stick weld

[FusionKing]

Man Pile buck you have the exact welder that I have except for mine is a re-badged version sold as an Airco. I got really lucky a few years ago when a buddy of mine at the LWS took it in on trade. It belonged to the corps of engineers in their machine shop at Trueman Dam. It had hardly ever been used. It had a cooler setup that they made and is on a GIANT factory three wheel cart that used 8 inch wheels. 2 other buddies of mine have the millers like yours so I have compared them a bunch and they are idententical to mine except mine is orange and the faceplate tho it would interchange has different writing on it of course. It bothered me at first but I have grown to love it. It cost me a grand.
Sometimes people/companies bring me HUGE aluminum dies to be welded or built back up and the 435 amp ability on AC comes in VERY handy.
Now I know all about all these new age welders and all that. I am around them and use em all dang day everyday but this machine is like bulletproof.
It will lay down perfect welds on aluminum all day long and beg for more. It does a better job than my Bobcat for sure.
I know that we all love all these fancy dynasties and other square wave machines and all that technology IS great I love it, but in my heart I KNOW that it really is the operator and not the machine that gets the results.
I feel that some of this new machines have so much ability to tailor the welding process that you can actually get way off base from what you really need.
At work we teach people how to tig on a 300 DX! I really feel like we should give them some scrap metal and an acetylene torch with the right rod and teach how to REALLY weld like SO many old schoolers did, me ,my dad,and 3 boys included. I can remember back when people always taught that way first just so you would know the BASICS first.....now we give everything but the basics and wonder why their welds suck when they come to something tuff!
I guess I have rattled on enuff here but Pile Buck what I'm saying even tho I believe you said you got a 300DX and it is a fine machine and all I'm using what most people considering old junk and still get $100 an hr doing it!!

Now if someone would please post a pic of welding beer cans together with a 350P I might shift my thinking a little and start heading to the bank!!

[FusionKing]

OH YEAH just to be back on topic....I laugh my a$$ off when I refer to running 7018 uphill to what I consider "good" welders and they don't even have a clue what I'm talkin' about!!
As for faster compared to mig.... years ago(back in the day) I used to work in a boat trailer factory and they were in the process of changing over from running 7014 on buzzboxes to mig and were about halfway thru that transition when I was there. You had to build 26 frames a day to keep your job (it was a sweatshop). I ran the buzzbox/7014 combo much faster than the mig could. 1/8 rod lays down a lot faster than .035 or even .040 can when you really push it. It dont take that long to change rods. You could do that while moving to the next weld. I can remember slinging the little pieces of rod left at each other across the shop while they were welding..and prolly still carry a scar or two from it myself!
I've coiled up lead so I could stand on it it the snow to keep my feet from freezing off when building back up a loader bucket.
Do I think stick is outdated????.... he!! No...... I just think the panzies that pass for the "average" welders nowadays are just plain out too spoiled and stupid cause of all the new-wave machines out to ever learn how!!!
Most people who do run stick don't even know how or care how to even store their rods in the first place.
I got one of those 135plus red welders and have actually played with it enuff to get perfect welds with it and made it pay for itself many times over but I consider it a piece of crap and had it not been a gift wouldn't even have tried it. I can lay down mig with the best of them. But there are times when there ain't nothing in the world that is gonna even come close to doing the job faster or better than a good old stick weld....flat out...period!!
The real misconception in my point of veiw begins with the fact that when I was a kid they taught us to weld in metal shop back in school and now you have to consider that as a career choice to even learn it. So you got the average guy trying to learn how to weld on his own with a little 110v mig in his garage now cause every one told him mig was easier. I fix a lot of these "bird crap" welds nowadays people bring me. So I don't think stick is outdated I think TRUE CRAFTSMANSHIP is teetering in the balance with technology on the other side. I'm sure blacksmiths felt the same one day as did boot repairmen etc..
There will always be a few good guys out there who can stick weld. And as long as there is constant current machines built they will always have good machines to do it with IMHO (but not too humble)

[Pile Buck]

It cost me a grand.

That’s interesting!

I’ve been trying to sell this one for $1,000.00 Had a few people look but no takers. My machine is having problems with leaky capacitors. I replaced them little over a year ago, but started leaking again. That’s why I bought the Dynasty. What little I know about tig welding, the Gold Star isn’t even on the same planet as the Dynasty. So much more control with the Dynasty. Then again the Gold Star is one of the smoothest SMAW machines I’ve ever used . Kind of sort of in a remote way close to a true DC machine, well maybe not! But pretty close anyway.

