Stick Welding (SMAW) Advice Needed

[justindad]

I’m looking into stick welding and need some advice. I’m completely new to this.
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I was pretty good at acetylene welding auto body sheet steel when I was 17, and now 22 years later I’m considering a stick welder. The first thing I’m wondering about is safety precautions so I can keep feeding my three kids.
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Purpose: I want to build a trailer frame with a 4-bar linkage that can mount a hand-operated earth auger. The 4-bar will be powered by a motor-driven hydraulic piston, or something similar. The trailer will mount to my riding lawn mower. Travel speed of the piston while digging will be slow - lifting the auger up to prevent the auger blade from screwing into the ground and getting stuck is more important.
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I can design a strong frame and functioning machine, but I’m completely ignorant about welding the frame together.
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The stick welder seems to be the most economical equipment set for welding 1/8”-1/4” steel From TSC. The cheap MIG welder from Harbor Freight has too many issues, but a stick welder is harder to goof up at the factory. I can get a quality MIG welder for $800 or a cheap, strong stick welder for $320. I will need a 40-50 amp 240V breaker in my garage, probably guarded by a lock box to keep curious kids away.
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Any other thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated!

[lancem]

I would recommend one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/MIG-140GS-L...o%2C417&sr=1-2

MIG welding is a lot easier to learn and I have 6 of these machines that my crew is using building steel structures. We've been using them for a year now with no failures and they are getting in a week what most hobbyest would put on them in a year. Use a good flux core wire in the .030 to .035" range and you should be good to go.

[Thundarstick]

O my Lord get a decent 220 MIG and call it a day!

Edit to say, I used, and learned, on a stick years ago, but don't have access to one anymore. I bought a harbor freight 110 and have built BBQ grills and griddles with it so far. It don't have the power to burn thick stuff sufficiently to get a strong wild, but I wouldn't go back to a stick!

[Winger Ed.]

It took me a bunch of practice to use a stick welder.
Once you learn it, there more rods available for doing different things than different kinds of wire for MIG.
My biggest problem was having the rod stick to the work, then heat up red hot and ruin the flux.

However; on simple steel stuff, a MIG is great, especially with the flux core wire.
You can teach someone the basics in about 30 minutes, and turn them loose.

On something new, I'll set the heat & wire speed hot enough to undercut beside the bead a little, then back it off until it 'looks pretty'.

If you get a MIG, I'd strongly recommend one that runs on 220, and has a name on it like Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart.
It'll have a longer duty cycle, and you won't outgrow it nearly as soon as the little 110 ones.

I had a 110 volt one for awhile and traded it off for a (gently) used Lincoln 190.
So far, doing mostly 1/8" to 3/8" projects- I haven't found myself thinking-- "Gosh, I sure wish I still had the little one'.

[elmacgyver0]

You can't beat a stick welder for repairing things around the farm.
I don't live on a farm anymore and most of my projects are more of a delicate nature, so I don't get much use out of my old buzz box.
I do most of my welding these days with a TIG and sometimes with my MIG.
I think a stick would be fine for building a trailer.

[littlejack]

My career from 1969 to 2009 consisted of just about all aspects of welding and fabrication in the in the trades. I started with stick welding, with the exception of flux core wire welding for certain jobs. Once you learn the stick welding, it would be easy, if a person has any dexterity at all. There are a great many stick rods available, but a person can get by with just a few. 6011, 7018, and jet would probably suffice for 95% of a person's home fabrication. The ( buzz) boxes will work, if you don't plan on alot of heavy welding.
Miller and Lincoln are good good brands. Yes, there are others. Moving on to the wire machines, I would get a 220 powered machine. I picked up a HF mig one time for odds and ends in my man cave. It wasn't worth the trouble hauling it home. In the early to mid 70's, wire welders were becoming very popular. In the production shops I worked in, either mig or duel shield ( Flux core and gas coverage) were mainly used, with duel shield taking the lead for high production. Hardwire (mig) is good if set up correctly. To cold and you get "cold lap" to hot and lots of splatter. Duel shield probably being the cleanest welding there is. Very strong, 70,000 pound tensile strength. But 7018 stick and mig wire are as strong. If you get a good mig (hardwire) machine, you will be able to build your trailer. But, there will be limitations in bead size. .025 - .030 - .035 size wires depending on the machines capabilities. Hope this help a little.
Regards and weld on.

