Thank you so much for posting this video. I watched this before taking my welding certification test and believe or not I ended up passing in the first try. I did exactly the electrode and material you used in this video. 1/8 steel plate and 7018, the position was horizontal. Now I’ll graduate Highschool with my weld cert. thanks
I remember years ago going to pick up a few bottles of shielding gas from BOC (British Oxygen Company) who also ran specialized welding training courses. At the day I went there they were training stick welding in confined spaces ie welding around a corner with the weld only visible in a mirror. I always hated stick welding but that was impressive.
I try to learn at least one new thing each day. The earlier I learn it, the sooner I can take the rest of the day off...lol This video ought to last me a week or so
12 years? And you still can't weld? LOL. Okay then, go learn some stick welding because you not only need instruction in this video but also have no knowledge about what stick welding means. It is nothing as stick because the rods aren't sticks at all if you have welded for 12 years you should be aware that even 12 years ago any kind of welding rods were simple called rods or welding electrodes. Stick, in welding term doesn't make sense, The stick this guy is referring to are the electrodes that we have used for over 70 years and these have always been named welding electrodes, no matter what type they are, stick welding was unheard of until some illiterate, 'no spikka da inglisha' bulshit artist decided to call welding electrodes 'stick', even though they're metal rods coated in welding flux of various powder and chemicals. LMAO! They are simple electrodes, don't make old salt welders stir in their graves at this bulshit stick welding. I say this because I still weld with my trusted Arc welder of 52 years and still use Cigweld Satincraft 13 - 14 welding rods, no matter what type and what numbers they have, they are still welding electrodes, forget the 'stick' bulshit. If you're intelligent, you will understand. But then, you're not. I learned everything, ARC, MIG, TIG, OXY, etc., without assistance. Why? Because I went to University Technical engineering school. That's where at 17 I got the Certificate in 1968. The rest, I learned as I worked in metal industries. Otherwise, arc welding was no problem with me, and no 'stick' nonsense in those day. You either show your interest on the job, or you face the sack. Wish you were there in those days.
No matter how much experiance one has in a particular "thing", you're ALWAYS learning something! Whetherbits something new or something over & over & over. . . . . .its a constant learning experiance! I'm learning how to stick weld from my brother & hopefully I can take welding classes this fall season
@@dad3562 you’d have to do some research on what tensile strength you’re looking for in your application. Two factors really, the type of terrain you’re going over(jagged rocks or rounder) would dictate how thick the plate needs to be. There could be a high chance it’s not your weld that will break but a rock pierce the plate(angling the plate will help) as for welding rods the first two digits is the tensile strength in PSI. So 7018 is 70,000 psi tensile strength. 60 60,000. Good luck and Godspeed.
I'm a hobbyist, and this advice is pure diamonds. I'm so happy just to get the spark, and no NOT getting stuck, that I ignore every other parameter. My welds are very uneven, and now I know why !
Keeping a shorter arc length is also invaluable when you run across metals that have a strong magnetic presence, such as super hard armor plate for example. A shorter arc length also allows you to move a little faster, thus minimizing excessive heat and warpage of thinner materials.
This is definitely it. I was learning to stick weld just being a helper for a welder, he was nice enough to teach me. I always remember him saying "get that stick closer, push it in there" and it took a while for it to get stuck in my mind.
I’m a “decent” mig welder, own an excavation company and always fixing things… wanted to add stick welding to my shop for equipment repair. Here’s the 3 biggest mistakes I made that helped me coming from a Mig : 1- biggest. Not pushing into the material enough. With mig the torch never moves in. Especially on vertical up. 2- not traveling fast enough. Maybe it’s me but mig travel speed w .035 seems to be slower 3- not enough amperage. I found my best stick was top of the range. Maybe it’s just my old ideal arc 250 not sure. Your videos are really awesome and helped me with my stick learning. Thank u again.
I'm a women and I learned on Oxy/Acet, my welding instructor was awesome and he said women catch on faster if they sew because he has similar movements. I was so happy to hear that! You're a great instructor like he was and it's much appreciated.
"Im A wOmEn" whenever this is what starts your sentence you automatically lose all credibility. 1st off because no one cares 2nd if it realy matters you wouldn't need to state it.
As a brand new welder, I wanna thank you for teaching me. I was a little intimidated at first seeming I never had anyone to teach me these things so I'm pretty much self taught w/ most things. The way you break everything down is almost like an "Idiots Guide to Welding." Thank you thank you thank you! 🙏 🤘✊️
Tim, I want to say thanks a million bud. I have actively been welding around 8 months and it all started with your videos. If I am unsure about how I'm doing i just watch the videos you've done on that specific area and boom 💥 instantly i know where i'm going wrong. You're a great help and a even bigger inspiration to me and to all who is actively involved in the welding world. So for those who are reading this, hobbyists or pros Tim's the best guy
Someday down the road I might pick up a welder for little projects, your tips and tricks are great because you really do explain the wrong vs right very in a clear and easy to understand way, making it seem like a less daunting idea.
I'm no welder, but I do break out the welding machine once in a while because I work as a mechanic. It was my eureka moment when you showed me the end of the rod and said how some of the arc is actually hidden. I will use what I learned here on the next time I weld with stick!
The Internet was actually created so the government could keep taxing you in the event of a nuclear holocaust. You don't want to know why the interstate highway system was created either. It wasn't so you could take your kids to Disney World.
Thanks, Tim. I’m a beginner MIG welder looking to start with stick. As always, your videos provide some great information to help me avoid mistakes from the beginning. Always look forward to your insights. Keep up the great work!
