Why Would You Use AC When Stick Welding (Arc Welding)? - Kevin Caron
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- From www.kevincaron.com - Artist Kevin Caron compares stick welding in AC and DC ....
Based on a fan's question, Caron explains why you would use AC (alternating current) when arc welding, or stick welding, rather than DC (direct current).
The biggest reason, of courrse, is to weld aluminum. But other than that, Caron had to go out and do a little research. The biggest consensus is that it's the best choice for magnetized steel because the AC isn't affected by the steel's magnetic field.
Caron also said that arc welding rod like 7018 AC, which is specifically made to use when AC welding, welds "like butter." It also creates a really pretty looking weld. For what he is doing -making art - it's all about the way it looks.
To test if AC really does work better when welding magnetized steel, Caron decides to set up a piece of scrap steel with welding magnets on both sides and weld with some 7018 DC and then some 7018 AC and see if it makes any difference if you weld with 7018 AC or DC.
He welds with DC first, then the AC. You can even hear the difference between the two.
Then Caron shows the welds. The slag is coming up off the welds nearly all in one piece - that's one of the reasons he really loves welding with 7018 welding rod. He removes the slag and brushes away a little soot and you can see the two welds clearly.
The DC weld is a little misformed, while the AC weld is nice and straight and smooth and pretty looking.
So for magnetized steel and welding aluminum, you'll want to use AC when stick welding. Otherwise, stick with DC.
Why use DC otherwise? Caron says it's theory, but because you're running a positive and a negative in DC, the positive is going to get attracted to the negative. So when you're actually welding and the rod is burning away, it's going to want to attract to the ground, pulling the weld in. With AC, the current is going back and forth, back and forth, so Caron believes you don't get quite as good penetration as you do with DC.
Caron is ready to go back to work, meaning you have time to go out to www.kevincaron.com and see his wild work and to subscribe to see more how-to videos.
Well, you might want to stick around another moment or so to see his shocking revelation!
"Inspired sculpture for public & private places."
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I don't weld very often, but when i do, I've found that DC tends to be a bit easier striking and maintaining an arc, while AC has a huge advantage of eliminating arc blow, especially when welding at high currents, such as with 3/16" and larger diameter electrodes.
Not many people know this, and for those that don't, the largest stick electrode available is ¾ inch diameter, 48 inch length, manufactured by Weldmold, the process is a variation of SMAW known as massive electrode welding, or flood welding and uses currents as high as 2000 amps DCEP with a disposition rate in excess of 60 lbs/hour. It is mainly used in foundries for tool and die repair, as well as repairing crucibles.
I would love to try that!!!!
I encountered magnetized steel on a dune buggy with a broken steering spindle arm. I couldn't figure out why I was getting arc blow on this repair job but now I understand. Great video.
Thanks for watching and posting.
I was about to sell my 40 year old AC welder, but after seeing this video, I think I'll keep it... Thanks for the video.
As long as you have the room to store the old machine , why not.
Good man they are gems
Thanks guys! And, as ever, The Voice asks the right questions for us, the silent majority...
I'm baffled by the answer too ! I've never had a problem wi penetration using AC - just poke the rod in deeper.
Good point of the difference between AC & DC in welding. Thank you for sharing your video.
Thanks for the video. I'm teaching myself to stick weld and you explained the difference between the AC and DC settings both piratically and the theory behind the differences.
It is very useful when welding rusted, painted or corroded metal. The constantly changing arc direction allows impurities to flow out of the weld better.
I did not know that Don!
@@KevincaronSculpture Dad was a farmer. Everything was rusty. E6010 rod and an old AC machine.
@@donogoobo9992 Yep, 6010 or 6011 and turn up the volume it will let you weld the nastiest steel you can find, not always pretty but functional.
I did notice a difference in sound between AC and DC welding.
