First Welder!

[JTSpeedDemon]

Yup, I finally got my first welder!

For $200, I got a Century FC-90, as a late birthday present! My dad also got me this big Husky bin to keep everything in. Of course, I have a full complement of safety gear, and we even cleaned the automotive fluid stains off the garage floor before I ran a bead.

We had to go to like FOUR stores to find the NR-211MP wire! Is EVERYONE welding in quarantine????

But yeah, I got it yesterday, and I ran some beads as practice yesterday! The welds are on 1/8" mild steel, with 0.030" wire.

The first few welds, I had the power WAAY too high, as it's not too hard to tell. I was blowing holes in the steel! And there was a lot of splatter, undoubtedly a side effect of the high power. I attempted a weave, but I only got a zigzag bead.

On the last bead, I got a real nice one! There's still a little slag I didn't clean off, but it turned out real nice!


I'm really impressed with this little welder, I can't wait to undo the frame mods on my kart! I also ordered an angle grinder kit on my own dime, so I'll be pretty well set up for kart fabrication!

 

[Budget GoKart]

Dang dude i havent used my welder yet i got it in trade with 200$ for my manco scorpion i heard stick is a decent starter but yours looks way easier

 

[Budget GoKart]

Pics of it

 

[anickode]

Pics of it

Not gonna lie, that machine is going to be tough to learn with. Running little tiny (wiggly) rods with a really tiny arc can be tough even for an experienced welder.

If that manco scorpion was in any kind of decent shape, you got ripped off.

 

[Karts of Kaos]

I weld stick. it is not to bad but then again I learned on stick.

 

[anickode]

I weld stick. it is not to bad but then again I learned on stick.

Not saying stick is bad. Just saying that'll be a tough machine to learn on.

 

[Budget GoKart]

Not gonna lie, that machine is going to be tough to learn with. Running little tiny (wiggly) rods with a really tiny arc can be tough even for an experienced welder.

If that manco scorpion was in any kind of decent shape, you got ripped off.

It was in great shape and i got 200$ and the welder for it with no engine its going to a buddy who is going to have fun with it. Also isnt learning on something difficult how you get better then everyone else early on who took the easy route?

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Yup, it's actually quite honorable to try it, even if it's hard, so good on ya Trevor! Anickode's just saying it won't be the easiest machine to learn on. which is true.

And yeah, from what I know of stick, it'll be much harder than wire feed like mine. But hey, whatever floats your boat! And the infinitely variable voltage and wire feed are really really handy! And I haven't even used it that much!

 

[landuse]

Not saying stick is bad. Just saying that'll be a tough machine to learn on.

I learned (if you can call it that) on a stick. I have never welded with anything else, so i don't know what i am missing. I have also ever only used 6013 rods

 

[Karts of Kaos]

I mostly use 7018 rods.

 

[landuse]

I mostly use 7018 rods.

The only reason i use 6013 is because that is what i learned with, and i just don't know any better! They are supposed to be an all purpose type rod

 

[Kartorbust]

Not to derail but, unless you have an electrode oven or you figured out how to keep moisture out, the low hydrogen 7018 rods are not something you want to be using constantly. I'd recommend the 7014 rod instead. Same performance or at least close enough to the 7018 and gives the same tensile strength. Leaving 7018 and other low hydrogen electrodes kind of out in the open and not in an oven, gets rid of the desired properties. Unless you are only getting a small amount of them and using them all up, 7014 is the way to go.

6013 rods are what people used to use to weld sheet metal before mig welding was around or got popular. Also, sheet metal is defined as metal with a thickness of no more than 3/16". Anything larger is considered plate. Just a fun factoid.

 

[landuse]

Not to derail but, unless you have an electrode oven or you figured out how to keep moisture out, the low hydrogen 7018 rods are not something you want to be using constantly. I'd recommend the 7014 rod instead. Same performance or at least close enough to the 7018 and gives the same tensile strength. Leaving 7018 and other low hydrogen electrodes kind of out in the open and not in an oven, gets rid of the desired properties. Unless you are only getting a small amount of them and using them all up, 7014 is the way to go.

