So far, I've learned more from this playlist than I have from all the other stick videos I've watched. (I've watched sooooo many hours of others' SMAW tutorials.) Panning into the arc strike technique in an earlier video really helped, as that has been my biggest problem. I'm binge watching this playlist, & have watched far beyond my current level of experience & proficiency, but this man's method of teaching is really getting through to me. Great videos, great instruction, great insights, great teacher. He really should put together an online course. I'm certain his method would resonate with all the thick skulls, as well as they have with mine. Two thumbs up & many thanks!
Thanks so much for the kind words. It’s a honor for me to be between you and the difficult (but doable task) of learning to weld 😀. I appreciate the thoughts on doing a online course. I will be definitely doing that 😮. So it will be a few weeks but I am going to setup a self guided program for Mig, flux core, and stick at first. Basically a unofficial RU-vid welding certificate that people can work towards. It will have assignments, goals, and grades. I realize that many people benefit from the motivation and structure of a program, but they don’t want to/are afraid/don’t have the money to go to college. So I am going to make it possible for the average hobbyist to achieve something and realize they can do it. I will post a update within 2 weeks covering all of this with a good overview. 😀
I have to agree with you. Not only have I watched a s**t ton of video's, I even bought several books, none of which really helped. I think the main thing is practice every day though, 40 years ago I did get quite good but the skill goes away incredibly fast when you don't weld anything for 10~15 years and if you do any welding it's very thin sheet with gas.
Haha trust me on that is definitely a verifiable fact 😅. I might do a run of some give away coffee mugs or something that says that. I never pay attention to the stuff I say so it’s funny to hear someone mention something I say a lot 😅.
This Series of Videos has helped me so much thank you for explaining things.. I am a weekend warrior but i use Mig and i just got into stick welding.. great course Greg!!!
Learning a lot from these videos! As you know, I'm a total beginner. I've been practicing lately with 6013 and even as a beginner, have not had problems with slag inclusion. It may be due to the type of 6013 flux used here. Here in Mexico the 6013 has green flux. The ESAB version is "Super Verde"...Super Green, but even from other brands I've only seen the green version. Here in Mexico 6013 is the most used rod, used for pretty much all stick welding except for structural and probably not for things like 4x4 fabrication jobs.
There are indeed different 6013s with different fluxes. I have heard that some of them don’t have nearly the slag inclusion issues like the common ones here in the states. I am not joking, 6013 can very easily have a slag inclusion with the rods we have lol. It’s a good sign you’re not seeing that. 6013 is a good overall rod to work and learn with, it can definitely weld a ton of stuff together.
Thank you so much, I am a programmer, and starting welding as my hobby, you sir are a legend. I am going to start this weekend, my machine and other stuff will be arriving tomorrow. Love and respect from Lahore, Pakistan.
Good for you and thanks for the kind comment 😀. Welding makes a great hobby. Just get used to struggling for a bit before you get a feel for it. It won’t take that long to get decent. If you’re ever struggling with something post a comment and I will give you some tips 😀
I dream of having strike offs like that!! Slag inclusion on 6013 is my nightmare, endless cycle of grinding frustration, progress is ever so slow, but then again I dont have nice clean flat plates to practice on, so am welding on any scrap metal I can find, which is usually thin stuff, might take me 1000x times longer to learn but melting hot metal is suprisingly relaxing and addictive, ordered some 6011, hoping those will help with slag inclusion problems.
6013 tends to be tough to make clean welds on actual joints. I can literally weld 100% clean welds in any position any joint with 7018, 6010, 6011, and many other oddball rods (stainless, nickel,,etc). With 6013 I am almost assured to have some form of welding defect dealing with its excessive flux/slag from time to time. It runs great on butt joints and to a certain extent lap joints. The second you try to weld weird joints, or out of position it’s an uphill battle. The worst welds I have ever made were all with 6013 lol. 6011 takes more skill to run (slow down travel speed over 6013) but it’s much easier to make defect free welds with it for me. To this day I still use 6011 for certain tasks, I don’t use 6013 for anything other than teaching people. Edit: I forgot to mention overseas 6013 is very popular, however they have a different flux composition. Their rods can run more like 6011 than ours, so I understand why they use it. Most 6013s in this country seem to have too much flux and it jokes where I don’t want it lol.
