Trouble starting arc unless machine set high

[TheBrick]

Hi all,
I will start off by saying that I am a terrible welder. The only time I have had success was during a mig evening course a long time ago.

Last night I was trying to weld ~ 1 mm thick angle to 2mm thick box. My plan was to concentrate the heat and hence tiem on the thicker material, including stating the arc.

Weld areas and grounding areas prepared with flap disk.

I was uign 1.6 mm rods (6013), my welder has two tapping 55V and 80V. It was currently on 55V so I left it there (first mistake perhaps?) On the back there are markings with steel thickness. On the 55V side I could only get a good arc strike with the thickness set to 3.5mm but then once going even on the 2mm box it was so hot I has to keep stopping to avoid blowing through.

So I guess my question is, are my problems entirely incompetence in motor skills or are there some set up issues I have missed?

Thanks

 

[voipio]

1.6mm rods are quite difficult to start and use at the best of times, and especially so without much practice. Welding 1mm thick steel will also be a challenge, even if it's onto 2mm thick material. What sort of welding helmet are you using, and is there plenty of light close to the workpiece, to give good visibility?

It might be worth getting a few test runs in on some thicker steel (3mm or thicker) with a 3.2mm rod. It will give some useful practice and improved confidence.

Try starting the arc using a light dragging motion of the rod towards the area to be welded. It's fairly common to strike the arc on a piece of sacrificial steel clamped to the workpiece, or some folk even start the arc off the earthing clamp. It mullers the clamp over time, though!!

 

[Munkul]

What welder are you using? Most of the cheaper transformer “buzzboxes” are difficult to use – they don’t have any adjustable hot start or arc force, and they only have a small window/sweet spot between amps too high and amps too low.

Stick welding thin stuff is even trickier.

You’ve not exactly made life easy for yourself.

 

[TheBrick]

1.6mm rods are quite difficult to start and use at the best of times, and especially so without much practice. Welding 1mm thick steel will also be a challenge, even if it's onto 2mm thick material. What sort of welding helmet are you using, and is there plenty of light close to the workpiece, to give good visibility?

It might be worth getting a few test runs in on some thicker steel (3mm or thicker) with a 3.2mm rod. It will give some useful practice and improved confidence.

Try starting the arc using a light dragging motion of the rod towards the area to be welded. It's fairly common to strike the arc on a piece of sacrificial steel clamped to the workpiece, or some folk even start the arc off the earthing clamp. It mullers the clamp over time, though!!

Ok thanks. I am not a good welder but usually with 3.2mm rod I have no problem starting (even if the end result needs improving) so interesting that 1.6mm are harder. They just seemed to stick a lot more unless hot.

Welding helmet is auto darking from Screwfix, I don't know the name.

 

[TheBrick]

No idea what welder it is, all paintwork is worn. Proper simple transformer with shunt that moves up and down. Big and red on wheels with two tappings (55v and 80v)

 

[Guineafowl]

There are much better welders on here than me, but for stick welding 1mm to 2mm I’d be stitching, say, 1” runs, with a short arc, alternating position so the heat can dissipate. Between stitches clamp or tap the seam down so there’s no gap.

Also consider clamping a thick bit of metal near the weld as a heat sink.