Doc's Journal on Basic Welding Classes

[Frank_Cox]

Great job Doc! those are challenging welds for sure. looks like you have a knack for it tho!

[DocMorgan]

Thanks! Wanted to be sure that I knew what I was doing before I tried to put the smoker together... I'll probably be ok.

On the down side... the school had a fire today. No details yet. Tonights classes are canceled.

Perhaps I'll get some stuff done around the house tonight... or I'll end up playing with my son.

[Frank_Cox]

i say play with your son.... that other stuff will still be there tomorrow lol

[DocMorgan]

Class 9: Introduction to Stick

Objectives:
Become familiar with various stick welding machines.
Learn the AWS rating for various electrodes and what it means.
Weld a single bead across 3/8" Plate to become familiar with the differenced between stick and MIG.


Notes: Yeah, so that was different...

American Welding Society (AWS) markings for electrodes (or Rods) contains the following information: the tensile strength of the finished weld, the base metal type, welding position, electrode coating material and polarity.

The numbers that indicate this information are read as follows:

First two numbers indicate Tensile strength
Third Number indicates weld position intended for that particular electrode.
Fourth number indicates Flux type (or coating type) Which also determines what type of current to use.

So "Idiot Wire" (1/8" 7024) has a Tensile Strength of 70,000 Pounds per square inch, is intended to be used in the flat / horizontal position, and has a flux coating consisting of a high Iron content and is to be used with AC type of current.

Stick Welding also leaves a coat of "Slag" that usually has to be chipped off, then the weld polished or metal brushed off to remove the left over smoke, slag, and sometimes spatter if you didn't keep the electrode close enough to the molten pool.

Highlights: The Slag on my very first weld peeled off on it's own, nearly in one piece... and from what I understand that is an indication of a good weld?


Next Class: May8th... tearing it up with Stick Welding

[DocMorgan]

Class 10: (Lots) More stick welding

Objectives:
Weld consistant beads to fill one side of a 8" by 8" 3/8" thick piece of steel.
Learn to further control when stick welding.

Notes: So, Stick is a lot different than MIG, but not so much so at the same time. Of the 30 or so lines that I welded across my place, on about 10 of them the Slag peeled off on its own in nearly one piece. Spatter is something that I need to keep a mind of. I kept the electrode close to the metal, but some still formed none the less.

Highlights:

Besides Last weeks single line, this is the first time I have welded with a stick machine.

The Start...



The finished item...



Note the "A" (near center and slightly to the left)



Next Class: May 15th...

[The Czar]

Dang Doc your tearing it up !!!!

[DocMorgan]

Well, I could have said "gettin busy"...

[Frank_Cox]

Great journal you are writing Doc! This is sticky material!

Sent using Forum Runner. Try it out for Android or iPhone IOS

[DocMorgan]

Class 11: (Lots) More stick welding

Objectives:
Weld consistent beads to fill one side of a 8" by 8" 3/8" thick piece of steel, but alternating Left hand and Right Hand Passes, hence, Learn to further control when stick welding.

Notes: It took a few passes, but my left hand passes are about as good as my right hand passes. This one had significantly less spatter than my first (see class 9 photos).

Highlights: The Finished Product...






Next Class: May 16th...

[DocMorgan]

Class 12: Some cutting, and then multiple pass welding.

Objectives: Cut 36 Pieces of 3/8" steel 2 inches wide by 12 inches long using the tractor and an OA Torch using a "00" cutting tip.
Tack two of the three pieces you got together to form a "t" and lay a root weld on one side of that.

Notes: Not too exciting, but good practice... so I am not complaining.

Next Class: May 22nd... Multiple Pass Welding

[DocMorgan]

Class 13: Multiple pass welding and "restarts".

Objectives: Practice multiple pass (stick) welding on the two pieces you tacked together to form a "t" Last week and practicing "restarting" a bead.

Notes: I am blaming it on the weather, although I am the only one to blame... my welds weren't as "pretty" this time around for some reason. I will post pictures later, I swear.