[bigtat79]

anyone know of any good books on stick i want to understand more about the proess . i can keep burning rods and get better but i feel that will only teach me so much correct me if im worng . any tips anyone has fell free to post them . thanks very much .

[J hall]

anyone know of any good books on stick i want to understand more about the proess . i can keep burning rods and get better but i feel that will only teach me so much correct me if im worng . any tips anyone has fell free to post them . thanks very much .

Run hot and smooth just kidding...
I rented this video to show show a couple guys on the crew and the guy on there does a good job, Not too basic, not too confusing..
http://smartflix.com/index.php?main_...products_id=11

The one guy is just learning and said he was impressed with the teacher.

[Pile Buck]

anyone know of any good books on stick i want to understand more about the proess . i can keep burning rods and get better but i feel that will only teach me so much correct me if im worng . any tips anyone has fell free to post them . thanks very much .

I don’t know your situation, or where you live. But there is just no substitution for one on one instruction! 2-hours with an experienced stick hand standing over your shoulder is worth more than a week in a welding school competing with 30 other guys for the teacher’s attention. I personally think all of the trades except the pipe fitters have sold out to this new age of wire feed. Cost of labor has driven management to use wire feeders pretty much exclusively! What you might consider is looking in the phone book for the local Steam / Pipe fitters union hall. Call them, and ask when they have roll call. Show up and ask around, see if you can find someone who is willing to give you one on one instruction. Offer them union scale by the hour, (cash)! Like I said 2-hours with an experienced stick hand is priceless!

[bretsk2500]

Like I said 2-hours with an experienced stick hand is priceless!

no kidding... a book can't make adjustments to your rod angles while you run a bead or teach you how to actually prep like someone watching you over your shoulder.

[bigtat79]

thanks for the advice ill talk to a couple of people and see if i can get some help the schools around me are a joke i went to one for tig and i was teaching the teacher lol

[FusionKing]

Hey Pile Buck those same capacitors seem to do that on all those machines or at least all of them I've looked at but it sure doesn't seem to effect performance...mine has made me enuff $$$ it don't owe me a thing.
And yer right it is a great stick welder...I'll prolly never sell mine. Have you tigged with yours?

[1Nonly]

I look at stick kinda like i look at James Brown(RIP), Lil Richard, The Wright Brothers...in there genre they are the fore fathers of that trade and for that their use never goes away...and also its easy, quick, and fairly efficient.

[torn7th]

I never see it going away cause it serves a great purpose but alot of plants and companies are getting away from it because of OHSA and the sparks and fumes. More and more places are going to TIG only... Its gonna eventually be all TIG from what ive seen even on mild steel.....

[nfinch86]

Tig, You mean Mig don't you ?

......... Norm:

[Donald Branscom]

Nope, stick welding will not be rendered obsolete in the lifetime of anyone posting on this board.

Absolutely right SMTatham!!!

I started welding when I was 16 and now I am 61. Stick welding is still relevant.
It can do jobs other welding process cannot and at a much lower cost for small jobs. Also other developing countries do not need high tech right away- too expensive.

BTW I was at a grocery store the other day and was talking to a young guy about welding. He knew all about MIG but had never heard of STICK, (SMAW) welding!!!! Very interesting.

One time I was at Kinko's years ago and they had typewriters and computers and
I just needed to write a quick letter. Had to look good. Anyway I asked how to turn off a buzzer on the fancy typewriter and the Kinko's person said " I don't know anything about those complicated typewriters but I would be glad to show you a computer...it is much simpler!" LOL....

I found the buzzer thing on the fancy typewriter and turned it off.

Years later I went to a computer school and learned computers because I realized how they could help welding.

[Donald Branscom]

I never see it going away cause it serves a great purpose but alot of plants and companies are getting away from it because of OHSA and the sparks and fumes. More and more places are going to TIG only... Its gonna eventually be all TIG from what ive seen even on mild steel.....

You are misinformed. Sorry.
They are not getting away from SMAW because of OSHA. Silly.
There are 50 different welding processes.
TIG is not fast enough in a production environment on large weldments.
Each one has a purpose. Do you think they could build a ship with TIG??
TiG is good for projects in steel that are 1/4 inch or less. Or on some aluminum weldments where MIG would not work.


OSHA cares about safety of the workers, even if your company does not.
You can weld with the SMAW process and be safe. Not a problem.
Even if you were welding with TIG there is fumes and an ARC.

[MMW]

I never see it going away cause it serves a great purpose but alot of plants and companies are getting away from it because of OHSA and the sparks and fumes. More and more places are going to TIG only... Its gonna eventually be all TIG from what ive seen even on mild steel.....

The expert statements sometimes amazes me.