Stick Welding

[Chadnutz]

Is the stick supposed to touch the metal while the arc is going? The minimal time I have spent on this machine before today I have hovered the electrode, but I tried holding it lightly against the work today and the bead looked better.

I sanded down our 30 year old Miller TIG/Stick welder and painted it royal blue. Then I got them to let me buy new connections and clamps and it looks so perty now. All in the name of education - learning to TIG/Stick that is. :D

[uglyota]

depends on the rods and amperage...hold it as close as you can without it sticking. Sometimes you can actually push the rod into the arc/pool, and sometimes you have to hover it.
I bet that welder works a lot better now that it's clean and painted...put a few stickers on for more amps! ;)

[agjohn02]

ugly's right. depends on what amperage you are using. the length of your air gap determines the resistance in the circuit. it you are using high amperage you can hold it further away and still get an arc, lower= closer. however, you can adjust your amperage as you weld by changing this distance. since stick welding is a CV (constant voltage) operation, if you hold the electrode close, the resistance decreases and amperage goes up if you hold it far away the resistance increases and amperage decreases. as opposed to mig welding that is a CC (constant current) operation that automatically adjusts its standoff distance. the bead looks better when you are close because you are concentrating the spray pattern and making a tighter bead. you might also be getting arc wander with a larger standoff. im not sure what effect the electrode size has on amperage other than it burns faster if its smaller. i think electrode size is a function of amperage rather than the reverse. meaning, if you are welding with low amperage, you have to use a smaller elctrode in order to get proper deposition.

I=V/R
amperage=constant voltage/standoff resistance

[Cajun]

Originally posted by agjohn02
Post above

You wouldn't happen to be an EE would you? :laughing:

[agjohn02]

Originally posted by Cajun
You wouldn't happen to be an EE would you? :laughing:


Nope, MET

EE's dont know crap about welding.:flipoff2:

[Chadnutz]

I have remote control like a TIG. Option for both, but I use the go pedal. Therefor I can control current in multiple ways. :D

Thanks.

[eight]

Stick is not usually supposed to touch. When welding thin stuff if the stick touches it will put a hole through it. I may let it touch when filling a gap because it reduces current, but normally hold it about 1/8" from the surface.

After welding all morning and thinking about this I had to come back to edit. It should be no more than 1/16" inch from the puddle. And sometimes when welding in a corner with a thick flux rod (7018) it is necessary to hit the sides with the flux.