[country gent]

there is one addition to the arc welder you want to buy or make. That is a rod storage box or heater as simple as a metal cabinet with a 30-40 watt light bulb burning in it. Damp rods from absorbing humidity give fits striking an arc. Keep your rods dry as possible.

My miller multi process does mig tig and arc. I usually prefer mig for most work no slag to chip easier to fill gaps. Arc will do what you want and will penetrate better on "dirty' metals.
You are correct on the 240 50 amp circuit starving the machine dosnt help it.

My storage cabinet is an old school locker with a golden rod dehumidifier in it. At the farm it was an old dorm size refrigerator with a 40 watt bulb in it. My locker has the vents sealed shelves for rods and wire spools and a rack for tig filler rods. I also store my consumable for the welder in it. This keeps them dry and in good shape.

A bit of advise put several outlets for it in the garage one on each side of the door and one part way down the wall. this gives some options when welding.

[gypsyman]

Been using a mig about 30 years. Started with a stick, still have my little buzz box Lincoln, haven't fired it up in decade's. Bought a Miller 211 about 8 years ago after wearing out a Snap On mig. Run it on 220, .030 wire. And since I only weld on mild steel, use CO2 for my gas. I'd never go back to a stick, wire is so much faster, real easy to learn.

[HWooldridge]

I started welding with an OA torch then moved to stick, followed by MIG and finally TIG. During that time, I built 4 trailers and used stick for all of them - but I had a Lincoln SA200 and a Miller Synchrowave to use, so it was easy to fine tune on DC. You should practice a lot before you try a trailer but it probably won’t be a problem once you have the reflex down pat.

[elmacgyver0]

I don't always use welders, but when I do, I have just about all the bases covered.
Being an old fart, I have had a lot of time to accumulate, but unfortunately probably not as much as time left to use them as I would like.
Who knows, maybe I will live forever.

[metricmonkeywrench]

The pros have the best advice, I learned on a Lincoln toumbstone cracker box. Once you get the feel for the heat and welding speed you should do ok. It’s just one of those things that either you can either do ok or not at first and get better with practice or not. Stick welders seem to show up often on the secondary market a lot. I now have a Montgomery Ward welder that can pretty much run any size rod but it sits idle 99% of the time. My go to for most household projects is a little flux core wire feed Lincoln picked up on clearance. It doesn’t have the setup to use gas but for what I do it doesn’t really matter. So far it’s fixed chairs, exhaust systems, mower deck and even a home made barn door roller track.

Probably the second most important thing to get is a 4in grinder. Build it up to stay and grind it down to look pretty. The horrible freight ones are pretty decent but folks seem to be gravitating to the cordless stuff these days.

[farmbif]

ive built lots and lots of things using literally hundreds of pounds 7018 and 6011or 6013 welding rods but a 200 amp mig welder with a tank of co2 argon mix or stargon is so much easier to lay stacks of dimes it almost doesn't compare. stick welding is easy, if you go that way just get some scraps of steel and practice doing rod length weld beads and people ive taught have gotten it down able to put down good strength welds in a long afternoon.

[HWooldridge]

It also helps if you can manipulate the weldment so you aren’t out of position as much. I have four steel “sawhorses” that help bring the work closer so I don’t have to kneel on the ground.

[DougGuy]

I have been behind a welding hood over 50yrs, built a crapload of trailers of all kinds, we used mig with .035" wire, and we also used some stick rods. Mig will go over 6010 really easily and neat too, it doesn't at all like welding over 7018 welds.

220 mig is a VERY good place to start, don't buy the cheapest one, buy what is most practical for the price. All the big boys, Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, make cheaper machines so HF doesn't cut them out of the lower end sales, these can be some pretty good machines. Google reviews and comments on forums, you can get a good idea of what to stay away from.

The other thing mig does not like is ANY torch slag, you have to have it ground off clean or it messes the weld up like right now. It doesn't like paint, oil, rust, galvanized, it will deliver the best results with clean steel, doesn't have to be ground shiny just clean, and yes it will weld better with shiny ground steel.

Stick is a lot more forgiving of the condition of the material to be welded. I have welded cracks in the hull plating on the side of a big scallop dredge in drydock with 6011 rods with diesel fuel running down the welding rod and burning on the ground.

