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Grahame Collins
26th Nov 2007, 09:27 PM
Hi everyone,
For those so interested the following site

http://www.bobthewelder.com.au/home.php?cat=10&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=1

Carries all manner of interesting stick consumables.

.What caught my eye was the DC aluminium stick welding electrodes ( before you lot with out a tig or mig go racing for the credit card-you must have a DC stick welder for these rods OK!)

Some 1.6mm and 2. mm electrodes-they are from KOBE. A well known Jap brand. Also some other rods, stainless steel electrodes at extremely good prices.
I have no connection with this site, I just stumbled in on it.

Grahame

welder.man
29th Nov 2007, 06:48 PM
Thanks Grahame, Great website,seems like they sell a good selection.

Metal Head
29th Nov 2007, 10:01 PM
you must have a DC stick welder for these rods OK!)
Grahame

Hi Grahame,

Please forgive me for my ignorance but when you say "you need a DC stick welder" does that mean one that doesn't run on electricity?

Cheers
MH

Wood Butcher
29th Nov 2007, 10:10 PM
You can get Stick welders that have different polarity ie AC, DC +ve or DC -ve.

This is a little snippet from some notes I found


With an Alternating Current circuit, the electrode will change polarity itself many times per second. (possibly 50, hence 50Hz but dont quote me on that!!)
With a Direct Current circuit the current is flowing one way only, depending on e+ or e- makes it easier or harder for the current to flow off the rod, resulting in it melting quicker and laying more weld, but less penetration.

When your welding set is electrode+ (dc reversed) you get more penetration.
If you go e- (dc straight), the penetration will be less, but you will lay more weld.

Grahame Collins
29th Nov 2007, 10:30 PM
Hi Metalhead,

DC refers to to the current flow of your welding machine.
Most mains powered welding machines are AC or alternating current, meaning that 50 times a second the current cycles from negative to postive and back again.

An alternator in a modern car generates AC power which must be passed through the diode pack to convert it to DC direct current which can be used by the car's electrical systems.

A DC welding machine( the older types -not inverters) has a set of diodes wired in between the transformer and the output terminals.


DC type welders can be identified easily as they will have a Positive (+) and Negative (-) marks at the terminals.

Stick TIG machines are nearly always DC (there are some exceptions with AC machines that tig aluminium only and some others that are switchable between AC and DC )

Also your big engine driven welders are DC with some carrying extravwindings as an alternator to run power tools. The hand piece cable and the earth cable on a DC machine can be swapped about to change polarity on the stick electrode. Stainless steel and low hydrogen electrodes are those that work well on electrode positive polarity.

Some electrodes will only run effectively on DC welders.
Does this explain it well enough for you?

Cheers
Grahame

Metal Head
30th Nov 2007, 09:21 PM
Thanks Woodbutcher & Grahame for your replies.

Grahame without me having to go out into my garage. I have a AC/DC CIG TIG/ARC welder with VRD on it. Is it likely that this could weld on dc?

Cheers
Metal Head

NewLou
30th Nov 2007, 09:34 PM
Thx for the heads up Grahame Looks worth a look ..............

Regards Lou :2tsup:

Wood Butcher
30th Nov 2007, 09:36 PM
MH,

I'm pretty sure that your welder can weld DC or AC. If you can get a picture of the dials on the front we might be able to work out which is what.

Grahame Collins
30th Nov 2007, 09:39 PM
Metalhead,

There is no doubt of it at all.
You have a machine capable of AC and DC.
AC for Tig welding aluminium and DC for Stick welding of the same.
VRD is a pretty recent innovation so I would guess its probably an inverter welder.

If thats the case you will be switching AC to DC via some electronic button punching, me thinks.

A word of caution though.If you are thinking of the aluminium rods ,please know that the quality is not going to be better that Tig or even Mig.They may be Ok if all you had was a DC stick machine.Having said that I will probably try some myself, out of pure curiosity.

PS edited afterthought,
The arc of a DC electrode positive will be cooler on the parent metal side ,but the stick will over heat if you use normal amps.The amps setting is best reduced about 10%. I am not wanting people to be having a nasty surprise.

cheers

Grahame

Grahame Collins
28th Dec 2007, 09:35 PM
Hi all
Just a bit of a follow up on the Aluminium rods.
I have been advised they are potential hazardous.

While i can't find any hard evidence to indicate they are banned locally, reading about them on the American AWS site indicates that the fumes are not good for you if you get a hooter full.
Respirators are called , etc! etc!

Please employ safe working procedures if you are welding with them-Electric fan behind you at least.

Grahame

phelum
5th Apr 2008, 07:28 PM
For those so interested the following site

http://www.bobthewelder.com.au/home.php

Carries all manner of interesting stick consumables.

