- Thread starter Johnseat
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Spark plug
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Just start with some general purpose 6013's. But buy a decent branded rod rather than the generic tool staton rods as these will make it much harder to learn.
I would probably use a 3.2 rod for that box, but you might find a 2.5 easier to learn with.
I would probably use a 3.2 rod for that box, but you might find a 2.5 easier to learn with.
BrokenBiker
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If you are welding on 2.5 mm wall thickness box then I would suggest a 2.5mm 6013 on dcen at about 60 amps...I have the same unit
Personally I think you will find it much easier to start on a bit of 8mm flat bar with a 3.2 rod at about 110amps, no chance of blowing through then, 2.5mm steel might be a bit tricky to get started with
Personally I think you will find it much easier to start on a bit of 8mm flat bar with a 3.2 rod at about 110amps, no chance of blowing through then, 2.5mm steel might be a bit tricky to get started with
BrokenBiker
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Why use a 3.2 rod on 2.5mm thick steel? Surely that is going to be much harder than using a 2.5
Spark plug
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It will most likely be harder but just what I'm used to realy.
@Johnseat if you can get your self some thick flat as brokebiker says you will find it much easier to practice striking an arc and feeding the rod wile keeping your arc length constant.
Bill Edwards
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Find something thicker and flat and practice running a few beads first, it will make it easier and make you a better welder.
Post pictures on here for comments, don't be shy.
As to the rods start with 6013 which is a standard, common rod for this kind of thing. 2.5mm would be best for that thickness to a newbie. For a bead pad on something thicker you could use 3.2mm.
Whatever you use, buy something decent, I recommend Murex or Pheonix. Cheap rods are a matter of luck and can be awful, even to those with plenty of experience.
As it happens I do have some decent rods for sale (Pheonix, I just have too many).
Post pictures on here for comments, don't be shy.
As to the rods start with 6013 which is a standard, common rod for this kind of thing. 2.5mm would be best for that thickness to a newbie. For a bead pad on something thicker you could use 3.2mm.
Whatever you use, buy something decent, I recommend Murex or Pheonix. Cheap rods are a matter of luck and can be awful, even to those with plenty of experience.
As it happens I do have some decent rods for sale (Pheonix, I just have too many).
BrokenBiker
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decent rods is the key, i quite like fincord and murex packs, they are consistent which is the important bit, doesnt really matter if they are consistently good or bad, as long as they are all the same...nothing worse than having a rod that runs perfectly than the next rod wont light, and then sticks, then gives a weld full of inclusions for no apparent reason (like super6 rods do for instance)
Not ideal, but if that's all you've got it will have to do. I think you'll burn holes in it with no bother with 3.2mm rods. 2.5mm would be better.
If you go and see the local fab shops and say what you want it for, they may let you have an off cut of plate or I beam out of their scrap bin for not much.
A piece of plate say 6" x 8" x 1/4" would be much better for developing the basic skills of starting the arc, making stringers and stopping the arc. Until you can put down stringers evenly and well, there's not much point trying joints. Start with 2.5mm rods, then when you move to 3.2mm rods you'll find they're very easy to use.
Bill Edwards
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Super6 being a good example where a batch comes in from the cheapest supplier at the time, and it is a matter of luck as to what rod you pull out of the box.
Kent
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The set won't handle bigger than 3.2 mm
Esab. Murex are commonly available in 6013 siftrode are said by some to be ok I have only done one box of 7018 in them so won't comment
It's not too bad an idea to burn your way through a full box of something like super six on scrap
If your on a 13 amp plug better stick to 2.5 mm
6013 definitely not 7018 or other lohydrogen too hard to start and re start for a first go
Esab. Murex are commonly available in 6013 siftrode are said by some to be ok I have only done one box of 7018 in them so won't comment
It's not too bad an idea to burn your way through a full box of something like super six on scrap
If your on a 13 amp plug better stick to 2.5 mm
6013 definitely not 7018 or other lohydrogen too hard to start and re start for a first go
BrokenBiker
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are you saying a xti160 wont handle more than a 3.2 rod? i find that very interesting as i have burnt quite a few 4mm rods in one...
also i run 3.2's on a 13amp supply with absolutely no issue at all, i have had my new one running at 140 amps on a 13amp supply
Johnseat
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According the weldequip site
"Rated at 16 amps fuse supply to obtain it's maximum 160 Amps output, we managed to run a 4.0mm 6013 electrode at 140 Amps from a standard 13 amp supply without any problems. Other machines from the same factory, under different badges, require a 25 amp+ fused supply to be able to run at maximum power"
"Rated at 16 amps fuse supply to obtain it's maximum 160 Amps output, we managed to run a 4.0mm 6013 electrode at 140 Amps from a standard 13 amp supply without any problems. Other machines from the same factory, under different badges, require a 25 amp+ fused supply to be able to run at maximum power"
BrokenBiker
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i ran mine at 110 amps the other day, 3.2mm 6013 just sat padding beads, i put nearly 2.5kg of rods through it in about 3 hours just padding beads and messing about burning rods and it didnt even think about blowing a fuse or hitting the thermal cut out once
BrokenBiker
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that is your best bet...it is a very smooth and easy to use machine, stikes very easily even with cheap rods, smooth stable arc and nice firm amps dial...my only minor annoyance with it is how loud the fan is...its not exccesive but any means, just gets on my nerves a bit but i usually have ear plugs in anyway
BrokenBiker
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i prefer fire or rain to a fan...each tot heir own though, you will enjoy the fan on your welder then
BrokenBiker
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you can easily fit a 5kg pack of rids in the carry box with the welder, plus the leads, a chipping hammer and wire brush.
Bill Edwards
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Doesn't mean it'll always be dry - there are plenty of times I've been dragging welders through mud, rain and cattle muck to do a job. Had they been inverters going into a box afterwards it would have been a terrible place to store rods.
Dry, good quality rods are a must. It makes such a difference, I don't know why people both with cheap ones. They aren't 'good' to practice on, they're hard work and aren't much cheaper, for most people the 5 to 10 pound per box difference isn't going to matter in the slightest, as a box usually lasts for ages.
Nothing worse than having 5kg of horrible rods to have to use up.
Dry, good quality rods are a must. It makes such a difference, I don't know why people both with cheap ones. They aren't 'good' to practice on, they're hard work and aren't much cheaper, for most people the 5 to 10 pound per box difference isn't going to matter in the slightest, as a box usually lasts for ages.
Nothing worse than having 5kg of horrible rods to have to use up.
