I weld just about anything with my lincoln, just set it at about 145 (Depending on workpiece) and I use a 5/32 6010 rod. Great strength and fine bead. Just seems like the right amount of pen. for the usual stuff I do

 

The 6011 is the farmer special. It's incredibly easy to use and it will burn thru paint and grease, rust and less than prepped metal. I would use it on many projects, but not for suspension or steering related work.

I would go with space #2 - pulled out just a bit. I'd also burn it in with a 1/8" 7018 rod set to around 125A. At that temp you can really burn in and penetrate the steel well. I would focus on going slow and 'rocking' the rod slightly to catch both the DOM and the bung.

I burn them pretty much exclusively. The 7018 is an all position rod and can be run either AC or DC. There is a DC specific or AC specific rod. The 7018 splatters less than the 6011 and results in a cleaner stronger weldment as it is a higher tensile strength (70000psi vs 60000) The rod is a bit harder to learn to use and requires a cleaner surface. This is a low hydrogen rod and needs to be stored dry for best results, and baking is a good idea after they're open a while.

I have an old AC 295A buzzbox. It's 30 years old and works great. You don't NEED a fancy MIG welder.

 

Wellm after a day of fustration & much practice, i gotta say i like the welds the 7018 puts down & think im gonna continue to use them. Only problem is im STILL havin the HARDEST time striking that initial arc!!! Infact its my ONLY problem as my beads are deffinately ready to be put to good use.

Now let me note that ive cleaned up the electrode holder, the ground & its surface area, i baked these suckers at 300 deg for quite a while, ran it on DC- at a range of 125 thru 150 amps & its STILL NOT ENOUGH to get that initial spark goin!!!! Yes, all that mentioned above made it easier & all, but i lost all confidence when i had that bracket in position with limited space, & said to myself, if i dont spark that arc straight from the begining, im screwed!!!!

Tomorrows another day so please guys, reply with as much info as u can on how to start that arc in the best way possible given all ive tried so far!!!!

 

Say, could the problem be the actual ground on the welder itself?? It has very little surface area & is more like a clamp seen here...





Hey & i found a better/more comfhy welding mask...



Maybe i should bang that ground flat & put a C-clamp on it so its got a wider contact surface?? Or maybe buy a new one??

 

buy an auto darkening mask, you won't regret it.

 

Anybody care to comment on nthe ground??

 

-if you're still using those 1/4 or 5/32 rods, you should keep moving the amps up until you consistently stick "less" although for a 1/4" bracket on an axle tube those rods are too big. Those are structural steel thickness and need high amps
-have you bought a 1lb pack of 1/8" 7018's?
-1/8" is fine and a good small gap filler for what you are welding
-3/32" is about as small a rod that I can run well when welding 1/8" - it likes to stick too for me and causes cussing in my garage
-when I strike an arc, I do the drag method, and frankly until you've burned 20 or 30# of rod you just need to keep practicing. Higher amps makes striking easier, but then you have to really boogy to keep from burning thru and your weld quality will suffer.
-I do NOT use the peck method unless I'm in a really tight spot, and then all bets are off.
-have you sanded/filed the ground contact area? a new ground clamp is probably only 5-6 bucks at HF and will be better than that old sucker
-consider a new stinger as well.
-always have clean ground - I think you know that
-a contractor at work told me to leave the stinger cable coiled if you have a long run, and avoid crossing your ground lead with the stinger lead when ever possible - this will help especially with older cables with arc consistency once struck

-I bought an cheap ebay auto dark mask for 50bucks shipped to my door (in canada fwiw) and that 50 purchase was the best investment I've made for the welder. I struggled understanding how to strike an arc because I couldn't 'see' with the old fibreglass special my gumpy used. Really save for this - I think you can't see either and the feel will take much longer to develop.

-practice more, and good luck

 

your going to regret using that mask when it comes time to weld under the jeep. its gonna burn the crap out of your face. i bought my auto darkening at northern tools for 50$ and love it. for 100$ i could have gotten the wide lense. and i believe harbor freight has the same deals but not sure the quality of them as ive never used one.

as far as the clamp goes id just buy a new one and eliminate that as the problem all together. just make sure that the wire is good and not corrided at both ends, or all the way through. if they are corrided just take and remove some till you get good wire. lowes has a nice grounding clamp but cant think of the price of it but im sure you can search it online.

 

I've learned this from welding in the military. Sometimes when I can't get an initial arc going, I'll take the tip of my welding rod and scrap it on the concrete (it's gotta be rough like a sidewalk) or on a file and then I go for the weld. It might help you out, but try it just once to see. I also weld thick metal, I'm talking 1/2" - 1" thick steel. We weld alot of armor on vehicles here in Iraq.

 

Trust me i understand the importance of gettin a new mask, BUT for now that little guy works way better then that other one i showed u. Believe it or not, i can see just fine out of the little mask. The only thing wrong with it is that it doesnt protect my face. Oh well, chicks dig scars right!! LoL (yes im joking)

Since i can see just fine, still my main issue is gettin an arc started!! As u said, the higher the amperage, the easier the initial spark. BUT then i gotta worry about blow thru which can be a catastrofhy if it happens!!

 

yes - you don't want to blow thru the axle tube.

That's why you should set the 1/4" and 5/32" rods aside and get a smaller rod that will give you the same penentration for the thickness you are using, but with a lower amperage you lessen the burn thru potential. If you get an arc started and burn in a decent bead, you will have NO worries for strength.
clean surface, consistent speed, good penetration and you will create good welds.

I have to just throw this out - I would practice a heck of a lot before I would start welding suspension pieces. Make some sliders, make a bumper, make barpin eliminators, make a welding cart, make some steel art etc. then after you get warmed up and feel good, take on the more challenging stuff.

I never start the day with a real piece - I start by getting the feel for the day. I'm a hobbyist, not a pro, but I get good results

 

Will baking the 6011 rods help any like baking the 7018's??

 

I hope that mask is atleast Shade 9....cause to me that looks like a Gas Welding mask....shade 5.. you'll have welders flash or see dots for a while. 7018 can be a pain to start...just happens that way. My welding instructor stuck it like 2-4times before he got it going when he showed me. Just practice and be calm

And It will dry them out if wet...but other than that..not really.

 

Well the bracket is on but how will I know for sure that my welds are strong enough?? Figure I'll bolt it up, drive easy & go to my mechanic friends place for approval. Sound good???

 

Yup, that's what I would do.