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Posted by N9WOS on May 8, 2007, 12:54 am
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I thought that when I got the forney with the higher current capabilities,
that I would be able to start using larger welding rod sizes and get away
from that expensive 1/16 rod. But it seems with the stuff I am welding, I
can't really find a use for, and hence, don't really use that much of the
3/16 and large rods even when I can use them. I do a lot of welding on small
and thin stuff.
In fact, with how easy I have found welding with the forney is, and with the
addition of the Eastwood panel welder that I picked up used a few days ago,
I am going through 1/16 rod like a chain smoker. I have went through more
1/16 rod in the last month than I went through all last year.
And it's an expensive addiction. Most local places want $5 a half pound.
That is the same as $500 a fifty pound tin. But luckily lowes sells it for
about $7 for a pound. That is only about $350 for an equivalent fifty pound
tin.
And when I pick up that 1 pound tube, I look down on the shelf below and see
3/16, 1/8 and 5/16 rod going for $7 to $10 for a five pound box.
(screams!!!!!!!)
No place I have found, sells in in larger than 1 pound tubes/tins.
I know it's because most people don't use much of it. Maybe, if I keep using
this much of it, I can single handedly pull down the price of 1/16 rod to $3
or so a pound in north America!
I have found a couple places online that are selling it in 10 pound tins.
Maybe if I can find someone selling it in a 50 pound tin for a couple
hundred, I could buy one, and it would keep me for about a year at my
present consumption. Or buy a half a dozen 10 pound tins online and open
them up as I use them.
It seems my needs are always different than everyone else. If that is a good
thing or not, is yet to be determined.
I guess I am just a 1/16 addict.
Good day.
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Posted by Curt Welch on May 8, 2007, 3:11 pm
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> It seems my needs are always different than everyone else. If that is a
> good thing or not, is yet to be determined.
>
> I guess I am just a 1/16 addict.
>
> Good day.
Interesting...
What thickness metal are you actually welding?
I suspect the problem is that most people don't tend to stick weld the thin
stuff. They will use Mig or Tig instead.
I bought a pack of 1/16" 6013 to play with and tried welding some 18 gauge
steel with it. It was damn hard to get a good weld because I had to move
so fast to keep from burning through. The path had to be straight and
perfect because it was real easy to wonder off the seam and not know it.
Welding some 1/8" plate worked ok, but I would pick MIG or TIG over stick
with those little rods any day for something that size. I'd use stick if
that's all I had but I would definitely buy a small mig machine if I needed
to do a lot of work on metal smaller than 1/8".
--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
curt@kcwc.com http://NewsReader.Com/
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Posted by Steve B on May 8, 2007, 4:10 pm
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>
>> It seems my needs are always different than everyone else. If that is a
>> good thing or not, is yet to be determined.
>>
>> I guess I am just a 1/16 addict.
>>
>> Good day.
>
> Interesting...
>
> What thickness metal are you actually welding?
>
> I suspect the problem is that most people don't tend to stick weld the
> thin
> stuff. They will use Mig or Tig instead.
>
Back when I had a welding business, we did lots of repairs on .065" tubing.
Fences, rails, gates, etc. In the shop, we would MIG it all. But out in
the field, I found 6011 with the stinger negative to work very well. I used
3/32" rod, but the 1/16" would have worked, too. If you get your heat right
and have a good welding machine and weldor, it is amazing what you can do
with rods on thin stuff.
Steve
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Posted by N9WOS on May 8, 2007, 6:17 pm
Please log in for more thread options > Interesting...
>
> What thickness metal are you actually welding?
>
> I suspect the problem is that most people don't tend to stick weld the
thin
> stuff. They will use Mig or Tig instead.
>
> I bought a pack of 1/16" 6013 to play with and tried welding some 18 gauge
> steel with it. It was damn hard to get a good weld because I had to move
> so fast to keep from burning through. The path had to be straight and
> perfect because it was real easy to wonder off the seam and not know it.
> Welding some 1/8" plate worked ok, but I would pick MIG or TIG over stick
> with those little rods any day for something that size. I'd use stick if
> that's all I had but I would definitely buy a small mig machine if I
needed
> to do a lot of work on metal smaller than 1/8".