We switched to E7014, 1/8" rods for this exercise. I shouldn't have been surprised but they weld differently than E7024 1/8". It took a bit of getting used to. I had a "small problem" with slag inclusion on a few passes, nothing a little chiseling didn't remedy. My cover pass was not as "high frequency" as it should have been though it did look pretty, until I restarted and it started to grow wider.
When I note "Low Frequency", I am referring to the cover pass "pattern" where my "cover pass" or "Weave" pattern is too spread out. By moving the electrode in a tighter pattern, or one closer together, the resulting weld pattern is a tighter pattern. I was told that the "low Frequency" pattern isn't as desirable as the higher frequency pattern.

My weave has too much of a "Low frequency" on the left hand side of this picture, some slag inclusion in the center:


Closer look at the "Low Frequency" Weave and Not keeping an even width:


I also learned why you do a root, a few passes to fill, then a cover pass... because unlike MIG... you cant work with a HUGE molten pool without including SLAG in the pool (see picture below).


Fortunately, I learned the error of my method and ways and finished the cover passes with a nice even higher frequency weave ( see picture below... to the right of the slag inclusion pictured above).


After a little practice, even my restarts started to look ok (see right side of the picture below)...


So, yes... one of my welds had a high suck factor at the end. However... I learned a valuable lesson and now know not to try it when and if I ever build anything with a stick welder.

Next Class: May 9th... Doc attempts P5... (6010)

[DocMorgan]

Class 14: Doc versus P5 (6010)

Objectives: Practice using 6010, a.k.a. "Firewire"

Notes: Deep penetration, that's the name of the game with 6010. The electrode does not "pool" as nicely as 7014 or 7024, and there is very little slag to chip off since there is very little "flux coating" on the electrode. This leaves less of a mess to clean up, but that is the least of my concern since how you lay a bead with this electrode is completely different from anything I have ever used before.

6010 is also known as P5 (5 Position... or all position)

The weld penetrates deep. So when you are laying your bead, it is almost like your electrode's arc "digs" a trench where your molten pool (very little molten pool) kinda gathers in. If the trench is too deep, you're welding too hot. If your bead "sits on top" you aren't hot enough. We welded 3/8" plate at 95 Amps Positive DC and I had good results with the Miller machine I was on. Others on the Lincolns were at 110 with similar results. Also, unlike 7024 or 7014... with 6010 there is nothing you can do about it... there will be spatter. Get used to cleaning it up.

Your bead should almost resemble a stack of (extremely small) coins in a knocked over stack, evenly spaced apart... similar to this.



Again, frequency of your passes makes a difference. I started way too high a frequency and to slow a motion. My first beads at the "top" I used two sticks per pass. After awhile I started to get a hang of it.


r





And finally towards the end of class I was laying nice beads of 6010.


Next Class: May 30th... more 6010.

[Tom_Heath]

What an awesome thread, thank You for sharing.

[DocMorgan]

Thanks Tom! Sometimes I feel as though I am probably stating the obvious for everyone else... I am glad there is some value in it.

[Smokeone]

Lots of value there Doc! I am a newbie welder, and am still learning. Frank is trying to help me, but I am not a good student! ;)

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[DocMorgan]

I owe updates! Will get to them posted this week; I promise. Final 2 classes this week (looks like we're doing 18 and not 20... Oh well). The instructor told us at the beginning of class we could bring in small projects, so I did (that was class 15 and 16... will post pictures of my first project... not a smoker as that was a big project) and a short update on what the class did while I worked on that.

I have also had thoughts on what I might do to continue the thread as it seems there is value in sharing lessons I have learned. More on that to come.

In the meantime, it was the annual seafood gorging weekend (wife is deathly allergic to shellfish and the likes... and she was away... so while the wife is away... I grill seafood!). I will post pictures in the appropriate place for that too.

[DocMorgan]

Class 15 - 20: Multiple pass, Multiple Position, Vertical down hand, Vertical up hand, Overhead, etc. welding on flat stock, pipe, and various scrap.

Objectives: Weld it up!

So, the last 5 classes was more of the same, but in a no-holds-barred cage match kind of way. We welded in various positions, less than optimal situations, and various pieces of metal. Some was typical flat stock, other was 4 or 5" dia. pipe. For other lessons, we used whatever you could find in the scrap barrel to create odd pieces of what some may call art (or just pieces of scrap welded together however you could manage to get a good bead on two pieces with 6010). All was done with 6010 or 5P electrodes. 5P is used in many types of fabrication and manufacturing.