This has been a very useful post for me. I've bought a range of rods from this site. In particular, I bought some Gemini type 12 rods which are the best rods I've used.

Today I practised using some of the other rods I have but nothing impressed me. I don't know who makes the Gemini rods or where they come from but they seem fine to me.

Grahame, thanks for this tip; it has worked out very well.

Grahame Collins
5th Apr 2008, 08:19 PM
Hi Steven,

I found Bobthewelder good because he replies quickly to your emails.
Also the range of electrodes he carries is good quality and can be used by professionals and amateurs alike.

The Gemini are a brand made by KOBI a brand many from the industry know well as top quality.
The Gemini is one of the very few electrodes available in the small 1.6 and 2mm core diameters for those masochists that insist on welding thin wall material. .Lol.-no flames its a joke ok!

I am on recess break.Time to relax? NO!
Just to trade one boss for another
SWMBO

Grahame

Grahame Collins
6th Apr 2008, 04:02 PM
The Gemini are a brand made by KOBI a brand many from the industry know well as top quality.

By now every tradie out there familiar with the brand must know I am losing it.
Its a bleedin KOBE for goodness sake.Apart from a few rare Fox Sum electrodes,KOBE's are probably the best quality electrodes I have had the pleasure of using.I have probably burnt a carton of LB52 U's in training for myself alone.

Can we see how you going with these new fangle electrodes


Grahame

Fossil
6th Apr 2008, 04:55 PM
By now every tradie out there familiar with the brand must know I am losing it.

Don't worry too much about it Graham.

We love you so much, we all got together and decided not to mention it to you. :p

Anyway.... It's medication time... :D

phelum
6th Apr 2008, 05:23 PM
I've just done some searching about these Gemini rods and it looks like they come from Thailand. There should be a site at http://gemini.co.th but it seems that the site has been hacked. There are pages starting at http://www.gemini.co.th/en-product-weld-elec-main.html that list the rods.

I bought some 1.6mm rods with my recent order and after Grahame's comment yesterday (red rag to a bull) thought I'd better try them so the remnants of my 16g tube were put to good use today for practice. The rods are tiny so I used my new lightweight holder. They liked about 50 amps which was more than I expected. The arc was short and fragile so it needs a very steady hand (and holding the rod in my case). The welds are tiny and smaller than I could do with a 2mm rod.

The first image below shows welds on the 16g tube using the 1.6mm rods (type 12); a larger image is at http://phelum.net/temp/P1020726-1280.JPG. The second image shows welds on 35x35x3 tube using the 2mm rods; a larger image is at http://phelum.net/temp/P1020727-1280.JPG. I am trying to get my fillet welds better here. It seems to need more current than a butt weld. On the 3mm tube I used 60 amps for the butts but needed at least 70 amps for the fillets.

Grahame Collins
6th Apr 2008, 06:47 PM
Steve
Thats fantastic You have really got into the swing of things there. Well done mate! you picked it up really well.

Its down to good old fashioned practice,good electrodes and a half decent welding machine.

Better than those blue things aye?
Grahame

phelum
7th Apr 2008, 06:37 PM
You have really got into the swing of things there. Well done mate!
Thanks for the kind remarks. Things recently have gone much better than my Good Friday disaster when nothing went right all day.

The rods are good, and I find the 1.6mm much better than 2mm for the thin metal. The arc is tiny and precise and well suited for this baby work.

What has also helped immensely is that I'm now wearing my +2.0 reading glasses when welding. I need these when machining and it looks like it's the same for welding. I tried today without them and just couldn't see properly.

Grahame Collins
7th Apr 2008, 07:44 PM
Steve,
I always am uplifted when I hear that guys who have been difficulty, report in and lets us know how they improved their lot. Hopefully the light globe goes on inside the heads of blokes reading this who are having difficulty right now and are not sure what the next step is. Bingo! it could be my vision, and it goes from there.

Do you know you can buy what they call a diopter lens for for welding helmet? It is the same L x W dimension as a filter lens or clear lens It fits in behind the filter lens .

These douvres are focused to about the average focal length for a welder. Even better they come in different strengths as do the reading glasses.

Using bifocals glasses will drive you nanas trying to align the little space at the bottom of the glasses lens with the window lens in your helmet.

Diopters! available at a good welding supply shop near you.

Grahame

prozac
10th Apr 2008, 03:17 PM
Hi Grahame,

Please forgive me for my ignorance but when you say "you need a DC stick welder" does that mean one that doesn't run on electricity?