When AC transformer machines were the main industrial welders (to get DC you needed a motor-generator like the old Lincoln "bullet" design or a gas engine powered machine like the famous SA-200) their open circuit voltage was higher than consumer "farm" welders so Bubba wouldn't electrocute himself lying in a puddle welding his tractor (yes, it's happened!). If you encounter an old single phase beast don't pass it by! I bought a 400 amp AC Hobart T-400 for the welding leads that came with it, but of course I plugged it in to test and the AC arc is so nice I kept it instead of scrapping. It theoretically requires a 100A breaker but runs fine (not maxed out) burning 3/32 and 1/8" rod off a 50A breaker. Also worth noting is many old AC welders are both single and three phase, selected by simple jumpers inside the case. Hobart, Miller (and many Airco which were rebadged Millers), and Lincoln manuals are available on their websites.
Interesting, thanks for posting.
Because I love the simplistic reliability of my old Oxford oil cooled arc welder.
Nothing but a big proper copper transformer soaked in oil and plugged into the mains.
Sure I'll get myself a little DC inverter box one day, but I'll always be wondering if it will work when really needed.
Whatever works for you is the best there is! Thanks for watching and posting.
I welded with 7018 AC for years and use it both on DC or AC. (It's rated for both, check the writing on the box) It has excellent restrike capabilities too. There's a conductive material in the flux that makes it restrike nice. 7018AC costs a little more but it's worth it for the flexibility of going either way with it.
Thank you! Have been using 80TAC, will try the acdc rod.
The hardware store where I live regularly mis prices welding electrodes. A 1lb box of 4043 stick electrodes is labeled as $4 when it should be $25-30 and a 5lb box of 7018AC is actually cheaper than the regular 7018, only $14!! Whereas regular 7018 is $24. None of the other welders in my town have noticed or like me they just don't want to correct them lol
where do you get 7018 ac
Interesting video. I have both kinds of welders in my shop and never really thought about this question much. Now I know.
Very interesting. I love using my inverter everlast welder but good to know why someone might want to use an AC welder.
People need to keep in mind where you place the ground clap can have a big effect on arc blow (magnetic effect), you should also be welding toward the clamp if possible.
GoatBoy 45/70 towards the clamp is very important for DC welding with coated electrodes. DC Welding in ground clamp direction let the arc blow drag the slag on the welding. That's what we want. Set several tack weldings before helps too. The arc blow effect at AC is low.
So how does that work on a horizontal pipe weld , welding in a circle ?
All you need to do is rap the ground cable around the pipe then weld it works like a champ.
You know with all the welding I have done over the years and understanding of electricity I have never really given that a whole lot of thought. I just may have to experiment with that concept.
im not a professional welder but this is something I did not know . great info , I'm going to start doing this
I use a.c. when stick welding cast iron, I use it with ni rod 99 and 55 . I found out I get better results against cracking during the cooling process. Preheeting 350 Deg to 500 Deg. Post cooling Barry it in room temp sand for 8 hrs depending on acting size.
Great vid well explained. I have an AC buzzbox and 7018ac welds great but ive been using 7014 a lot and find it looks amazing, underrated rod. Thanks for the tips
Glad it helped
Use 6011. It’s easier
@@hellwithit i have and i do. Thanks buddy
@@Justinicus24 somewhere in your life you are going to run into a cast iron fix. If you can still find it. It’s called ferrow weld.
Beats the heck out of ni-cad or layered welding. Don’t crack when it cool and limited preheat and fast cooling
@@hellwithit wow thanks for the insight big guy
It has less to do with DC having superior attraction and more to do with the fact that an AC arc extinguishes itself between 120 and 200,000 times per second. That is precisely what makes it good for aluminum (fragile) and magnetized steel (ion-deflective).
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That was a very interesting question that prompted this video. The info given is definitely most useful. Also got alot from the comments. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome. If you get the chance please click on an ad or two. Helps to pay for the videos.
I'm a retired welder(50+yrs. experience) & have to say that AC buzz boxes are common and cheap...all this stuff about magnetism is something most folks really won't deal with
And it eats electricity like mad
Hello! I'm from the future. 4 years after you made this comment, I'm writing to tell you that nowadays 2021, DC stick welds owing to the marvels of modern semiconductor industry (more specifically to the IGBT...) are really small, cheap, efficient and good! For little more than $100 one can buy a cheap chinese DC welder and you are in business!
Have you tried those? Thanks for your comment and stay safe!
ON DC electrode positive the current is actually going from the ground to the electrode.
seriously? for real?