[BLAHUT]

I’m looking into stick welding and need some advice. I’m completely new to this.
*
I was pretty good at acetylene welding auto body sheet steel when I was 17, and now 22 years later I’m considering a stick welder. The first thing I’m wondering about is safety precautions so I can keep feeding my three kids.
*
Purpose: I want to build a trailer frame with a 4-bar linkage that can mount a hand-operated earth auger. The 4-bar will be powered by a motor-driven hydraulic piston, or something similar. The trailer will mount to my riding lawn mower. Travel speed of the piston while digging will be slow - lifting the auger up to prevent the auger blade from screwing into the ground and getting stuck is more important.
*
I can design a strong frame and functioning machine, but I’m completely ignorant about welding the frame together.
*
The stick welder seems to be the most economical equipment set for welding 1/8”-1/4” steel From TSC. The cheap MIG welder from Harbor Freight has too many issues, but a stick welder is harder to goof up at the factory. I can get a quality MIG welder for $800 or a cheap, strong stick welder for $320. I will need a 40-50 amp 240V breaker in my garage, probably guarded by a lock box to keep curious kids away.
*
Any other thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated!

You should be able to take a few classes at the local vocational school and get all your questions answered along with trying the different types of fire glue.

[Winger Ed.]

Probably the second most important thing to get is a 4in grinder..

I couldn't agree more.

But using cut off wheels on them--- you do need to be careful ..........

Of all the years I've spent working in a fabrication/welding shop, and hacking around in the garage-
A shattered cut off wheel is the only thing that ever sent me to the Emergency Room.
That isn't me in the picture-- Of the ones I've shattered, it ate through a heavy welding glove and ran across the back of my hand.

[Three44s]

I suggest stick and a 90 degree right angle grinder.

You need to grind beveled edges where you are going to weld so as to (prep) improve penetration with your welds.

One rod stands out as a do all with mild steel and that’s 6011. It’s all position and it will work with AC or DC stick machines. 7018 is a fantastic rod for high strength welds but it exceeds the tensile strength of mild steel, it is also ornery to restrike the arc if you need to pause welding. You tell them what welder you have and the thickness of the stuff you are going to weld on and they should be able to tell you what size rod you need. My normal rod sizes are just two: 3/32” for light work and 1/8” for medium stuff. I like both, the smaller for a root pass and tacking pieces together and the heavier rod to “seal the deal”.

It’s probably more money now but 4 years ago my expensive electronic helmet went gunny sack. The welding supply store sold me a basic Weld Mark helmet for $100 (one third the price of my dead helmet) and it’s been a peach.

The auto electronic helmets are a must have! The Weld Mark is going away the best value and especially for a “hobby welder”. Do not mess with Harbor Freight and their “cheap” one).

Get some odds and ends of comparable steel to putter with. Use a chipping hammer and practice until you feel good. The alternative is get a neighbor friend with more experience to help you.

Three44s

[Winger Ed.]

The auto electronic helmets are a must have! The Weld Mark is going away the best value. Do not mess with Harbor Freight and their “cheap” one).

If you use one a lot, the cheap ones don't dim as fast as the good ones, and will lead to eye damage.

It's usually not like you'll go instantly blind, but over time you'll need more and more light to see things than you used to.

Years ago, I used a fixed tint glass lens type helmet.
An older welder borrowed it once and asked, "How can you see through this thing"?
I looked though his later on, and I think I have sunglasses darker than the lens he used for welding.

[john.k]

i been welding for 50+ years too....and the little shoebox size inverter welders are the most amazing thing Ive seen.

[littlejack]

I remember our rod lockers in the many shops that I worked in. Most of them were either refrigerators or upright freezers. Some had shelves added, or had all the shelves replaced allowing for the mutiple heavy boxes of rod.
Usually had a heat lamp and or bulb in the bottom to keep the rod dry. Now for the real treat; There was a few of us would bring tv dinners for lunch. About an hour before lunch, we would put our meals in the lockers to heat up. That worked really well. As a bonus, you could tell what meal/meals had been cooked when you were welding. The juices and sauces would drip down on the rod while cooking. Nothing like smelling the aroma of burnt enchilada sauce while making a beautiful vertical with 7018.