Cheers
MH

Stick welder...that would be glue MH.

prozac

blouis79
22nd Apr 2008, 08:47 PM
BobTheWelder also has keen prices on Fronius welders.

Magic wave 1700 job G/W/F Tig AC/Dc Inverter RRP $6259.00 incl GST... BTW $4894.25 incl GST

Wondering if Grahame has the base model or "job" which remembers settings as "jobs" and also has TIG pulse mode. Comments???

Grahame Collins
22nd Apr 2008, 09:38 PM
Hi,
Grahame has the model, which the parameters for the jobbies, are remembered by the machine.

It can be fitted to a robotic welder unit and has the capacity for all the other goodies,like water cooled torch ,cooler unit and a pedal to be attached.

Just add more money!

Yikes ! Grahame is really glad he purchased the Fronios when he did.

phelum
23rd Apr 2008, 07:34 PM
Do you know you can buy what they call a diopter lens for for welding helmet? It is the same L x W dimension as a filter lens or clear lens It fits in behind the filter lens.
Thanks for this tip. I ordered a +2.0 lens from my favourite online supplier. It is the right size for my helmet but wouldn't fit initially because the helmet clips only allow for a thin inside lens. So I removed the clips and stuck the new lens in with a bit of contact glue. Now it works well and I get a much better view.

In contrast, today I was at a site and had to weld some RHS so I borrowed an auto helmet and gloves. I could hardly see at all because the lenses were dirty and scratched. Now I can appreciate the value of clear lenses. Next week I'll take my own helmet and see if I can do a better job than today (luckily I get a second chance).

xensamcoisne
18th Nov 2009, 12:13 PM
Hi everyone,
I think I've found the perfect adress to buy cheap welding products.
http://www.lhclearancecentre.com.au/Welding-products-s/79.htm (http://www.lhclearancecentre.com.au/Welding-products-s/79.htm)
Sounds very cheap for me. What do you think about it ? Seems to be product
overstocked. There is a very large range of products. I've buy some and haven't
been disapointed.
Have a good day.:)

Max

Grahame Collins
18th Nov 2009, 05:41 PM
Am I cynical in asking did the above new member join (1st post) up just to tell us of a good deal in electrodes?

I must of missed his statement of no affiliation with the vendor.

Any if the above is untrue, welcome to the mob,join in, stay a while, don't be a one post wonder. No offense meant if you not here to flog stuff for some one and nick off never to be heard from again.

Cheers
Grahame

.RC.
19th Nov 2009, 08:15 AM
LOL $27 for 5kg hard facing rods..... Must be good quality... I paid ~$120 for a 5kg pack a couple of years ago for CIG CR70's...I must have got ripped off..

19brendan81
19th Nov 2009, 09:03 AM
What are hard facing rods?

.RC.
19th Nov 2009, 09:24 AM
Hardfacing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardfacing)

matthew_g
29th Dec 2009, 03:19 AM
Bob the welder also has a shop on EBAY.
his prices are good there to.
and some things you can bid on and get alittle cheaper.
Matt

Mathuranatha
30th Dec 2009, 07:12 AM
Hi everyone,
For those so interested the following site

Welding Rods :: Bob the Welder (http://www.bobthewelder.com.au/home.php?cat=10&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=1)

Carries all manner of interesting stick consumables.

.What caught my eye was the DC aluminium stick welding electrodes ( before you lot with out a tig or mig go racing for the credit card-you must have a DC stick welder for these rods OK!)

Some 1.6mm and 2. mm electrodes-they are from KOBE. A well known Jap brand. Also some other rods, stainless steel electrodes at extremely good prices.
I have no connection with this site, I just stumbled in on it.

Grahame

So 2 years down the track [from the quoted post] I,m just wondering what the latest is in terms of welding aluminum with a DC stick welder ? Is it easy ? Does it work well ?


I've wanted to weld aluminum for years but the cost of tig/mig etc has slowed me down . I,ve also wanted a DC inverter welder to run thicker and thinner rods than my old conventional stick welder will do .But if they can also weld ally then that will probably tip the ballance and I,ll lash out and get an inverter welder .

thanks all --- mat

Grahame Collins
30th Dec 2009, 07:35 AM
G day Matt
Just to clear things up a bit,I have'nt tried Bob the Welder's DC stick rods as I already own an AC/DC Tig unit.

The AC Tig mode of course being primarily used for aluminium. Inverters with AC/DC capability are much dearer than their DC cousins,so DC inverters are what folks buy.

That is precisely why I put up that particular post. My intention was to assist any one who wanted to try welding some ally but could not do so because of the high cost of the AC inverter + gas + regs etc.etc

My guess is that there has not been any one from this forum thats purchased them ,so - no posts .

Grahame