@@Big_Chungus935 Yes. Conventional current theory is the original (positive to negative flow), but when it was created, they didn't understand what electricity is fully. There still needed to be a way to differentiate the terminals, so they took a guess at which way it flows... and got it wrong. Once the electron was discovered and studied, the correct direction was found, called Electron Flow Theory, and it's negative to positive (because by then, it was too late to just go back and change all the conventions).
@@Anticept Correct! Electrons have a negative charge.
I'll
Yep and why flux core welding works better with DC Negative on the wire. DCEN. Also DCEN works better for welding overhead and such with stick.
The biggest reason to use DC is that a DC arc is much harder to quench than an AC one. This is why when you build contacters for DC current they have to be oversized and move farther apart to quench the arc and generally have a circuit to snub the arc, whereas AC current is going to zero volts 120 times a second if 60Hz or 100 times a second if on 50Hz AC. You get better penetration with DC simply because that arc is at full power all the time whereas an AC welder is delivering full current at a reduced duty cycle due to the sinewave.
I have used modified welders that put out squarewave AC and offer a higher striking voltage and they seem to offer nearly the same penetration as DC but you get the added benefit of not haveing the weld be affected by the magnetic field.
Thanks for posting.. Interesting to learn from someones else s experience.
kuhrd
Excellent description i can really understand that. In your experience which rod do you prefer for DC, 6011 or 6010?
kuhrd interesting!
everything you wrote is electrical engineering!
I started with welding but now I'm studying electricity (4 weeks of electrical theory) and I sorta understand what you're talking about!
excellent comment though for whoever understands electricity!
GoatBoy 45/70 in my experience they're both the same (sorry I know you asked the other guy but he hasn't answered so this is my reply lol)
6010 is designed for DC and 6011 for AC. But they are both deep penetrating, fast freezing, filler rods!
6010 is cellulose sodium and 6011 is composed of cellulose potassium...
6010 burns a bit hotter cus it has sodium but that's all.... otherwise, when welding, they both seem the same in DC welding.... I've never tried either of them on AC welding....
Great video! But when you use DC reverse polarity you have less penetration, because the current goes from the base metal to the electrode, so you get less penetration. But you get a more stable weld. When you use DC straight polarity, the arc blows and is harder to control, but you get deeper penetration. This is used for cutting medal. DC power is also what you need for stick welding Aluminum. AC with High Frequency is used to T.I.G.weld Aluminum, or Heliarc. 7018 was always DC reverse polarity stick rods, unless they came out with some new. AC welding is nice looking, and you don't get Arc-blow. AC gives you equal penetration. DC is still better for welding. It will burn auy rod! It also helps on vertical and over head welding! Hope this helps someone!
Great info here!! Thank you very much for posting!
Reverse polarity (DCEP) will actually give you slightly MORE penetration when used on processes with a consumable electrode. (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, ETC.) When TIG welding the opposite is true. This is why most stick welding is done DCEP and TIG is done DCEN.(excluding aluminum, magnesium, etc.)
Due to the flow of electrons to be specific. The dc electrode negative the workpiece end is the positive and the stinger(rod holder) is the negative. This makes the flow of electrons flow to the work end making the workpiece melt with more energy and the rod burn with less. Dc electrode positive or reverse polarity the majority of electrons flow to the rod making it burn hotter and resulting in shallower penetration from the workpiece being the negative. The only reason magnetism affects this is because of the larger molten weld puddle which pulls towards the magntization. Ac gives you a more balanced weld arc because of the alternization of electrons
@@MrSinbad78 but the weld puddle cannot be magnetic until it cools, the heat prevents that. For the most part if it’s a liquid, metal isn’t attracted to a magnet until well below melting temp. And if it was magnetic before being welded that portion of the workpiece isn’t going to be afterwards unless subjected to a magnetic field strong enough once the metal is below curie temp.
@@dirtyaznstyle4156 In my opinion it's not the magnetization of the puddle but the flow of the current in the magnetic field which diverts the material. Like the Hall effect in semiconductor.
It sounded to my ears like the A/C rod was burning at a higher frequency. This is not the case, but it sounds like it. The A/C is reversing polarity 60 x a second, where D/C is not. Also, as one other poster noted, DCEP has the electrons flowing from from the base metal (ground side) to the electrode.