I just bought a little 14a welder for small household stuff and tinkering in my workshop to make jigs an' stuff. These videos are invaluable to a newbie - and pros alike. Thanks, Tim.
Awhile back I found you're channel, and I had been welding for around 20 years I went to college and university for engineering and we covered welding for about a year. But never once did any one ever tell me about arc length until that day I found you. Then boom over night I went from avoiding stick welding to loving it. So thank you dude
I'm totally new to welding, I got myself a new MMA kit so I finally learn, even if well into my 50's. Your videos are helping me learn the techniques. One thing I need is thicker electrodes, only have a box of 2.5mm so far. Cheers mate.
I wish u good luck , I’m also new to welding and i live in a patriarchal society and believe me when i say I’m the first woman welder in this area and im struggling but giving up its never an option no matter what ❤️
Great as usual Tim. Thanks for breaking it down into easy elements to understand. Welding is a little overwhelming when you get started so it's hard to understand what it is you should actually look at in your technique
6010 is especially confusing on arc length because it digs so deep into the metal. you almost have to bury the electrode below the surface of the metal sometimes to keep it from coning out real bad
I have been watching welding tutorials for years, trying to find the proper relationship and spacing of the electrode to the work. This is the very first description I have seen showing the correct technique. Thank you for the one thing that made my welding look clean and professional.
Great vid. An old Danish grey beard (Lars From Mars!!lol) told me something that actually stuck “ make sure you are comfortable when welding”. This is probably one of the first things I consider when welding, he didn’t mean comfort as in a padded pillow and good elbow pads. He meant body position, room for your arm to complete the full weld without moving, head position so you could see the end of your weld, etc. Cheers 👍🏻
Thanks Tim , It’s always refreshing to me to see people like yourself teaching and helping others learn what i call the first step in metal fabrication
I have not welded since high school. Thank you for putting these videos out. It’s a Great refreshing my memory. It’s harder now than I remember. Practice practice practice. I’m redoing a boat trailer and I’m trying the best i can. Hopefully I put the axle together straight and welds go solid. Thanks again Kurt. Nc
Im watching your videos because Im just starting welding school. My first actual welding class is stick welding and im only 2 days in, and let me tell you, its hard on me. The class moves kinda fast and I dont feel like im making much progress. I know 2 days isn’t much but its only a 1 month class (1 month basic stick and 1 month advanced stick next) Just trying to get all the info I can to help improve my welding and use my time wisely
Like many guys, who never did any welding before, I bought the HF FluxCore welder for myself for Christmas. I live up North and have given up years ago, trying to keep my shop warm enough to work for the 3 months when it is just to damn cold to work in a large shop in winter. So, my plan is, learn as much as I can about welding over the winter, and hopefully some of this will stick when I finally try using the gear I bought in Late March/early April. Your videos' and many others have been very helpful. Thanks
Don't leave your wire spool in a non-climate controlled environment. When you're done take it off the machine, put it in a sealed bag and store it in your house. Otherwise just take it off the machine and toss it. Because it's not going to stay good in a cold and damp shop.
@@davidrn2473 get to it. Run a bead. Welding is fun. Well, it can be entertaining at least. I mean who doesn't like staring at a puddle of molten metal? Stack them dimes! Welding is manipulating that puddle of molten metal to fuse the base. When you're welding with flux you have to try to keep the flux to the back of your puddle. You do that by weaving and traveling. Bobbing and weaving! You learn by doing. You find out what settings and speeds and angles work for you. There's something called stick out with MIG too. This guy here is saying keep a close arc. But with MIG you vary the energy by changing the stick out. How close your tip is to the work. You'll see when you get going. The thing is to be mindful. To think what happens when I do this? Then observe the results and integrate that into your consciousness. So try stuff. People will tell you a million different ways to weld. You just need to figure out one way that works for you.
@@1pcfred Thanks again for these tips, I am fortunate that a friend is a technical welder and I can ask him to observe after I get started. I have a few metal projects in mind once I get a few welds down. Rocket stove. drip oil stove, maybe a metal arch for the garden.
Taught welding for six years. Arc length is the number one problem for beginners. I think it comes from first being afraid of getting their rod stuck and then because they don't see the puddle or understand what to look for. Wish i had videos like this to show students back then
Mate thank you so much as a first year apprentice the way you break everything down is so helpful it makes it easier to understand and I appreciate it so much your an Amazing teacher keep up the videos thanks
I love the way that you explain things in your videos man. I'm a total amateur with stick and you breaking things down the way you do is super helpful for me so thank you for that. Take care my dude ✌🏼
Thanks to you I got it a little better I’m in my 4th week in stick welding and I’m doing T joints this actually helped a lot I gotta test on Monday Thanks !
Horizontal and flat welding is very simple to get a handle on. What's not is vertical welding on heavier thicknesses like 1/2". I tend to stick with 1/8 6011s, but it still tends to run all over the place. I try to turn the amperage down but then it sticks so I go high and then it blasts through. I'm wondering if the machine (harborfreight special) is just not good enough. Mig welding is about 10x easier on verticals.
Very informative video. Took me a bit before I learned to take a moment to look at the work being done so I could find a good/comfortable position to be able to maintain a good and consistent weld whether it was stick, MIG, TIG etc.
@@kerrygibbs8198 I think what happens is steam gets into the weld bead. I know what it leads to. Your weld gets loads of bug holes in it. These little pinholes of porosity. It's pretty bad. Hardcore welders have cabinets with light bulbs in them kind of like Easy Bake ovens. I just cook mine on this portable electric grill before I weld. Like they're hot dogs. Ideally you always use fresh rods. I don't live in that world though.
