louie1961 wrote:1 bill=$100 correct? If yes, and if that machine runs, buy it....that is a heck of a price for an AC/DC machine. Its not a pro level machine like a Dialarc or an Idealarc, but that is a nice step up from the 110v welder you are running now. Comparable to a miller thunderbolt. You never see them for that price. Usually that's the price for an AC only machine and the AC/DC units are 2-3 times more money

Louie1961'
Thanks for your input! Yes it is $100.00. The owner has not used it in years so i hope the DC works! I am going to lok at it tomorrow afternoon.

If the machine is as old as claimed, there may be $100 of copper in it, if it won't do anything.

I think I'd buy that, sight unseen.

Steve S

[quote="Otto Nobedder"]If the machine is as old as claimed, there may be $100 of copper in it, if it won't do anything.

I think I'd buy that, sight unseen.

Steve S, i got it! I think I'll post back here later with a pic of the machine and let you know if the DC Has helped with spatter and smoothness. If it doesn't work and can't be repaired, i will as you mentioned scrap it out.

Here is a pic of the machine, and a pic if a couple of beads of 7018 at 115 amps DC on 1/2" mild steel plate with the electrode in the + location (reverse polarity?). The fella threw in the fibre-metal helmet and the small dolly. I am psyched!

I think you have a winner, at a sweet price!

Now, to practice, practice, and practice some more, so you can call them all a "one bill weld".

Good job!

Steve S

Good deal!!!!

Yeehaw! I am going to get "beader" at this........now if i could just weld a straight line......

Now, go straight to Tractor supply, Home Depot, or Lowes, and get you a box of 3/32 or 1/8 inch 7014 rods. Jody has a couple of videos that show how these rods can virtually run themselves. Run them on DCEP polarity. Be sure to read the amp chart on the box. The 1/8 rod needs 125-140 amps to run correctly. You can literally drag these rods on the plate and not have to worry about arc length for learning purposes. I would practice with these until you learn to make nice straight beads, that are fairly consistent. Learn to look at the puddle not the arc. You will LOVE this!!! Congrats on the SWEET score!!

Louie1961,
Thanks, i have watched that vid and all of Jody's stick vids several times. As well as Steve Blelik (spelling of last name not sure of) vids. I will get the 7014's. I have been practicing with 6011, some 6013 and 7018's. One of my crew asked if I would teach him to weld, LOL. I told him sure i'll teach you to weld as long as you don't mind it being WRONG" Then I told him about this site. I'll see if he becomes a member then both of us can commiserate together. He asked me if we were going to start to weld stuff we hire out and I said HELL TO THE NO! Maybe after gobs of years of practice..............he like I thinks it is as easy as it looks, when watching a skilled weldor. So then he asked why i was i trying to learn to weld, my reply "because it is an ADDICTION that is actually fun and fascinating" I have tried the soapstone to keep a straight line and the edges i can when see when first starting then i lose them from sight. The helmet i am using now has an auto darkening feature and i have it set between 9 and 10. I'm not sure if losing the soapstone line is due to the auto darkening feature or the brown dust like substance covering it as i weld. In any event i will try the 7014's and watch the puddle. Thanks for the tip.
Hvacr

Cheap auto darkening helmets can be worse than no helmet at all. I have gone through a few and they make it hard to see. I actually find that once you are comfortable striking an arc, the cheap, old fashioned fixed shade helmets have unparalleled visibility and clarity. There is no comparison. There are a few high end AD helmets that come close. My Jackson WH40 is OK, but not great. I get that you want AD because it makes it so much easier to strike and arc, but honestly it could also be what is keeping you from seeing the soapstone. People rave about the Jackson WH70, and the Optrel and Speedglass helmets, but the cheapest helmet that is reportedly just as good is the Striker CSV from HTP America. I have yet to try one.

I just picked up 5 lbs of 7014 and a shade 10 fixed lens for the fibre-metal hood the fella gave me when i bought the welder. Going to the shop to see if i can weld a straight bead today.

In addition to what Louie said, 7014 run excellent on AC too.

1/8" rods can handle up to 160 amps or so. I consider 125 to be the bottom.

Let the flux lightly drag and have fun

7014 is the answer to straighter lines for this beginner. I had the 1/8" set at amps lowest 115 and highest pegged to the 140 DC mark on the welder. Ran the majority around 135. This is DCEP. I tried the fixed shade 10 and love it. I have to raise the hood a bit to see where my electrode is, but if that can be considered an inconvenience it is well worth it, i can see the soapstone marks with this shade 10. I did forget to flip the hood down once before striking that was an eye shutting experience Thanks for all the tips guys. Please have a look at the pics below and critique please and thank you.

WOW...that's what I call improvement. You must be extremely satisfied. Good for you!!! Keep practicing.

My small success' are due to the generous help from this site! Your suggestion about the 7014 and shade 10 lens did the trick! Thanks!

just happy to give back in my own small way.

HVACR,
When I need to keep a straight line I use a small pocket scribe and straight edge. Sometimes even when capping a pipe weld I'll use a wrap around and a scribe to keep a reference for my cap width. It stays in place while the soap stone melts away. Aging eyes are fading faster than the soap stone for me and everything keeps getting harder to see and keep in focus.

Len

Hey Len, if it weren't for cheater glasses i could see nothing up close. What do u do, take the straight edge with a heavy duty scribe type tool and scratch a line on the metal? U don't leave a straight edge on the plate far away enough so it is not welded on the metal itself do u? I have contemplated tack welding a couple of straight metal pieces ,onto the plate to use as a sight guide, shooting for the middle of the two guides without welding them to my practice plate. Wish i had my pre-40 year old eyes back . I did find that the shade 10 lens did help me see the puddle and the soapstone better than my AD helmet, after i practiced with the 7014's yesterday i tried some 6011's and i wondered off course again.
hvacr

I just scribe a line next to where the weld is for a reference, maybe an 1/8" away. Not real deep so I remove the line with a wire wheel on a grinder. On pipe I do both sides so I have a reference for the width on the cap to keep it even the whole way around.

All this is only if I'm going for pretty and most days I'm not so good enough ends up just that. I don't weld all day everyday at my job so I get out of practice. I find that when I have to do a lot of pipe welds that it starts to become easy to keep a consistent width.

Len

Ok, thanks for idiot proofing it for me

An idiot would not be on here trying to better himself at something, he'd be on here telling everyone that he's already better than them at it. Everyone has little things that they do everyday to make life easier and that's the real beauty of this forum, people sharing them. Besides I'm not always the best at painting a mental picture with a keyboard. It's all good.

Len