Thank you, Kevin, this was very helpful!
Thanks for watching!
I have a old welder that runs on AC only, have had it given to me years ago. Took me a bit to realize not all rod worked with it. It is a U.S. Electric Welder Company unit made in Toldeo, Ohio. Can't find any info on it. Very accurate settings. They will have to pry it out of my cold dead hands.
Al long as it works for you then it's the best thing to have! Thanks for watching and posting.
AC is a very good current for what is called a jet rod 7024. I've used this rod quite a bit and it seems to work best in an AC configuration.
Rhett Butler, also for 7014 and 6013, iron powder flux likes to run AC, less risk of slag inclusions, especially for lower skilled operators.
7014 can be used all position, 7024 is flat and horizontal only if anybody cares lol
that ending was hilarious
You have 7018 AC rod. That runs very well. I love AC welding 7018 if you can find that rod. Most places don't carry it around here as no one uses AC. They will give you a will work rod like H4R. It sucks. I will AC weld stick every chance I get if I can find the AC 7018 rod
Thank you for watching and posting!
One important advantage of AC welding is that there is no ARC BLOW as the alternating current flow cancels the magnetic field which affects the arc made by a DC welder.
I didn't know that! Thank you for watching and posting.
I just like the cleaning action of the AC welding. Especially on construction fields with rusty rutil.....
It is fun to watch it work! I like the molten puddle and how it can be directed. Want to get a solid block of steel and try carving it.
That's a good test, thanks for sharing!
If you look at big DC switches they often have to use magnets to extinguish the arc. AC switches don’t have that problem due to them being off for part of their cycle. Suggests easier to hold consistent and longer arc for DC. Don’t know if it’s true but logical.
I hear what you are saying. Thanks for watching and posting.
the sound says it all
Awesome! Good video Kevin!
thanks Kevin, well explained. Appreciated.
Very welcome
Hey Kevin, I really enjoyed your video, I never knew the reason for using AC for mild steel, etc. However, I just wanted to clarify something for you. Electrons flow from your negative (cathode) lead to your positive (anode) lead, and thus current flows from negative to positive, and not the other way around. When you switch from DC- to DC+ all that is changing is which lead (work clamp and electrode holder) is the anode and which is the cathode.
Never can keep that straight! Thanks for posting.
I used to run a lot a 7018 AC back in the day when all I had was a Lincoln electric tombstone 225 AC. and all I could run was AC rods.I always had good luck with them.
There is just so much to learn about this job!
For years of welding magnetized metal I learned lots of tricks an everything on that metal an it’s tricky an a lot of people won’t lay a hand on it
There are so many things to learn in this life! Thank you for watching and posting.
Great information thank you
retired U.S.Navy... they only use DC for underwater wet(actually in the water) welding, in a coffer box (a dry box) they can use any type of welding
I remember that discussion on welding web! Good times, good times.
Kevin
There are other rods that are rated for AC as well, such as regular 7018, 7014, 6013, 6011 and even 316l stainless
John
I am still blown away by how many different types of stick rod there are. So much to learn and so little time.
We weld lots of used oilfield pipe and it all gets magnetized so we use AC and even then some time the puddle just pulls away
AndersonCattleCo. Which electrode do you find works best on that magnetized pipe
AndersonCattleCo. Go DC and reverse polarity, work with lots of magnetized piping, this trick works well.
letserb is that using 7018
6010 5p root, 7010 hot pass, then 7018 cap
Welding oil field pipe that is magnetic just rap the ground cable around the pipe a few times than do your welding that will fix it.
Well i had a problem in on the job for a hospital being built and the whole room was metal 1/8 inch walls.i asked and the guys said it was where the MRI machine was going.. All the pipe was tig welded and there was a pipe i had to weld going through the wall seemed like a no brainer till i had arc blow with dc + 6011 root with a 7018 cover pass so i tried wraping the ground around the pipe a few times and still had trouble so i did the root on ac and the the cover with dc+ .i wish i would of brought the tig..this was in the 80`s. Try a weld with the magnets with a beveled gap with 2 sepreat plates just for the heck of it.