Paul- Thank you again for great advice! This is what is great about UA-cam- a knowledgeable person sharing information that can help someone like me that is inexperienced. Thank You!!
@@kerrygibbs8198 you'll get experienced as you gain experience. I never even told you the bad stuff. Like popping a slag ball in your ear. There's no way I'll weld under a car today without wearing ear plugs. Live and learn! Weld and burn? Something like that. Flash burn is no joke either. I was welding in a tee shirt one day and absolutely roasted my arms. I couldn't bend them for weeks. Now I make sure I'm wearing my welding jacket. I'm no safety freak but pain hurts.
I appreciate every detail and tip that was shared in this video. As always, guys, your weld is only as good as your rod is dry and your material is clean!
Thanks for the advice, I am just starting out learning to weld at the age of 65, so I searched for You Tube advice and found your channel and a few others! So, I learned a short arc first is good, clean the metal first, approx 45 degree angle and keep the weld pool flowing! How do I know how many amps to run with and size of arc rod? I just got my mini welder and it's only for odd jobs around the home, but I need to practice first! Thank you!
I typically weld outside in less than ideal conditions. I find that if I push the stick along the line as opposed to pull and feed I can more easily keep a smooth weld going. Also, I use roughly the same size stick as the smallest piece I'm welding. So for example, If I was welding a 3mm piece to a 6mm piece I would use 3mm stick for that weld. It's rare that I have to grind and re weld a piece. Sometimes if the thicker piece is at close to 0 deg C I add 10 amps. so typically 65 amps for warm temps and 75 for cold temps. Finally, When I start a stick weld, I hold the stick between 2 fingers in my free hand about half way down the stick for better control and hold the clamp with my driving hand. When my free hand starts to feel warm, I pull that hand away. It's a much more comfortable way to weld.
Brilliant defining videos on all aspects of welding.great tuition for any young person showing an interest in the fabrication and civil engineering sectors..even persons who wish a career change the knowledge gained on gases metals and projects sure to fascinate. Informative and well constructed
When I was a mechanic I never could weld very good. I had been to several welding classes and was taught every thing about welding except the arc length between the rod and your puddle like it was some closely guarded secret that welders were sworn to protect. Thank you for sharing that with us regular people like my self. I am over 63 years old now and now it is to late for me to finally be able to use this information.
why is it too late? i am 65 and find the info useful as i have not stick welded in years. when i went to welding class way back in 1982 the text book said the distance between rod and material should be roughly the same as the rod thickness. so a 1/4 inch rod would need a 1/4 inch gap for best results.
I'm in my 3rd week of a welding program and I recently realized that I need to keep the stick close to the puddle. My heads don't look that bad, but I do struggle with consistency with moving the puddle along.
What a great video, clear, concise and easy to understand. I just realised why the old welder saying is true- a mig welder makes the average welder look good but a stick welder makes the average welder look bad. That’s because the mig welder feeds the wire for you where as with the stick welder you have to feed the welding rod into the weld while the rod is constantly shrinking. This is one of those skills that you can’t get from reading a book. This is also why if I haven’t used my stick welder for months then I’ll lay down a couple of weld to “get my hand in again” as the feed-in is a skill that drops off if you don’t use it. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺
thank you for the info please dont stop with this begginer tips videos it is helping me a lot... just a question... what is the thickness max of the material you can weld with a 2.4mm rod??? on the Farm i only have 2.4mm for in a pinch what can i achieve with this 2.4mm rods maxed out?
You can weld unlimited thickness with that rod size. It will take more passes (and therefore more time) than a larger diameter rod, but the result can be just as sound if it’s done correctly.
thanks for the info's! im just waiting for an opening to our training center to start learning, you tackled some key points to remember especially for beginners with no hands-on experience at all, at least i have some things to keep in mind, i'll keep on watching your tips and tricks vids for more! thanks sir! from the philippines.
Tim, can you make a video on welding different sizes or thickness of metals or materials? like 14 gauge to 1/8" or 16 Gauge to 1/8 to 1/4" type of stuff.
It would be great if you could give some tips for welding very thin materials like old exhaust pipes with electrodes at the lowest possible amperage. I always rub the electrode forcefully over a test metal to get it warm, then it's much easier to strike onto the workpiece to do lots of small spot welds, but I think there are better methods. (I have an old electrode transformer, not a modern inverter with no-stick function)
Is it possible to have too short of an arc? As a crappy self-taught, I glide the tip of the electrode along the edges of the flux "cup" formed by the arc occurring recessed into the rod. It gives aesthetically good results and it uses the parent material as a physical guide, but I'm unsure if this is improper technique. Then again, I hear that 7018 rods are pretty forgiving and can weld on its own with the right set up.
When the arc distance is too small, it'll stick, as long as you adapt to the parameters you've set to your machine you won't have issues. In time, you may adjust amperage on the fly and adjust arc length simultaneously to get the proper metal deposition. E7018 is a very forgiving electrode, try E6010, it's messy and a bitch to use. Most arcs are enabled by gently scratching and backing off to adjust the distance, but on E6010, you gotta touch and back off real fast. If it sticks, get it out of there as fast as possible, it's cellulosic flux burns as open flame. Horrible beads but great penetration. Be careful cleaning the parts, that flux dust is the nastiest I've seen so far. If you have trouble starting the arc, amp up and try again. SMAW is a very individual process and fully manual, find what works best for you.
