Not a fun few hours

[PaulC7]

Bought a cheap toolstation special today, got two mini bikes need a bracket and had some scrap laying round so decided to go for arc as its a lot less messing round than gas bottles... Which wouldn't be the best thing to have in the house with the baby and all her oxygen bottles.

Anyway I set about this afternoon and spent a good 4 hours just getting everything wrong but as I was finishing managed to lay down some thicker welds that resembled something close to half decent, along the way even my lad, 9, had a try.

Saturday should be another nice day so more practice ahead.

 

[lshigham]

What rods are you using?

 

[PaulC7]

Lidl specials 2mm, picking up a few bits and they had some in so grabbed them... To mess about with really till I decided what good ones and what size I'm most likely to use.

Not sure the rods had anything to do with my results more my inability to hold steady.

 

[BrokenBiker]

2.5mm rods are better, easier to use, burn slower and so on. Practice makes perfect though

 

[pedrobedro]

Prop the rod with your gloved hand to steady it or even crook your finger round it. A friend of mine uses a buzz box and he cuts the rods in two as he is shaky. Try turning the power up a bit till you go too far then back it off to where it doesn't blow through.

 

[PaulC7]

No new welds this weekend spent much of it getting frustrated at not being able to get an arc going.


Does the setting need to be spot on to be able to get an easy arc or is it just simply down to practice.

 

[brightspark]

No new welds this weekend spent much of it getting frustrated at not being able to get an arc going.


Does the setting need to be spot on to be able to get an easy arc or is it just simply down to practice.

if the rods are sticking when u start up stroke across the metal. if its still sticking crank up the amperage and if its still bad try a diffrent brand of rods. 2.5mm is about the norm to use

 

[BrokenBiker]

i always used to peck at the metal to strike an arc, always getting my hair off. Then i did a course and they told me to strike it like a match. Much easier

 

[brightspark]

i just strike rod up on a sacrificial piece of metal on earth return then on to the job saves sh..ting it up with spatter and saves the clamp

 

[norlander]

i just strike rod up on a sacrificial piece of metal on earth return then on to the job saves sh..ting it up with spatter and saves the clamp

thats the method we used for sparking up for critical welds when I was an apprentice, once you have part used a rod it can be hard to start again,so drag it along the earthed piece to clear the end-tapping can break off the coating and make things harder and sticky.
If you are shaky, try having a second rod in your free hand and hold it against (underneath) the rod you are welding with at 90/45°- angles not crtical-you bring the prop rod up slowly as you feed the actual welding rod into the job.
Make sure you have a good earth-it helps.

 

[bobw1]

"Make sure you have a good earth-it helps" yes definitely also the electrode holder connections. Having a bit of trouble getting going myself one day, then the cable dropped on the floor leaving me with just the electrode holder in my hand. Fixing this, a change to machine mart rods (much as I hate to promote them in any way) and doing away with the ground clamp and replacing it with a lump of copper transformed my aldi buzzbox. Just clamp the copper to the work with vice grips, even holding it there is better than the standard arrangement. Some good tips above, think I'll be trying a few out. Thanks folks.

How thick is that metal anyway? Looks pretty thin.

Bob

 

[PaulC7]

The metal I have is 2.5mm thick but going by the tutorials 6mm thick is the way to go so as soon as I can I will get some.

I did get some 2.5mm 6013 rods from my local welding shop but there a fair bit longer so won't be any help on the shaky side of things so will see how I get on with them cut down.

As for striking a new rod that is the method I'm using and is noticeably different than using straight out the box.

The main thing that I've found frustrating is when trying to start an arc the mess that is made makes it impossible to get an arc once its built up so out comes the grinder again and again but I'm hoping once my skills are up that won't be much of a problem.

Today I got a bit too frustrated so gave tac welding a go and for some unknown reason I didn't find it too much trouble, made matchstick men using nuts and bolts.

 

[Robotstar5]

I did get some 2.5mm 6013 rods from my local welding shop but there a fair bit longer so won't be any help on the shaky side of things so will see how I get on with them cut down.

Don't cut them, just hold the rod about halfway down with your left hand (assuming you're right handed) until you've burnt enough to run it single handed.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Don't cut them, just hold the rod about halfway down with your left hand (assuming you're right handed) until you've burnt enough to run it single handed.

i tend to put my free hand on the bench and slide the rod over the back of my hand, otherwise i forget to move my hand as the rod burns.

i can remember being on the balcony in the flat and firstly wondering why ii couldn't see the arc anymore, then secondly why my fingers were so hot and why i could smell burning. Glove landed on the neighbours shed roof quite soon after that

 

[wheresmejumper]

For crap rods and thin steel I dont think the pics above look bad at all.you certainly have the basics.
and youre a better welder than photographer!

 

[PaulC7]

For crap rods and thin steel I dont think the pics above look bad at all.you certainly have the basics.
and youre a better welder than photographer!

It took forever to get them few welds and I've not been able to do any since I guess I got lucky when I done them.

Photo was taken with iPhone if I had used my cannon then you would have the opposite opinion

 

[BrokenBiker]

to start out and just learn striking an arc and running beads, get yourself some 5-6mm steel, some 2.5mm rods and set the welder at around 100 amps, should get nice easy starts, my little buzz box maxxes out at 100 but will still run 2.5 rods with ease, its what I learnt with and cranking the amps for the first few days really helped

 

[simplysimon]

I found this video the other day that may help you, personally I think 2.5mm is going to be overkill for a bike frame, you could well end up blowing holes in it. if you can borrow a mig you will have much better results as the electrode/wire is only half inch from the gun and a lot easer to control at lower amps

 

[PaulC7]

Nice helpful video and going by his results i'm a bit cold and too fast.

 

[PaulC7]

A good day learning today...

Decided after not much luck being able to weld I thought it would be best to learn my machine and get a feel for the right settings and get an arc going quickly.

A good few hours later, thankfully it was a lovely day spent in the back garden, I had got somewhere.

Think the machines is off a little bit on the display but i've sussed it now and its making life easier to get the sound of bacon ringing in my ears and to get/keep an arc going.

When I was done for the day my lad 10 even had a go and had a few short arcs going.

Now to get laying some steady beads.