For most welding work, AC is fine, worse thing about DC is arc blow, where ya have to grind out and weld again.
i'm really glad i've found your channel... really an awesome video and explanation
Thank you, Have over 400 videos now so lots to watch and learn.
Thanks for watching...
AC or DC ...... Prior to WWII my grandparents (long deceased) were share-croppers. In 1942 they went to a federally funded welding school and subsequently ended up in the Washington ship yards helping with the war effort: my granddad being a "finish welder" and my grandmother a "filler welder" (she said they would have to deal with gaps up to three inches...seems like a lot?) Does anyone know what type of welding current they would have used, AC or DC (probably 3 phase I'm guessing)? Color me curious.
used 6013 rods AC to build a yacht fitted AC welder with a real heavy capacitor on input realy sorted out the flow and strike with good penetration
It's all about the parts on the inside that make things run great.
Negated/reduced magnetism effect. You countered the magnetic forces by pulling in both directions and welding in the middle. Magnetism is an issue when your're welding a joint and the molten weld puddle pulls to one direction some times not allowing any metal to be deposited. Nice vid, but you countered the negative result. Alberta pressure welder 20 yrs and weld inspector ✌
Well you know better than me!
Interesting video, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Although aluminum is TIG welded on AC, most aluminum stick rods are run DCEP
I really like this channel. Good job sir!
Thank you very much! I try to have fun with my "job"!
AC is impacted by magnetism as well. I am a retired electronics tech. But yes 7018 AC rods are great.
Thanks for watching and posting.
Glad I watched this, I learned something
Thank you for watching and posting.
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
One way steel gets magnetized is through electricity or Neodymium magnet. If you wrap a piece of insulated wire around a piece of steel and do not wrap a secondary coil the steel acts an electrical magnet once power is applied.
I didn't know that! Thanks for posting.
Interesting. I learned to weld on AC stick because it's all we had on the farm. Dad had an old Forney buzz box. I found an old welding text book that showed wrapping the ground cable around the work because it was suppose to act as an electro-magnet. Have you ever heard of this?
Have not heard that one but I have seen the lines created on the floor in the grinder dust around the welding cable.
It comes from the current in the cable has you are welding, so I can believe that it might work..
wrapping the lead changes the inductance of the weld current
Welding with the right rod and current source is the difference between welding with a sticky magnet stick vs a butter knife.
Amazing when it all comes together. Turns a newbie into a pro.
Great point!
Another good explanation of AC stick. I got a Lincoln AC buzz box, haven't used it since Adult ED beginners welding class. Wondering what else I can use it for...Aluminum stick?
Sure, that's one of the jobs it will do.
I always heard that you can stick weld aluminum with a DC positive electrode, not AC. I only have an AC welder, so I hope I can find a rod to weld aluminum with it.
Welding aluminum with stick is one of those things I have never tried.
Why use DC? With DC you can choose between penetration or fill by whether you use reverse polarity or straight polarity,
I don't think that a magnetic surface is the type of "magnetism" that influences the weld, but rather the electromagnetic force that is created by the DC arc... this tends to deflect the arc away from the molten puddle, creating an extended arc-length (arc blow), resulting in impurities and porosity in the work, especially when low-hydrogen (7018) rods are used...
The work piece can have its own mag field depending on its shape and where the ground clamp is, it's the 2 mag fields conflicting that is the problem.
Yes, Lincoln has some good free information, as well as Wikipedia. Keeping the ground close to the work when running DC current is key to avoiding arc blow.
Christopher Valdés if you're welding on something magnetic if you take your ground 3 foot or so wrap it around what you're working on takes the magnetic out
i use AC cause my buzz box doesnt switch to DC, and the welds are very nice, penetrate well, and arc welding (stick) is a very robust weld.
Use what you have and it works for you Awesome!
You broke or switch? You can get it fixed.
Good video Kevin. I don't stick weld with my everlast welder much but I found this video informative anyway.
on any equipment, the operator makes the half and the machinemakes the other half. you develop the skill for the equipment you have in your hands
the ac 225 buzz box is the shit
nice demo...
This is simplistic, but if all you have is a lincoln tombstone, you weld with ac. No other option. 😄
They made ac/dc models😊
I own a ac/dc model Lincoln stone
Obviously he's talking about the AC only model.