Nice video, thanks. I’ve been subscribed to your channel for a while and am happy to say I could see you were long arcing in the first weld, so thanks for helping us see that through your videos. I realize all welders are different, but it would be helpful if you said which welder, rod, and amp settings you were using. Or lay some text about it over the top if you have that edit capability. I have the same little Dekopro welder you use sometimes, and I figure many of your subscribers do as well. If you mention settings for that welder, please include if you’re running it off 120 or 240 VAC, since they’re quite different between the two. From all your videos, I’m figuring out stick welding settings as I go, but it’s comforting to see if my settings are at least in the same ballpark as what you’re running.
Thanks! I’ll try to remember to add that in the future. For this video, I was running a 3/32” (2.4mm) Lincoln Excalibur 7018 electrode at 80 amps DCEP on an ESAB Rogue. This particular weld would run just as well on the Deko, though. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for this. I'm having an inordinate amount of trouble with positioning my body so that I can make it through an entire weld. (I have very short arms.) I find that every time, about a third or half-way through, I have to shift somehow to make the rest of the weld happen, which just makes the whole thing suck. It would be great to see an entire video on different body positioning techniques, even just for flat welds.
No chit-chat and straight to the point. A lot of UA-camrs could learn from you. The instructor was inspecting our welds and the first one he said, "Good penetration." The second he said, "Good puddling." He looked at mine and said, "Good god."
Well. I don’t know if you mentioned it in your videos already. I’m building a fence and welding is one of the the duties of mine. Bought one of the small stick welders and got kinda crazy about it because it wasn’t the results I hoped for. No arc ore proper welding possible and I thought I’m too damn old & forgot how to do welding. Was close to carry it back to the store and hire someone to finish my fence construction. Until I didn’t use the extension cord with the welder on my last try. Boy! What a difference it was. Proper welding like in my younger days. So a extension cord of 25 ft gave me headaches and questioning myself of my knowledge. I can’t remember ( it’s 43 years ago) if it was ever mentioned that an extension cord can minimize the amperage of an welder unit. I have to buy or borrow a extension cord with a much bigger diameter and try it out to see if there is a change. Let me know anyone who knows about amperage dropping with extension cords please. Thanks!
You can learn to weld. I'll show you exactly what to do in my affordable online welding courses at courses.timwelds.com.
Thank you so much for posting this video. I watched this before taking my welding certification test and believe or not I ended up passing in the first try. I did exactly the electrode and material you used in this video. 1/8 steel plate and 7018, the position was horizontal. Now I’ll graduate Highschool with my weld cert. thanks
@@timonraccoon vscss
I remember years ago going to pick up a few bottles of shielding gas from BOC (British Oxygen Company) who also ran specialized welding training courses.
At the day I went there they were training stick welding in confined spaces ie welding around a corner with the weld only visible in a mirror. I always hated stick welding but that was impressive.
Hows you eyes after all these years of welding? BOTH my instructors had cataract surgery at 50!
I've been a Welder for 12 years now and I still watch your videos just because you should never stop learning. Great explanaition Tim, great video!
I try to learn at least one new thing each day. The earlier I learn it, the sooner I can take the rest of the day off...lol
This video ought to last me a week or so
12 years? And you still can't weld? LOL. Okay then, go learn some stick welding because you not only need instruction in this video but also have no knowledge about what stick welding means. It is nothing as stick because the rods aren't sticks at all if you have welded for 12 years you should be aware that even 12 years ago any kind of welding rods were simple called rods or welding electrodes. Stick, in welding term doesn't make sense, The stick this guy is referring to are the electrodes that we have used for over 70 years and these have always been named welding electrodes, no matter what type they are, stick welding was unheard of until some illiterate, 'no spikka da inglisha' bulshit artist decided to call welding electrodes 'stick', even though they're metal rods coated in welding flux of various powder and chemicals. LMAO! They are simple electrodes, don't make old salt welders stir in their graves at this bulshit stick welding. I say this because I still weld with my trusted Arc welder of 52 years and still use Cigweld Satincraft 13 - 14 welding rods, no matter what type and what numbers they have, they are still welding electrodes, forget the 'stick' bulshit. If you're intelligent, you will understand. But then, you're not. I learned everything, ARC, MIG, TIG, OXY, etc., without assistance. Why? Because I went to University Technical engineering school. That's where at 17 I got the Certificate in 1968. The rest, I learned as I worked in metal industries. Otherwise, arc welding was no problem with me, and no 'stick' nonsense in those day. You either show your interest on the job, or you face the sack. Wish you were there in those days.
No matter how much experiance one has in a particular "thing", you're ALWAYS learning something! Whetherbits something new or something over & over & over. . . . . .its a constant learning experiance! I'm learning how to stick weld from my brother & hopefully I can take welding classes this fall season
How do you know if your weld is strong enough for things like rock sliders or bumpers ? I’m trying to learn as much as I can.
@@dad3562 you’d have to do some research on what tensile strength you’re looking for in your application. Two factors really, the type of terrain you’re going over(jagged rocks or rounder) would dictate how thick the plate needs to be. There could be a high chance it’s not your weld that will break but a rock pierce the plate(angling the plate will help) as for welding rods the first two digits is the tensile strength in PSI. So 7018 is 70,000 psi tensile strength. 60 60,000. Good luck and Godspeed.
As a hobbyist, it might be months in between welding projects. It’s nice to have refreshers like these. Thanks Tim!
You are also an anonymous coward.
Maybe Not What You Think CHECK OUT
stainless steel Mig vertically welding
ua-cam.com/video/mTCNjjhy9u4/v-deo.html
Like you took the words out of my subconscious //
You said it perfect took the words right out of my mouth
That’s exactly why I’m watching right now
I'm a hobbyist, and this advice is pure diamonds. I'm so happy just to get the spark, and no NOT getting stuck, that I ignore every other parameter. My welds are very uneven, and now I know why !
