Late 1960's Stick Welder

[Simplicity]

I haven't used a stick welder for ages .
I did learn how to at tafe.
Being a panel beater ,
We were taught Oxy and mig welding which I become ok quite good with the Oxy .
Like others have said it's practice,practice ,practice .
Then one day it just all falls in to place .
There's a lot of muscle memory to be learnt .
A lot scrap needed first don't try to learn on a project .
You just need to put down a lot of beads first( that's welding talk for running your stick welder along lots metal in reasonably strait lines).
If you want a hand shoot me a pm .
But like I said it's been awhile .
Matt

[DSEL74]

Well I got the old 2.5 rods going, the bigger ones wouldn't cooperate. I welded up my striking anvil, big welds, and ugly. I need the anvil for tomorrow. Now I will go back and do my practice. the thick plate is just tacked on as it will need to be removed and turned over at a later date. The feet are also just tacked until I find a third matching foot.

[Simplicity]

Looking good Dale
Practice practice practice
Report back when your running welds up side down

[DSEL74]

I ground the coating off the square tube before I welded it. Is that necssary?? Can you weld through the paint?

[Grahame Collins]

I ground the coating off the square tube before I welded it. Is that necssary?? Can you weld through the paint?

It good to see you starting to enjoy success with your welder.You are certainly giving it a work out on that slab of material.

I always grind regardless of what surface the metal had on it. The paint is epoxy and I would not want it mixed with my molten arc.

Anything foreign in the arc, has the capacity to gasify and cause imperfections within the weld.

Weld imperfections cause by rust, oil, paint and metalised coatings. These may not be visible but can be sub surface and while not visible can still cause lack of fusion within the weld undetected by those checking the work.

The other down side is one of safety.If you are unlucky to breathe a snoot full of some of these coatings it can be quite unhealthy for for you.

Cheers
Grahame