Thank you for the info brother 😎✌️... Very positive and informative...5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐s...
Any time!
Often times inspectors use magnetic particle (MT) inspection methods to examine welds. So that's one way your metal or weld could get magnetized (if the inspectors are using DC, although they are suppose to demagnetize the material). AC automatically demagnetizes for you.
Carbon arc too!
should we use DCeP for 'even' numbered electrodes, and DCeN for 'odd' number electrodes....?? 6011 DCeN, and 6010 DCeP......for example ??....thanks for the two ' beads' on welding....
Keeping in mind that I am a Sculptor and not a welder I would say no. I don't do a lot of stick welding and am not very good at it.
Good show, thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I do have fun with my "job"!
Ive only ever welded aluminum with a big old Lincoln dc welder with aluminium rods in the past...
Ah the good old days!
for steel .25 and less thickness, 7018ac may be preferred as it will penetrate less and cause less warping with adequate penetration.
Still learning things in this line of "work"! Thank you for posting and watching!
Ac is great for magnetized. Drill pipe and casing is the only magnetized I've welded.
I am wanting to get started in welding, i was thinking of getting a Lincoln tombstone to learn on because they are cheap and seem to be readily available and well made. From a practical standpoint. why would I want to spend the extra money to get an ac/dc model over just getting a cheaper AC-225? I am primarily interested in welding mild steel between 1/8" - 1/4" for art projects, shop tables, gates, yard trailer etc...
To start out the AC-225 will serve you very well. You will want to upgrade someday when you get tired of chipping slag and grinding your work smooth again. But for now, go for it!
@@KevincaronSculpture Thank you for the input!
Awesome nice description stay blessed always with your lovedones.
Thank you for watching and posting!
Fascinating stuff! I had no idea!
Electricity flows from ground to positive not the other way around regardless if it's AC or DC I don't think that's at all why DC welding it's preferred. I think it has more to do with generators generating DC power. That's the way electricity is generated through DC. AC current is simply DC that is cycling which is a affect you do not need when welding. I believe you'll find the AC current is just simply not needed except in the circumstances you mentioned
Thank you for watching and posting.
@@KevincaronSculpture you are welcome sirs.
On another note do t you find that panties to ride up your bung and and are too constricting on the ol lawn tools? I give up on boxers myself painted didn't work hell I decided to ride roughshod
Good to know
Hi kevin you mention ac arc with aluminium but what rods do you use as all the one s I find are dc only. Might be nice to see a video some day too. Thanks
Sorry, have never done ac aluminum with stick.. Just know it's possible.
Why then is DC 7018 welded in DC reverse polarity. Try that on a test coupon. Huge difference in weld penetration and appearance. Thanks for the video.
All a big mystery to me for sure.
I just bought a Lincoln bulldog 5500 and i can’t seem to weld with 7018…i went by manufacturing specs ….i thought it has a problem but the service guy told me it was the rod ….any advice/help
Thanks !
Sorry to hear that, what is happening or not when you try to weld with the 7018? I really don't know anything about that particular welder so can't offer any advice as to settings.
@@KevincaronSculpture i welded with 7018 for years on construction and mostly ac/dc capable engine driven generators >>but this small bulldog its only ac as far as i know ..could be the rod ??the way it burn its like cables are in oposite terminals
actually electrons flow from - to +. My brother in law worked at a ship building yard. He welded oil tankers. He said w/DC the stick should be neg. Also said 7018, called LoHi "for low hydrogen" is good looking finish rod but 6010/11/13 has better penetration.
Thank you for posting!
dc reverse polarity has the best penetration and is best on heavy material and dirty material
DC straight polarity has the least penetration and makes a flat thin weld and is used on THIN materials.(it is much less likely to blow through on light stuff)
AC is kind of in the middle
Of course you must use the right rod for the right type of electricity.
The current in dc runs in one direction stinger to ground or ground to stinger depending on weither you have it on straight polarity or reversed polarity that’s how the current flowing in the wire will induce a magnetic field
Ac flowed back and forth so doesn’t produce a magnetic field so no arc blow
Dc produces a smoother weld than Ac , that’s why it’s used in pressure vessels and oilfield pipelines. Ac has a small chance of weld imperfection like slag inclusions and other defects. That’s why it’s a good choice for fabrication and not critical pipe and boiler pressure vessel welding
Hope this helps
Ac best for starting out and learning for cheap
Thanks for the info BlackDog. Learn something every day.