Po⁰
Y1
The struggle is real!
Keeping a shorter arc length is also invaluable when you run across metals that have a strong magnetic presence, such as super hard armor plate for example. A shorter arc length also allows you to move a little faster, thus minimizing excessive heat and warpage of thinner materials.
This is definitely it. I was learning to stick weld just being a helper for a welder, he was nice enough to teach me. I always remember him saying "get that stick closer, push it in there" and it took a while for it to get stuck in my mind.
I just started welding classes for stick this semester at a nearby community college. GI bill pays me to go to college 🇺🇸. Like your video bro!!
I’m a “decent” mig welder, own an excavation company and always fixing things… wanted to add stick welding to my shop for equipment repair. Here’s the 3 biggest mistakes I made that helped me coming from a Mig :
1- biggest. Not pushing into the material enough. With mig the torch never moves in. Especially on vertical up.
2- not traveling fast enough. Maybe it’s me but mig travel speed w .035 seems to be slower
3- not enough amperage. I found my best stick was top of the range. Maybe it’s just my old ideal arc 250 not sure.
Your videos are really awesome and helped me with my stick learning. Thank u again.
I'm a women and I learned on Oxy/Acet, my welding instructor was awesome and he said women catch on faster if they sew because he has similar movements. I was so happy to hear that! You're a great instructor like he was and it's much appreciated.
❤️
Most women nowadays can’t even cook.
You instructor was full of shit💀😭
"Im A wOmEn" whenever this is what starts your sentence you automatically lose all credibility. 1st off because no one cares 2nd if it realy matters you wouldn't need to state it.
As a brand new welder, I wanna thank you for teaching me. I was a little intimidated at first seeming I never had anyone to teach me these things so I'm pretty much self taught w/ most things. The way you break everything down is almost like an "Idiots Guide to Welding."
Thank you thank you thank you! 🙏 🤘✊️
On the same boat brother!
Tim, I want to say thanks a million bud. I have actively been welding around 8 months and it all started with your videos. If I am unsure about how I'm doing i just watch the videos you've done on that specific area and boom 💥 instantly i know where i'm going wrong. You're a great help and a even bigger inspiration to me and to all who is actively involved in the welding world. So for those who are reading this, hobbyists or pros Tim's the best guy
Someday down the road I might pick up a welder for little projects, your tips and tricks are great because you really do explain the wrong vs right very in a clear and easy to understand way, making it seem like a less daunting idea.
Get one is fun
I'm no welder, but I do break out the welding machine once in a while because I work as a mechanic. It was my eureka moment when you showed me the end of the rod and said how some of the arc is actually hidden. I will use what I learned here on the next time I weld with stick!
As an armature welder that was a great reminder for me, very clear and precise and I imagine this short video will help a lot of people. Thanks.
Channels like yours are the reason the internet was created. Thanks for all your videos Tim.
The Internet was actually created so the government could keep taxing you in the event of a nuclear holocaust. You don't want to know why the interstate highway system was created either. It wasn't so you could take your kids to Disney World.
Thanks, Tim. I’m a beginner MIG welder looking to start with stick. As always, your videos provide some great information to help me avoid mistakes from the beginning. Always look forward to your insights. Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much!
@@TimWelds Just remeber to tell D. Stein stick welding is just like mig welding except totally different!!
@@chrisinkansas1362 m', , ,, ,
@@TimWelds what size rod in mm and amp do u suggest for welding steel tubing..aprox 1.5- 1.8mm..thnx Tim
Stick welding is much more fun in my opinion! Good luck with getting the hang of it!
I just bought a little 14a welder for small household stuff and tinkering in my workshop to make jigs an' stuff. These videos are invaluable to a newbie - and pros alike.
Thanks, Tim.
Awhile back I found you're channel, and I had been welding for around 20 years I went to college and university for engineering and we covered welding for about a year. But never once did any one ever tell me about arc length until that day I found you. Then boom over night I went from avoiding stick welding to loving it. So thank you dude
This was the most simplistic, insightful, lesson I've ever watched, on arc welding. Dude, you are a natural teacher! Great job :) I learned a lot💪
Love this guy, no long winded BS straight to the point and very clear
Your videos have helped my weld quality improve a lot. Thanks.
I'm totally new to welding, I got myself a new MMA kit so I finally learn, even if well into my 50's. Your videos are helping me learn the techniques. One thing I need is thicker electrodes, only have a box of 2.5mm so far. Cheers mate.
I wish u good luck , I’m also new to welding and i live in a patriarchal society and believe me when i say I’m the first woman welder in this area and im struggling but giving up its never an option no matter what ❤️
@@linahaliti2914 keep going Lina, we need more women like you :)
Like others have said, this is the first time I've seen an explanation about how arc length affects the weld quality - thanks!!!!!!!!
Great as usual Tim. Thanks for breaking it down into easy elements to understand. Welding is a little overwhelming when you get started so it's hard to understand what it is you should actually look at in your technique
6010 is especially confusing on arc length because it digs so deep into the metal. you almost have to bury the electrode below the surface of the metal sometimes to keep it from coning out real bad
I have been watching welding tutorials for years, trying to find the proper relationship and spacing of the electrode to the work. This is the very first description I have seen showing the correct technique. Thank you for the one thing that made my welding look clean and professional.
Well said, this is especially important when running overhead unless you want the puddle to fall on you.