@@makingmistakeswithgreg Good to know even pros can have problems with 6013, some 7018 on its way. I figured this cheap welder is reading way undercurrent, I have to push it to 110A on 2.5mm rods to get clean welds, then suddenly everything is starting to come together, thats the problem I have had with stick, too many variables as a newby, so its hard to identify exactly what I was doing wrong, not perfect though every time, still cant differentiate between slag and metal, got a ESAB helmet set to 11+ cheater lens.
Can you explain the difference between fast and slow freeze and puddle manipulation in regard to the fast or slow freeze? Thank you I am feeling more comfortable with my practice after watching your series.
So this is what I do. Weld puddles that freeze fast (like 6010 and 6011) it helps to move forward 1/8th to 3/16th of a inch or so, while tighten the arc gap, and then move back about half that distance. As you step forward the loss of heat input causes the furthest part of the puddle from the arc to solidify. In the flat position normal weld this isn’t much benefit, but vertical up as well as welding gaps the puddle solidifying more or less allows you to 3d print metal and makes it easy to bridge gaps. With slow freezing puddles (like 7018, 6013, etc) your manipulation doesn’t do much because the puddle stays liquid. There is no benefit to whipping out of the puddle with these rods, you want to run straight and smooth. Keep in mind as well, 6010-6011 have a tendency for the metal rod to burn high up inside the flux. By manipulating the rod it keeps the flux knocked off and it runs better. This isn’t an issue with most other rods.
I'm guessing when you say an old tombstone you mean like a Lincoln Buzz box. I like that name that's exactly what it looks like. I have one but been using my new Miller 220 I think they both put out the about the same power I think the Miller does operate on DC for stick and probably a little easier to use cause it automatically sets up the parameters. Thanks for what you do I'm working on my stops and starts. I'm finally starting to see what I'm seeing and understand a little more about moving the puddle.
Once you master stops and starts it will be by far easier to stick weld. If you think about it most people don’t have a issue with the rod when it’s running, all the frustration is at the start and the end. Focusing on improving those two things will completely change how good you are at stick. Buzz boxes still work good, but the modern dc output welders are far better in my opinion, especially with 7018 rods.
It’s a Hobart I believe, it should be this one of a knock off of it: www.amazon.com/Hobart-770069-Welding-Hammer-Chipping/dp/B0017Z5IZ4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1JBP2E548QAJ1&keywords=hobart+stick+welding+brush&qid=1706671153&sprefix=hobart+stick+welding+brush%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1
So high OCV makes it much easier to start a rod because the arc establishes and stays lit easier. Hot start is a momentary boost in amperage at the start of welding. In simple terms if your machine is set for 100 amps and hot start is turned on (or the machine has it built in) it will boost the amperage to say 120amps for .5 seconds and then drop to 100. On some machines it’s adjustable for what percentage increase over machine set point, and even how long after the start it’s active (say .25 to 2 seconds). Hot start is very useful on thicker material because you can have poor fusion for the first bit of the weld without it. It’s also harder to stick the rod with it at the start.
My machine says 86v Ocv... Or 15v Vrd... Ive left that Off so Far... I need all the Help i can get so...ha But i did get a LiL sHock about the 3rd time using the machine.., i was holding V-Grips with my left Bare Hand, the V-Grips were holding a Bolt to a Shaft tht i was welding it too... I wasn't long letting Go...lol
Haha.. well I used them to help people out on how to run them. I am not sure why but 6013 is super common in many countries and many people can’t get 6011,6010, or 7018. I won’t lie, it takes more skill to make clean welds with 6013 than 7018 in my opinion. It’s so easy for the flux to run infront of the rod and cause weld defects.
I bought a whole 5 lbs of 3/32 6013, and have only used a couple...ha Not because i didn't like it, it's just tht ive been convinced tht where its only Shallow Pent, tht its no good... -So then went and bought 1/8 6011... and now im melting thru alot of stuff...lol -I tried a few 7014 i got at a Hardware Store and liked them... - Bought some 7018 this wk, but will not be buying any Rod Oven's... (No coin 4 tht) Ive seen video's where people Insist tht u need an oven, and then seen video's where a pipe welder of 30 yRs says not to worry about the Oven's Unless ur doing something serious like Pipeline etc...@@makingmistakeswithgreg
If you happen to weld higher strength steel with a 7018 that wasnt properly stored, the weld/material can crack. If you were to weld the same material with any other rod the results would be worse. 7018 is basically a rod that you can safely weld higher strength alloys with because it has low moisture/hydrogen in the flux on the rod. The rod oven is to bake the moisture out so the weld will have as little hydrogen as possible. Keep them in a somewhat sealed can and you will be fine for most of what you might weld. 😀
