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Thread: Chinese rods and other ramblings
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28th July 2009, 01:05 PM #1Banned
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Chinese rods and other ramblings
40 odd years ago I worked as a welder (2nd class). In the shops I worked in we used CIG Ferrocraft rods almost exclusively, most forays into other brands, liquid Arc, Murex, etc, were unsuccesfull: slow striking, poor quality welds, etc.
Back then there were only AC stick welders and Oxy in the shops I worked in.
In the late 60s the boss introduced something called a CO2 welder, I'm assuming it was a MIG (can someone elucidate). A laborer working at the factory, with no welding experience, picked it up and did a beautifull weld, very close to what I was doing with a stick.
Having taught myself to weld during my lunch hours over a few years and working my way up to welder, I was shattered, I quit a week later and never worked as a welder again.
I am retired now, invalided 10 years ago at 49 (seems I didn't pick the right alternative vocation to welding), but have continued to weld in my own workshop ever since, building trailers, camper vans, go carts, ride ons, etc, for my own amusement.
I mostly use chinese rods and have found some are excellent and some absolute rubbish (presumably coathangers dipped in lime). I currently have a packet of Murex rods, somethings never change, they were rubbish 40 years ago and still are apparently (perhaps the not-so-good chinese manufacturers used these as a benchmark).
I have been reading about DC Inverter welders and am thinking of buying one; hopefully, they will improve my welding: non bendable body parts, decreasing eyesight and lack of practice have reduced my welding skills considerably since I quit the trade. Once, a long time ago, I could weld 16 gauge sheetmetal without blowing holes (I stitch now), o/head, vertical ups and downs, etc. Oh well at least I can blame it on those dam chinese rods and AC welders!!!
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28th July 2009 01:05 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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28th July 2009, 01:16 PM #2
cheap rods are like cheap nails, just wont cut it, a cheap hammer can drive a good nail into wood as cheap welders can weld with good rods, I mig and doubt if i'll ever stick weld again, but when i was a welder, I only ever used was WIA rods, 12P, what a beatiful rod, they flow and do any position with ease, sure they are a little dearer but worth it when wanting to do a nice finish...
Long live the troopie, quads and welders
and Go the mighty Saints (AFL)
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28th July 2009, 05:10 PM #3Senior Member
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Cigweld Ferrocraft 61 & 12XP here, always seem to have better results over cheaper rods. I've used a fair bit of WIA 6013 and they seem nice.
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28th July 2009, 08:40 PM #4
Hi gngh, if you like stick welding, ad DC inverter would be ideal.
The problem is that the good one are rather dear and the cheap one are a gamble.
Before buying a Cigweld MIG I was looking at an Italian brand, FEMA. They seem to be the better of the el cheapo without going to the full no name chineese. They make two model of inverters, here is one of them. http://www.fema-spa.it/eng/macchine-...&categoria=MMA
If you google it you will find a company in WA that sells them.“We often contradict an opinion for no other reason
than that we do not like the tone in which it is expressed.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
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