Great vid. An old Danish grey beard (Lars From Mars!!lol) told me something that actually stuck “ make sure you are comfortable when welding”. This is probably one of the first things I consider when welding, he didn’t mean comfort as in a padded pillow and good elbow pads. He meant body position, room for your arm to complete the full weld without moving, head position so you could see the end of your weld, etc. Cheers 👍🏻
Thanks Tim ,
It’s always refreshing to me to see people like yourself teaching and helping others learn what i call the first step in metal fabrication
Maybe Not What You Think CHECK OUT
stainless steel Mig vertically welding
ua-cam.com/video/mTCNjjhy9u4/v-deo.html
I’ve been welding stick for 25 years an I’ve taught a lot of people how to weld an everything you said was spot on dude, keep it up 👍
You have the best tips in my opinion. I love how direct and comprehensive, high quality they are. Great for beginners and experts!
You help me my problem was not keeping a shorter arc doing so improve my welding thanks man!!
Great video, Tim. Your simple explanations take out all of the mystery. Thank you, and keep them coming.
I just bought your stick welding course. So excited.
I have not welded since high school. Thank you for putting these videos out. It’s a Great refreshing my memory. It’s harder now than I remember. Practice practice practice.
I’m redoing a boat trailer and I’m trying the best i can. Hopefully I put the axle together straight and welds go solid. Thanks again
Kurt. Nc
Today was my first time stick welding and i did a lot better thanks to your videos.
Im watching your videos because Im just starting welding school. My first actual welding class is stick welding and im only 2 days in, and let me tell you, its hard on me. The class moves kinda fast and I dont feel like im making much progress. I know 2 days isn’t much but its only a 1 month class (1 month basic stick and 1 month advanced stick next) Just trying to get all the info I can to help improve my welding and use my time wisely
Like many guys, who never did any welding before, I bought the HF FluxCore welder for myself for Christmas. I live up North and have given up years ago, trying to keep my shop warm enough to work for the 3 months when it is just to damn cold to work in a large shop in winter. So, my plan is, learn as much as I can about welding over the winter, and hopefully some of this will stick when I finally try using the gear I bought in Late March/early April. Your videos' and many others have been very helpful. Thanks
Don't leave your wire spool in a non-climate controlled environment. When you're done take it off the machine, put it in a sealed bag and store it in your house. Otherwise just take it off the machine and toss it. Because it's not going to stay good in a cold and damp shop.
@@1pcfred Thanks for the tips, I haven't opened the box yet with the welder.
@@davidrn2473 get to it. Run a bead. Welding is fun. Well, it can be entertaining at least. I mean who doesn't like staring at a puddle of molten metal? Stack them dimes! Welding is manipulating that puddle of molten metal to fuse the base. When you're welding with flux you have to try to keep the flux to the back of your puddle. You do that by weaving and traveling. Bobbing and weaving! You learn by doing. You find out what settings and speeds and angles work for you. There's something called stick out with MIG too. This guy here is saying keep a close arc. But with MIG you vary the energy by changing the stick out. How close your tip is to the work. You'll see when you get going. The thing is to be mindful. To think what happens when I do this? Then observe the results and integrate that into your consciousness. So try stuff. People will tell you a million different ways to weld. You just need to figure out one way that works for you.
@@1pcfred Thanks again for these tips, I am fortunate that a friend is a technical welder and I can ask him to observe after I get started. I have a few metal projects in mind once I get a few welds down. Rocket stove. drip oil stove, maybe a metal arch for the garden.
Switching to Lincoln wire made a huge difference for me. I'm a beginner and I couldn't get the HF wire to stop sticking.
Taught welding for six years. Arc length is the number one problem for beginners. I think it comes from first being afraid of getting their rod stuck and then because they don't see the puddle or understand what to look for. Wish i had videos like this to show students back then
My #1 issue was getting it started and not sticking AND not flinching and pulling it off once I struck an arc! OMG it was so frustrating.
Your course is excellent! I just subscribed and I've already learned a ton... super clear and easy to understand! Thank you!
Mate thank you so much as a first year apprentice the way you break everything down is so helpful it makes it easier to understand and I appreciate it so much your an Amazing teacher keep up the videos thanks
I love the way that you explain things in your videos man. I'm a total amateur with stick and you breaking things down the way you do is super helpful for me so thank you for that. Take care my dude ✌🏼
Thanks to you I got it a little better I’m in my 4th week in stick welding and I’m doing T joints this actually helped a lot I gotta test on Monday Thanks !
Horizontal and flat welding is very simple to get a handle on. What's not is vertical welding on heavier thicknesses like 1/2". I tend to stick with 1/8 6011s, but it still tends to run all over the place. I try to turn the amperage down but then it sticks so I go high and then it blasts through. I'm wondering if the machine (harborfreight special) is just not good enough. Mig welding is about 10x easier on verticals.
You rock, Tim. Your videos have been very helpful.
I keep forgetting about my arc length. Im a student who just hit phase 2 in my welding program so this reminder is very useful. Subscribed.
Very informative video. Took me a bit before I learned to take a moment to look at the work being done so I could find a good/comfortable position to be able to maintain a good and consistent weld whether it was stick, MIG, TIG etc.
I just learned it yesterday on my own and stick welding for me has been turned into fun from nightmare since
Thanks so much for your help, I’m learning to arc weld on my Ag mechanics team and your videos are great to get ahead. Keep doing what your doing. 👍
I generally run 7018 right in the puddle. 100 - 120 amps for 1/8" rod will keep it from sticking after a couple of seconds of arc.
A simple, yet comprehensive tutorial, awesome ! Thanks for the tip(s).bud !
I’m also a hobby welder. Got the equipment but need a lot of help with skill. You are a good teacher!! Thank you for help us.
