Stick welding Question

[GaryM]

I have been doing some practicing and have got the 7018 looking good i think but may be doing this all wrong.

What should a 1/8 7018 welding at? I had it at 140 AC and looked really good. Tried it DCEN and did not get as good looking welds.

Also what does the F-1, F-2 Codes for rods mean?

Gary

[GaryM]

Also shoudl 7018 be pushed or pulled?
what motion whould be used?

Gary

[Paul Seaman]

Gary:
In school they taught drag on 7018 and straight stringer beads no weave but I've had real good luck with a slight weave like a NNN but only about twice the diameter of the rod. 1/8" rod I weave 1/4" or less. The main reason I weave is I shake too much so its either make it part of my weld or fight it all the way. HAWK's rule 1 amp per.001 of material being welded. Ac is better but if you must dc try DCEP I use it this way all the time, it is descent.
Good luck, and weld well

[cnslmva]

GaryM,
I have had the best results with 7018 at 120-130 amps DCEP. Iusually lightly drag the rod when in the horizontal position although a slight weave is sometimes used. When vartical down I use a sliight push angle. As far as the codes, most are describing the exact alloy content of the rod. You will see H4R, and H8R also, these indicate the hydrogen levels in the weld deposit. Hope this helps you.

OOPS I meant vertical up, Sorry!!

[bail76]

I usually run the 1/8 7018 around 125 amps and I usually run a little less than that for vertical up welding. As far as mild steel electrodes they are classified into four groups:
F-1 group:High deposition group(EXX20,EXX24,EXX27)
F-2 group:Mild penetration group (EXX12,EXX13,EXX14)
F-3 groupeep penetration group (EXX10,EXX11)
F-4 group:Low hydrogen group (EXX15,EXX16,EXX18)
That is a very basic classification of stick electrodes and their are many other variables. Hope this helps.

[bail76]

Sorry for that the F3 group should say deep not eep.

[Paul Seaman]

Bail 76 I like the grin for the D in deep, is that a froidian slip.
Be well

[Canuck]

From my experience you can weave quite wide with 7018. Right now in my tech school I am doing vertical up on 3/8" plate. To do this you use three passes the first is a straight push to get a bead width of 3/16 - 1/4" the second and third have weave. the most important thing is to pause on the edges to fill in any undercut and flatten out the weld face

[GaryM]

Thanks everyone for your input!

I MIG weld 15 Gage tubing every day the this stick welding is a lot harder for me. But with your help i think that it may get better quick. I am looking at getting a better job but need to know the Stick and tig welping.


Gary

[HAWK]

Originally posted by Canuck
From my experience you can weave quite wide with 7018. Right now in my tech school I am doing vertical up on 3/8" plate. To do this you use three passes the first is a straight push to get a bead width of 3/16 - 1/4" the second and third have weave. the most important thing is to pause on the edges to fill in any undercut and flatten out the weld face

Canuck,

Weaving the 7018 is fine to cap over a stringer or set of stringer beads. DO NOT use the weave pass as your root bead. It is a good tie in procedure, but has no structural strength on its own.

[MAC702]

Originally posted by pjseaman
Ac is better but if you must dc try DCEP I use it this way all the time, it is decent.

I always run 7018 in DCEP. Isn't this a DC rod? I know you can get a 7018AC from Lincoln, but even those I have run on DCEP.

[DDA52]

All I've ever know of are AC/DC. They just run better on DC. AC is better on the big guys,say, 3/16 and up. Don't know why, but it works better, esp on 1/4" rods. The AC rods are just stabilized to preform better on the low OCV AC power sources meaning "cracker boxes". Can't stand AC myself. Get hit too many times!

Don

[Paul Seaman]

Mac you are right the rods were from lincoln and AC coded, had to double check to make sure. I run these on an Invision so DCEP is my choice. Mckay also makes a similar rod.
Thanks for the clarification.

[revpol]

GaryM: 7018 dc rod runs electrode posi. 1/8 about 115-125 amps. On taking a 3/8 plate test with a backing strip,vert. posi. you use a slight weave on the root to wash the weld onto the bevels this helps eliminate undercuts & slag entrapments between the weld and bevel. As you fill out the plate you use a wider weave for each layer until you cap it. I have used 1/8 in weaves over a inch wide with excellant results. 7018 will run any direction you want to point it. Pulling gives the best penetration pushing kind of flattens the puddle out with less penetration. revpol