heh I know this is old but I just got a Campbell Hausfield (sp?) 70 AMP AC welder for 20$. I havn't welded since high school, metel shop, about 14-15 years ago, and this was hard to figure out. I had more strike marks than beads for the first 1/2 pound of rods, I was givin some 3/32 rods with it that were near impossible to strike untill they were halfway gone, so I bought some 5/64 6013 rods that work awsome. They make a good weld on thicker materials (1/16-1/8 3-beads). But Heres the thing, I've been welding thin thin metal. I was able to get a few good beads on a peice of tubing that was at LEAST 1/32 if not smaller, I did many good beads on a few old shovels. I welded a bike peg to a shovel pretty successfully (I could't break it off with a roofing hammer). I have found its all in manipulation, Its not quite like welding with a big welder. If I tilt my angle down and up I can control penetration, and with arc length I control the puddle size and I usually do a tight and fairly quick zig-zag, only about 1/16 3/32 max side way travel. And you have to move fast and watch so the slag keeps blowing back not running up, every time the slag catches back up it makes an ugly spot. And also watch the metal on the sides of the puddle you can tell when its getting too hot and turning the same colors as the puddle, right after that it blows through unless you get off it. I have actually got some beads to sink through and make a rather decent bead on the backside. lol. You need to have fairly clean metal to work with or the arc will keep dieing out. The zig zag motion helps that, I don't know why. Also, If it dies and your fast enough to touch the puddle while its still molten you'll be ok and it'll fire back up withought ruining your bead. Think of it as blasting a hose into the dirt, point it strait down and it will make a hole, strait down, now angle it and it will start to blow all the mud and crap away but still carve a hole, then tilt it more and see how it stops making a hole and starts blowing crap everywhere. Also put it close to the dirt and see how it carvs a uniform hole, and with more power into the dirt. The more you move the hose away the more the water is spread out and "Diggs" less. Exactly the same thing as welding, the molten metal and your puddle are the "holes" and the water is the arc. lol
I havn't even TRIED the 1/16 rods yet, I bet they're even better for this this stuff, obviously lol.
I havn't even TRIED the 1/16 rods yet, I bet they're even better for this this stuff, obviously lol.