I'll tell you what you have to do. Bake your rods. If those rods are not bone dry you're going to have problems. Don't ask me how I know.
Paul- Thank you!! One more thing I didn’t know about!!
@@kerrygibbs8198 I think what happens is steam gets into the weld bead. I know what it leads to. Your weld gets loads of bug holes in it. These little pinholes of porosity. It's pretty bad. Hardcore welders have cabinets with light bulbs in them kind of like Easy Bake ovens. I just cook mine on this portable electric grill before I weld. Like they're hot dogs. Ideally you always use fresh rods. I don't live in that world though.
Paul- Thank you again for great advice! This is what is great about UA-cam- a knowledgeable person sharing information that can help someone like me that is inexperienced. Thank You!!
@@kerrygibbs8198 you'll get experienced as you gain experience. I never even told you the bad stuff. Like popping a slag ball in your ear. There's no way I'll weld under a car today without wearing ear plugs. Live and learn! Weld and burn? Something like that. Flash burn is no joke either. I was welding in a tee shirt one day and absolutely roasted my arms. I couldn't bend them for weeks. Now I make sure I'm wearing my welding jacket. I'm no safety freak but pain hurts.
I appreciate every detail and tip that was shared in this video. As always, guys, your weld is only as good as your rod is dry and your material is clean!
This is the best instruction channel on UA-cam. 👍
Great illustration and technicality in this video. Well spoken, thank you👍
Great video, we just watched it in welding class, I think this will really help. Keep killin' it broseph.
Thanks for the advice, I am just starting out learning to weld at the age of 65, so I searched for You Tube advice and found your channel and a few others! So, I learned a short arc first is good, clean the metal first, approx 45 degree angle and keep the weld pool flowing! How do I know how many amps to run with and size of arc rod? I just got my mini welder and it's only for odd jobs around the home, but I need to practice first! Thank you!
I typically weld outside in less than ideal conditions. I find that if I push the stick along the line as opposed to pull and feed I can more easily keep a smooth weld going. Also, I use roughly the same size stick as the smallest piece I'm welding. So for example, If I was welding a 3mm piece to a 6mm piece I would use 3mm stick for that weld. It's rare that I have to grind and re weld a piece. Sometimes if the thicker piece is at close to 0 deg C I add 10 amps. so typically 65 amps for warm temps and 75 for cold temps. Finally, When I start a stick weld, I hold the stick between 2 fingers in my free hand about half way down the stick for better control and hold the clamp with my driving hand. When my free hand starts to feel warm, I pull that hand away. It's a much more comfortable way to weld.
Another great video. I appreciate your videos being short and to the point.
Wish you'd been my instructor in welding class. You finally explained why I had so many problems.
Brilliant defining videos on all aspects of welding.great tuition for any young person showing an interest in the fabrication and civil engineering sectors..even persons who wish a career change the knowledge gained on gases metals and projects sure to fascinate. Informative and well constructed
haven't welding in 10 years. but this is a great reminder. thank you.
I agree, see a lot of my fellow students running off to far or to high. I think it takes time but you did a great job teaching this
Thanks for all the videos you post it’s helping me a lot!
Tim, you keep teaching and I may have to sell my grinders👍✅👌…… thank you kind Sir.
Thank you for translating the measurements to millimeters. Now the rest of the world understands the story better.
Great tip for a newbie that been burning the piss out of everything!! Lol shorter arc- got it. Thanks man!
Where did you get that magnetic stinger holder? I can’t find that one anywhere!
It’s just the MiG gun holder from Harbor Freight.
Thank you! I’d like to have one for my service truck
Thanks so much for your advice. Am a beginner using stick and your advice in your videos is helpful.
When I was a mechanic I never could weld very good. I had been to several welding classes and was taught every thing about welding except the arc length between the rod and your puddle like it was some closely guarded secret that welders were sworn to protect. Thank you for sharing that with us regular people like my self. I am over 63 years old now and now it is to late for me to finally be able to use this information.
why is it too late? i am 65 and find the info useful as i have not stick welded in years.
when i went to welding class way back in 1982 the text book said the distance between rod and material should be roughly the same as the rod thickness. so a 1/4 inch rod would need a 1/4 inch gap for best results.
Never too late, I'm 76 & recently started using my old buzz box again for a project.
this tip is a good one I would say & may practice it tomorrow!
Excellent inf! Thanks! Fixing my tractor.. no stick experience really.. mostly mig... subscribed!
Thanks for the sub!
I'm in my 3rd week of a welding program and I recently realized that I need to keep the stick close to the puddle. My heads don't look that bad, but I do struggle with consistency with moving the puddle along.
Thanks Tim. I really appreciate your teaching.
Thanks. Good info.
Paul
What a great video, clear, concise and easy to understand. I just realised why the old welder saying is true- a mig welder makes the average welder look good but a stick welder makes the average welder look bad. That’s because the mig welder feeds the wire for you where as with the stick welder you have to feed the welding rod into the weld while the rod is constantly shrinking. This is one of those skills that you can’t get from reading a book. This is also why if I haven’t used my stick welder for months then I’ll lay down a couple of weld to “get my hand in again” as the feed-in is a skill that drops off if you don’t use it. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺
This is the video I have been looking for days thanks man
Clear concise a natural teacher
Going into welding for the first time. I just got a small / inexpensive inverter stick welder. Your videos will be very helpful. Sub’d
thank you for the info please dont stop with this begginer tips videos it is helping me a lot... just a question... what is the thickness max of the material you can weld with a 2.4mm rod??? on the Farm i only have 2.4mm for in a pinch what can i achieve with this 2.4mm rods maxed out?