There is a very old (1930s ect) video on RUclips on this topic. If you're looking for more information check it out, it shouldn't be too hard to find.
Wow I learned something today, thanks
Thanks for watching and posting!
If you use a small buzz box like I have a Lincoln 225 AC the AC- DC rods will work but because of the low opening voltage there hard to strike and if you try to teach a beginer you may as well give up. The 7018 AC rods strike so much easyer. The old welders
were mostly low opening voltage
the newer welders are variable they may open or strike the arc a lot higher then drop down anyway the AC rods are a lot easyer to strike and restrike with a AC only welder.
Can cast iron (the ear off of a vise) be welded. Using a A/C 225 Home Depot buzz box?
With preheat and the proper rod, anything is possible. I have never welded cast iron but I know it can be done.
Why would you weld between two magnets?
Trying to show the arc bend from the magnets.
Thank you Kevin, nice vid.
Glad you enjoyed it
What are basic question,in last year an this year on arc welding on 7018 eletron in Port,harcount
Sorry, no idea.
what do you mean by it is used for cutting medal?
You can use the stick welder to make a cut in metal if you turn the amps way up. Won't be pretty and it will make a big mess on the floor but it can be done.
Wow video production quality is great! Huge improvement
Also, what was he using to write on the steel? I've been using black markers ... I'd prefer that. Just a regular color pencil?
Most likely soapstone, which you can get at any welding shop, even seen it at Walmart before.. the sell it in a metal pin that you have to get refills for, or the most common (and cheapest) is little rectangular pieces that’s about 1/2” wide, and 3” (+/-) long I’m honestly not sure if it’s called soapstone on the product labeling, (been a couple years since I’ve bought any) but if you go to the welding supply shop and tell them you need soapstone, they’ll know what you’re talking about
Chris West Sorry Chris what he was using was a pencil, called silver streak
Well doesn't that create more of a problem? Lots of the tools we use to hold the steel down are magnets, so is that a reason for welds to go all over the place?What is your advise on magnet use to hols materials down? Is it best to use clamps ? Furthermore, is it better to get the magnets of the work bench as well since we always work on a metal table? Sorry? rookie here!
Great point! I use the magnets to hold stuff long enough to get a tack weld. Then remove them and finish the weld. The magnets will cause the arc to wander for sure.
I dont understand the mechanism behind the magnetic field pulling the weld. Steel/Iron loses its magnetism above the curie point. (1410F) so it should not be affected in liquid state, and only after it cools down below 1410F would it regain it's magnetism but it is by then a dull red color and while technically still in "solution" it is a solid. What am I missing?
It's not pulling the metal, it is pulling the electrical arc from the torch.
Makes sense. When you have an arc of electricity you are creating a magnetic field which can be effected by welding into places where it has no where to disperse.
If you weld a bunch of hangers into the inside of an I-beam you'll see where AC really shines, up in the corner.DC gets strange up in that area
The most useful comment here . salute .u can go around magnet but Tite corners r absolutely shitty with dc
With DC you are generally working with only half of the cycle. With AC it uses both sides so on AC you generally turn the power down.
Pretty much the first 10 - 12 years of my welding all stick was done on AC only machines ( and that’s a LOT of all kinds of stick welds ) and it didn’t bother me none. Unless I’m welding something specific I usually prefer it.
It has been my experience that AC requires MORE amperage, not less. DC DOES NOT DELIVER LOWER AMPERAGE BECAUSE IT IS “working with only half the cycle”. By my understanding, those statements are directly counter factual.
Hi, thanks for your video... I believe the metal will get to curie temperature so ther will be no magnetism. Beside that thank you I was thinking on a solar dc welder just solar panels right to the electrode.
Thanks for watching and posting.
Thank You
Welcome!
i like this guy, at least he is not bullshitting stuff that he doesn't fully understand.
Thank you!
Good explanation Kevin... and the ending, priceless :)