A quick review... 5P (or 5 Position, or 6010, or firewire) is a low deposition, high penetration type of DC electrode. Low deposition means that it does not deposit as much "material" as a 7024 or 7018 electrode will, and high penetration means that the weld that you do lay down will penetrate into the material deeply. This means that you can't lay it on as slow as you did other electrodes, and the "pattern" which you move your electrode is different than previous electrodes. You cant lay and drag 6010, you got to coax it and direct it on the metal. Think of it like laying a bead of water on a piece of glass then dragging that bead of water with your finger, except when you let your molten pool sit, you are "digging " a hole in the metal with the electrode as your molten pool builds because remember, 5P is high penetration. So you "drag" that pool forward a ways to spread the weld out with your electrode, then back track to build another pool and then repeat. The result is like that picture of knocked over pennies that I posted earlier, except that if you are doing it perfectly like my instructor told us to, the pennies will overlap in 3rd's. For every 1 penny, there will be 2 overlapping it. I will try to put a picture of this in a future post.

Notes: Vertical, multiple pass up-hand and down-hand proved to be very challenging to master.

Class Dismissed!

[DocMorgan]

So, during my last 5 classes, I also put my first project together. It is a air hose holder for my garage using auto parts that I kept around for just such a purpose.

In doing this, I learned a few lessons about welding in a more "real world" scenario. Considerations that need to be taken when welding different thicknesses of metals, the effect of heat on a piece of metal that you are welding, filling gaps that you may have left because you didn't measure angles for as exactly as you thought you had... all that effect the end product.

I also realize that I could better document some of the methods that I used to produce different welds.... patterns that I used to move the electrode for 7018, MIG, 6010, Weave, etc.

It is my intention to use this thread to further document some of these types of information, whenever I "figure out something the hard way". This also means that this thread won't be updated as regularly as it has ( or in recent case, has not) been.

In the meantime, I am taking the summer off, and plan on taking the advanced welding course in the fall, when it is offered.

[Smokeone]

Nice Doc! Thank you, I am looking forward to your future studies and guidance!

[Gizmo]

now if we could just get DC to enroll in something...

[Smokeone]

Good thinking Rick!
I think he wood be good at basket weaving!

[PvilleComp]

Thanks Doc - I found it very good and learned a lot.

[The Czar]

now if we could just get DC to enroll in something...

[Frank_Cox]

Sorry I am just now getting to this thread Doc, Very Very nicely done! I have learned most things in my life the expensive way, get in there and Git 'er Dun, so a lot of the in between the lines stuff gets missed along the way. This thread has reminded me about a lot of stuff I had forgotten or never been told. Thank you for taking the time to record your experiences and post them in this thread! I always say, no question is stupid... only the ones that don't get asked. I must also say that, No information is unimportant! Even tho we have some of the best welders and fabricators on our site, many many people are not as experienced. This thread will be of great value to them for years to come.

[DocMorgan]

So a small update...

You know those projects where one thing leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another, that leads to another?

Yeah... that's what happened when I went to buy a welder (not to mention the other projects that I have from the summer...)
See, my house only has 100 AMP service from the street... not exactly enough to safely supply enough amperage to a decent (better than 20% duty cycle and that uses better than 110VAC) welder. So I have been weighing my options:

Do I get upgraded service from the street and upgrade my box?
Do I take the time and $ to add that disconnect switch so I can connect my generator to the box?
Since my genny is small, do I upgrade to a larger genny?
If I am going to do that, do I get a Miller that doubles as a 14KW genny?
If I do that, do I really need to upgrade my street service?
If I get that Miller, should I upgrade my box to handle the new genny?
If I have the genny, do I need to upgrade my box at all?

Meanwhile, other things have eaten my funds that would have otherwise fully funded my new welder. So it will be awhile before I have anywhere near the fundage for such an endeavor again. I have looked into donating plasma and selling one of my kidneys and lungs on the black market as a possible secondary source of hobby income. (just kidding... in case any of you thought I was serious about the kidney and lung)

On the other hand, I did not sign up for the advanced welding course for the fall. I will be doing so in the spring... a decision made for me if you get the drift.

so... in the mean time...