You can weld unlimited thickness with that rod size. It will take more passes (and therefore more time) than a larger diameter rod, but the result can be just as sound if it’s done correctly.
@@TimWelds thank you for your reply... it means a lot to me... hope to see you on a next video soo again thanx
Thank you for taking the time to teach.
thanks for the info's! im just waiting for an opening to our training center to start learning, you tackled some key points to remember especially for beginners with no hands-on experience at all, at least i have some things to keep in mind, i'll keep on watching your tips and tricks vids for more! thanks sir! from the philippines.
What you say about the arc length is so true
Tim, can you make a video on welding different sizes or thickness of metals or materials? like 14 gauge to 1/8" or 16 Gauge to 1/8 to 1/4" type of stuff.
I made this one a while ago, but I think it would be worth revisiting as well. Thanks for the suggestion!
ua-cam.com/video/8OooAFjEBEk/v-deo.html
thanks for getting the point across right at the beginning. Appreciate it!
My very first video as I've decided to learn how to weld and weld properly, I will definitely be taking a class/course of some sort in my free time.
It would be great if you could give some tips for welding very thin materials like old exhaust pipes with electrodes at the lowest possible amperage.
I always rub the electrode forcefully over a test metal to get it warm, then it's much easier to strike onto the workpiece to do lots of small spot welds, but I think there are better methods. (I have an old electrode transformer, not a modern inverter with no-stick function)
Is it possible to have too short of an arc? As a crappy self-taught, I glide the tip of the electrode along the edges of the flux "cup" formed by the arc occurring recessed into the rod. It gives aesthetically good results and it uses the parent material as a physical guide, but I'm unsure if this is improper technique. Then again, I hear that 7018 rods are pretty forgiving and can weld on its own with the right set up.
When the arc distance is too small, it'll stick, as long as you adapt to the parameters you've set to your machine you won't have issues. In time, you may adjust amperage on the fly and adjust arc length simultaneously to get the proper metal deposition. E7018 is a very forgiving electrode, try E6010, it's messy and a bitch to use. Most arcs are enabled by gently scratching and backing off to adjust the distance, but on E6010, you gotta touch and back off real fast. If it sticks, get it out of there as fast as possible, it's cellulosic flux burns as open flame. Horrible beads but great penetration. Be careful cleaning the parts, that flux dust is the nastiest I've seen so far. If you have trouble starting the arc, amp up and try again. SMAW is a very individual process and fully manual, find what works best for you.
Hi. Thank you very much. You videos and lessons help so much with the learning curve. I am sure that you have the best tutorials here on youtbe. 🙏
Thank you so much for all precise videos and explanations. Keep it up sir!
Nice video, thanks. I’ve been subscribed to your channel for a while and am happy to say I could see you were long arcing in the first weld, so thanks for helping us see that through your videos.
I realize all welders are different, but it would be helpful if you said which welder, rod, and amp settings you were using. Or lay some text about it over the top if you have that edit capability. I have the same little Dekopro welder you use sometimes, and I figure many of your subscribers do as well. If you mention settings for that welder, please include if you’re running it off 120 or 240 VAC, since they’re quite different between the two. From all your videos, I’m figuring out stick welding settings as I go, but it’s comforting to see if my settings are at least in the same ballpark as what you’re running.
Thanks! I’ll try to remember to add that in the future. For this video, I was running a 3/32” (2.4mm) Lincoln Excalibur 7018 electrode at 80 amps DCEP on an ESAB Rogue. This particular weld would run just as well on the Deko, though. Thanks for the suggestion!
@@TimWelds entertainment industry is like fcaw..haha..hopefully welders community stays healthy from shills and hype...all the best to you tim
Thanks for this. I'm having an inordinate amount of trouble with positioning my body so that I can make it through an entire weld. (I have very short arms.) I find that every time, about a third or half-way through, I have to shift somehow to make the rest of the weld happen, which just makes the whole thing suck. It would be great to see an entire video on different body positioning techniques, even just for flat welds.
Yaaaaa what is a professional watching a beginners video anyway? Good point. Thanks for posting these tips !
this video really motivates me in doing my job. I hope it also educates others, thanks for all the knowledge👍🏻👍🏻
I should have warched this before I did the job instead of after to find out where I went wrong. Thanks for posting.
Great video, thanks for all the work you put in it! I really enjoyed learning this stuff!
great video was just having this problem in welding class yesterday thanks
That video was nicely spot-on. Thank you!
No chit-chat and straight to the point. A lot of UA-camrs could learn from you. The instructor was inspecting our welds and the first one he said, "Good penetration." The second he said, "Good puddling." He looked at mine and said, "Good god."
Well. I don’t know if you mentioned it in your videos already. I’m building a fence and welding is one of the the duties of mine. Bought one of the small stick welders and got kinda crazy about it because it wasn’t the results I hoped for. No arc ore proper welding possible and I thought I’m too damn old & forgot how to do welding. Was close to carry it back to the store and hire someone to finish my fence construction. Until I didn’t use the extension cord with the welder on my last try. Boy! What a difference it was. Proper welding like in my younger days. So a extension cord of 25 ft gave me headaches and questioning myself of my knowledge. I can’t remember ( it’s 43 years ago) if it was ever mentioned that an extension cord can minimize the amperage of an welder unit. I have to buy or borrow a extension cord with a much bigger diameter and try it out to see if there is a change. Let me know anyone who knows about amperage dropping with extension cords please. Thanks!
This is FANTASTIC! So very helpful to building skills and satisfying results. THANK YOU!