Lets see....... Things that I have welded recently.
The governor control rod on a HD6 track loader. The end had broken off. I
had to weld a bolt on the end with the proper threads to fit the yoke that
connects to the governor. Rod size was about 3/8 inch. Even with 1/16 rod,
the weld area was glowing orange after each pass. Weld looked good, but the
small parts couldn't take any more heat input.
The deck adjust lever on a Murray lawn mower. The metal had fatigued and it
broke right where the latching pin came out on the lower side. it was a 12
to 14 gauge metal tube.
The mower deck on the same mower. I could have used 3/32 but it seams like I
always get the weld area a little hot with 3/32 so I make one pass on the
top, and one pass on the bottom with 1/16, and I avoid the unsightly
stalactites hanging on the other side of the weld. My uncle uses the riding
mower as a bush hog, so it always needs constant repair. Things like cracks
around the spindles, broken frames and stuff. He normally bothers one of are
neighbor (cow farmer) for welding broken parts, but he now bugs me.
Automotive control rod. Another neighbor had a broken control rod (stamped
sheet metal) on the rear wheel of his car. Got that put together. Gravel
roads are hard on vehicles around here.
Welding car panels together. The eastwood panel welder really shines in
that realm. It is harder to hold an arc with it, but it is really easy to
control the current on it. And it makes a nice small weld pool that doesn't
melt through everything. About as close to factory auto body welds that I
have ever gotten. And it is a strictly 1/16 rod machine. It says up to 3/32
rod, but it's really sucky at with that large of rod.
And I have found that in situations where I would normally pull out the
drill, and sheet metal screws, I just pull out the welder and stick it
together. It's making me spoiled.
Up coming projects
The person that I did the work on the HD6 loader for, has a beat up trailer
that he wants to use for moving a lawn mower. The heavy gauge welds on the
frame are fine but when they welded the sheet metal on the frame for the
deck, they used the same large rod that they used for the frame. it just
melted holes in the sheet metal where ever they tried to weld it to the
frame. I need to pull up the decking and redo it. And I need to straighten
out the side rail and do a little more bracing on the frame. I can use 1/8
on the frame work, and 3/32 on the light side rail. But the sheet metal
decking will probably suck up about a pound or so of 1/16 rod if I do it
right. (Not just tack it on the corners and leave the middle flapping up and
down in the wind.)
And there is one mower running around in the neighborhood that has a broken
deck support. Its running around with bailing wire holding it up right now.
If I can get them to get it over here, I'll see if I can fix it. I may use
3/32 with it if it is thick enough metal.
I don't do much work with commercial stuff. All the residential grade
equipment that runs around the neighborhood is made of thin metal. (My own
equipment, and the neighbor's equipment.)
I don't do welding for money, I just do it as a requirement to keep things
together. With how old the equipment is that we are using, You have to fix
the parts you got, because you can't buy new ones.It isn't something I want
to spend a lot of money on, that is why I was ranting about the price of
1/16 rod.
Maybe I need to start looking for a MIG. But unless I can find one for
under a couple hundred, then it probably isn't going to happen any time
soon.
At this point, if I really need a MIG, I can use cow farmer's MIG any time I
want (the only MIG around i know of), but I haven't been in that position
yet. So the urge hasn't been that strong to buy one. Now if I start making a
regular pilgrimage to his equipment shed to use the MIG then my opinion may
change.
But as of this time, I seem to be holding the fort with 6013 1/16 rod and my
old AC welders.
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Posted by Jon Danniken on May 8, 2007, 7:05 pm
Please log in for more thread options "N9WOS" wrote:
>
> And there is one mower running around in the neighborhood that has a
> broken
> deck support. Its running around with bailing wire holding it up right
> now.
> If I can get them to get it over here, I'll see if I can fix it. I may use
> 3/32 with it if it is thick enough metal.
I was interested in the 1/16" (and smaller) rod a few months ago, until I
saw the price - YIKES!
I'm sticking (pun intended) with the 3/32" for now, but I'd like to add on a
DC convertor for more flexibility, including welding thinner stuff without
blowing so many holes.
Jon
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> good thing or not, is yet to be determined.
>
> I guess I am just a 1/16 addict.
>
> Good day.