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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default New to welding, few questions

    Hello all

    I bought an Ozito 130amp (i think) arc welder around 1 year ago now

    Iv had a few goes at laying some beads on thick plate and was getting some ok results.

    Recently i picked up some 2.5mm RHS which iv attempted to weld as a T joint with 2.5mm satincraft rods but iv not had much luck.

    Iv been finding at lower amps i cant strike an arc at all and if i get amps up enough to strike an arc it is blowing holes really quicky.

    any suggestions? is a 2.5mm rod too thick for 2.5mm RHS?

    thanks
    Luke

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ballina, NSW
    Posts
    900

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mac_man_luke View Post
    Iv been finding at lower amps i cant strike an arc at all and if i get amps up enough to strike an arc it is blowing holes really quicky.
    Luke,

    No arc at all? Can you even get the rod to stick at the low amps? If not then maybe your welder's not even supplying the current at the lower settings? Or is it that you're trying to weld into the corner and you can't get the contact to make an arc? Can you get an arc at low amps when not doing a corner? Send a photo or sketch of what you're doing.

    Anyway, assuming the welder's working. there's a few things to try: 1) make sure you have exposed metal at your welding rod tip, the lower amps won't be able to start an arc easily through any slag/flux on the end of the rod so rub it on a file or something to make sure it's clean. 2) make sure your're work is cleaned down to bare metal, it's harder to start an arc over rust and paint etc. 3) A hot welding rod will start an arc easier. So you could try getting an arc going on a piece of scrap and once you get a bit of heat in the rod then quickly restart on your work piece.

    If none of this helps you might be stuck with the higher amps, in which case you've gotta move faster. Welding downhill (say at a 45 degree slope) and making sure you keep the arc at the front of the puddle as you move downwards will help).

    The 2.5 rod should be OK. Cheers - Mick

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default

    When trying to start at lower current i can get a little spark but it just goes out, never had it stick either.

    I will give it another go soon and try taking some photos of what im doing.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    It's probably worth mentioning what actual amps you are trying - if the rod isn't sticking, it must be on *very* low amps.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default

    According to the gauge, lowest i was trying was around 60amps

    I could get it going well at around 80 amps but that was blowing holes almost straight away.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
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    1,322

    Default

    From memory the range for 2.5mm rods is 55 to 90 amps or so? At 60 you should be at least sticking the rod - one factor could be dodgy or low supply voltage to the welder.

    If you can get the amps up to a point where you can strike and maintain an arc, it's then a matter of manipultaing the arc to stop heat building up in one spot - this can be achieved by weaving, but when doing so the key thing to watch is the weld puddle to make sure it stays together and spreads and touches both sides - if you move too fast or too far, you'll end up with inclusions and wormholes.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Vic
    Posts
    31

    Default try this

    Hi guys,

    my old Goodwell always gave me the same problem so after thinking a bit over a couple of Home Brews I went out and bought a packet of 16G rods, don't ask me what they are in Mills. Anyway, it allowed me to lower the amps to around 40 and I was then able to lay a nice bead on exhaust pipe butt joins with no blow outs. Watch for the D and at the right speed you should be able to curl the slag up nicely! It's a good idea to keep your rods warm, I'm lucky now because I use an old 415V pie warmer and you can just leave them on the top! Sweet!

    Practice a lot...Oddjob1

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mac_man_luke View Post

    any suggestions? is a 2.5mm rod too thick for 2.5mm RHS?

    thanks
    Luke
    It's a transformer function. Being cheap it fills the basic requirements of working as a welder which it does.
    When set on the low end the scale it hasn't got the low end grunt to start the arc and keep it stable.
    I did not think it was possible to make that particular brand welder cheaper and nastier ,but by golly in the last several years it has begun to happen.

    Probably not a lot you can do other than start at the high end and work your way down to the minimum operating point.

    It should run Ok with 2.5 mm diam rods on on 2.5mmm thick RHS but technique will come into it.

    Grahame

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default

    Just a thought, i just remembered that i was using it off an extension lead (real heavy duty but still...)

    Would it make a difference to low end? (seeing as it was still working pretty well at higher amps)

  10. #10
    buildspacetrain is offline 2 years from inception to completion
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    67
    Posts
    59

    Default

    Hi Mac,
    Welding thinner sections of steel can take a bit of practice. I would buy some 3.2 rods and some 5 or 6 mm angle or flat stock and try welding at 120 - 130 amps beads and fillets until you really feel comfortable with what welding is all about. Next try some 3mm tube with 2.5 rods at about 80 amps and see how that goes. You might be surprised how .5 of a mm in the thickness of the tube can make in trying to do a good weld. I find that 3mm tube is about the thinnest section I try welding with an arc welder. For thinner sections I use the mig.
    Hope this is of some help.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Luke,
    Use the machine out of the outlet and it will surprise you.

    As for 2.5 thickness being hard, I'll post some how to photos of welding 1.6 mm tomorrow ,which means I'll have to find the bloody camera tonite.

    Grahame

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default

    thanks

    Will give all suggestions a shot

    Might wait till my shed is up, then ill have a dedicated 15 amp circuit for welding.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ballina, NSW
    Posts
    900

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mac_man_luke View Post
    thanks

    Will give all suggestions a shot

    Might wait till my shed is up, then ill have a dedicated 15 amp circuit for welding.
    Cool, then we can talk about 15amp vs 10amp circuits

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default

    Does that debate still apply if your using a 10amp welder on a 15amp socket/circuit

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    1,322

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mac_man_luke View Post
    Does that debate still apply if your using a 10amp welder on a 15amp socket/circuit
    As I understand it, doing that will cause your house to explode.

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