Stick Welding- what’s your favourite rod?

[Susquatch]

Yaup look over this way, at least I will fit the age requirement in a few months, the one eye thing is over 30 yrs ago now.

Wow! I'm impressed! That old saying about what doesn't kill us makes us stronger is alive and well!

Your note gives me hope.

I'll keep using a range finder for distance shooting though.

Now if only you could stop the dribbling nightmares @PeterT has caused! LOL!

 

[trevj]

Wow! I'm impressed! That old saying about what doesn't kill us makes us stronger is alive and well!

Meh. I have two shot knees, and four screws, two pins, and a tantalum cage in my back.

That which does not kill us, makes us crusty and cranky at times.

Despite that, ya gotta get on wit yer life!

 

[phaxtris]

My favorite kind of rod, the one I don't have to burn



I'll put it up, you weld it out

 

[Ironman]

I have a Thermal Arc MST 400 welder and a Millar 22A wire feeder. My goto rod for everything except cast is 7018 1/8" or 5/32" on DC at 105+ amps.
If I am spray welding with wire I'm using 27V and 35ipm which is about 278 amp. I paid 4000 for it new years ago, and it is a joy to use especially for uphand work. The arc control ability on stick is awesome.
Of course Thermal Dynamics quit making this unit, so I aim to hang onto it til I'm buried.
If you are trying to weld uphand, use a 3/32" rod for root and fill except for the cap. The smaller rod gives a more controlable arc deep in the V groove and does not heat to the point of running parent metal like water.

 

[Proxule]

If I am spray welding with wire I'm using 27V and 35ipm which is about 278 amp.

My man..... Finally some one who spray welds, I am very fond of this method. I did manage to lower the voltage and speed parameters required to get a nice spray by using 92/8 or 95/5 gas.

Nice setup!

 

[Ironman]

The gas is the most important thing. I used to use BOC gasses and they were too costly but there Starweld was excellent. When I switched to Praxair I cut my cost in half but the gas they produce for spray is mediocre.

 

[trevj]

Did some spray welding with a Linc Ranger 10LX, and an LN25 suitcase. Pretty sure we were using just straight ol' C25, cranked the voltage and the wire speed up until it all went quite quiet... Sure made some pretty welds, and laid down a lot of wire!

Didn't know enough about he process to know even, that a different gas mix was available, so ran what we had...

 

[Proxule]

Did some spray welding with a Linc Ranger 10LX, and an LN25 suitcase. Pretty sure we were using just straight ol' C25, cranked the voltage and the wire speed up until it all went quite quiet... Sure made some pretty welds, and laid down a lot of wire!

Didn't know enough about he process to know even, that a different gas mix was available, so ran what we had...

Makes sense. I think c25 is capable to spray. But well above the 32v area.
Was it a controlled weld ?
Or flip floppy every where ?

 

[trevj]

Makes sense. I think c25 is capable to spray. But well above the 32v area.
Was it a controlled weld ?
Or flip floppy every where ?

Laid down nice even beads, else we would not have gone beyond the initial experiment.

Like I said, mostly working in ignorance. Had the capability from the power supply, so just dialed it up and up and up until it all went smooth....

 

[Whiskers31]

I have a small excavating company I do a lot of repair welding, so I burn a lot of 7018. Sometimes I would need 6011 for certain things. if I can’t get a good clean weld, I might burn 6011 as a root and then finish with a 7018. 7018 is for dissimilar metals. I find that in all position , 7018 larger than 1/8 inch gives me trouble, but I’m sure someone experienced could burn, larger ones with no problem.

 

[Darren]

In a nice warm shop, 7018 is great, for nice clean metal. So is 6013,7014,7024 and just about every other rod.

Out in the hot windy dusty frozen field, 7018 is great, 6010/6011 fast freeze is ok if you need to dig, otherwise 7018. For most utility work under most condition's, 7018 will get er done.

Hard to beat spray mig though, for deposition rates and overall speed, but it'll never replace 7018 in the field for repair work.

 

[Ironman]

I think they'd be afraid he'd soil those lily white paws...

I think the issue would the Woof and white flash as all the hair lit up.
I have always loved 7018 and DC. It makes me look good. As I age, I was proud of my welds and spray welding with wire. Now I have trouble being steady and seeing where to start with wire. 7018 still makes me look good though.

 

[Gearhead88]

Arctec Unichrome 265S

 

[johnnielsen]

For special circumstance and dissimilar steels it would be 309L SS rod.

 

[trevj]

Arctec Unichrome 265S

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that there is some really REALLY useless information, if you can't be bothered to provide a little context about why or where you decide to use that particular rod.
Just sayin'. I've seen better recommendations from actual advertisements for various products, and which I thought had more value!

 

[wmetfab]

Hey Stev,

Practice a consistent speed, arc length and angle the rod slightly away from the puddle.
You're doing good, just keep practicing.
More heat is your friend once u get the hang of managing the puddle.

Try to get yourself a better power source, like a small Miller 225 ac dc buzzbox, u can do a lot with it and they not that expensive.

Best,

 

[Bandit]

The welding machine can make a big difference, a good welder can make a bigger difference, a very poor machine makes learning very hard.
Knowing you have an AC machine and can get AC/DC rods of various flavours is also a difference.
I have used 7018, 7024,7014,6013,6011,304,308L, and so on. Sometimes good old 6013 just fits the bill, nearly use it with eyes closed, ya, I know, "farmer rod" sometimes 7018 will be abit finicky, but the extra 10,000 is needed.
I have used 100s of lbs. of Stody and Ni-rod 55 in mig, but special use only.
The old stick arc welder works in the wind, a gas mig nearly useless. StickArc welder does not need liners, a drive motor, tips etc. Yes, I have 2 stick buzz box units, 2 gas migs, a spot welder, and oxy/ac set up.
I guess if I had to pick, it would be a toss up between 6013 and 7018, depends on welding machine and job.

 

[Gearhead88]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that there is some really REALLY useless information, if you can't be bothered to provide a little context about why or where you decide to use that particular rod.
Just sayin'. I've seen better recommendations from actual advertisements for various products, and which I thought had more value!

The title of the thread is , " Stick welding - what is your favourite welding rod"

The rod example I have given IS my favourite .

I've welded a lot , for many years and used all manner of welding rods on a variety of materials , in various positions .

What more detail than that do you need ? ....... like I have any interest in responding after you'r comment ........ how's that for "REALLY useless information" ?

 

[wmetfab]

The title of the thread is , " Stick welding - what is your favourite welding rod"

The rod example I have given IS my favourite .

I've welded a lot , for many years and used all manner of welding rods on a variety of materials , in various positions .

What more detail than that do you need ? ....... like I have any interest in responding after you'r comment ........ how's that for "REALLY useless information" ?

Ouch..
Someone urinate in your cerial grains this AM ?

 

[Tom Kitta]

6010 for me as I have a ton of it... like really, literally I have a ton of it. Lifetime supply.
I also have some 7000 series and small amounts of like everything else, 8000 series, 10000 series, 318L - still have lots of it, sold a whole box online. Even have some electrodes for exotic metals. Have little for hard surfacing and welding cast.

Skill set for welding stick is higher than working with MIG - I need like few hour "refresher" before I start to weld properly. With MIG glue gun, at least look wise, its so much simpler.

Also switching between AC and DC throws stuff off.

Add to this different rod types and your welds may look like done by a 10 year old kid that just started.