6013 rods are what people used to use to weld sheet metal before mig welding was around or got popular. Also, sheet metal is defined as metal with a thickness of no more than 3/16". Anything larger is considered plate. Just a fun factoid.

So if you were welding stick, would you use the 7014? Or which would be your "Go To" electrode?

 

[anickode]

Not to derail but, unless you have an electrode oven or you figured out how to keep moisture out, the low hydrogen 7018 rods are not something you want to be using constantly. I'd recommend the 7014 rod instead. Same performance or at least close enough to the 7018 and gives the same tensile strength. Leaving 7018 and other low hydrogen electrodes kind of out in the open and not in an oven, gets rid of the desired properties. Unless you are only getting a small amount of them and using them all up, 7014 is the way to go.

6013 rods are what people used to use to weld sheet metal before mig welding was around or got popular. Also, sheet metal is defined as metal with a thickness of no more than 3/16". Anything larger is considered plate. Just a fun factoid.

I was gonna chime in with that about the 7018.

A sealed rod holder tube, even with desiccant packs is not sufficient, as the flux is hydroscopic and will absorb just as much moisture as the desiccant. Basically heated or vacuum storage are the two best options. For code work (I know, go karts aren't) if 7018 is out of a heated (180°F) storage oven for more than 4 hours, it has to be cycled back through a drying process (350°F for x number of hours) before it can be used. If it's out for more than (I think) 8 hours, it's junk, and must not be used.

And if you're buying 7018 in anything but a hermetically sealed metal can, you're just wasting money from the start. (like the plastic tubes from home depot or tractor supply).

There's nothing like striking an arc with Lincoln Excalibur 7018+ fresh out of a hot oven on a pure DC machine though.

But yeah, for go karts, 7014 is a better choice if you don't have proper rod storage facilities. 6013 is a fine rod too. Very user friendly.

 

[mckutzy]

I tried some fat 7018 1/4" Heavy steel building rods once.. man once the power is jacked up and let that rip... pretty cool....
Oh Man those thing were pretty hot out of the oven...
Even baked 6013 worked better when out of the oven, little more even with the arc.

 

[Kartorbust]

So if you were welding stick, would you use the 7014? Or which would be your "Go To" electrode?

Depends on what I'm welding on. If it's just sheet metal 6013 all day. If I am doing plate, I'd run a 7014. Those are generally cheaper and easier to find at most stores that sell welding supplies, at least here in the states.

I'd recommend people get this book as a reference. But expensive, but it is a great cheat sheet to keep in your tool box. https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Weldi...e&qid=1589821304&sprefix=hobart+pocket&sr=8-1

 

[anickode]

I tried some fat 7018 1/4" Heavy steel building rods once.. man once the power is jacked up and let that rip... pretty cool....
Oh Man those thing were pretty hot out of the oven...
Even baked 6013 worked better when out of the oven, little more even with the arc.

I love running big welding rods. I ran some 3/16" 7028 (flat position high deposition) that I used to weld 1/2" thick extensions to the bottom flange of a 12-56 I beam for a job once. Had my old Miller Legend maxed out. That old Onan just sings under full load.

There's a place not far from where I work that does a process called flood welding for tool and die repair. They arc gouge out cracked dies and then preheat in a heat treat oven and literally flood it with molten steel using custom made rods that are around 1" diameter and 4' long, running around 1500 amps. VERY cool process to watch.

 

[mckutzy]

Yup....very cool stufff...

At my last job, at one point, we were welding some large pipes together, 3/4" wall 36" dia, 40' long, in a continuous production.

It takes all day, and in position, cant roll the pipe. 6 or 8 pass cause of the large V groove...
We have a wire feed machine gas/fluxcore...

After I told them of this... they were looking into it.....

The rod is 36" , #8, 3/4"dia... cor-met F-25. ~1000amps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j61ezBX-EyA

 

[PullHorse]

Congrats on the welder! Filling your space with tools is always fun.

 

[Budget GoKart]

Welp stick welding isnt for me, i chickened out and got a hf 125amp 120$ flux core that should be better. also i tried the little stick welder and it just spatters and sticks, it wont weld for me must not be getting hot enough.