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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
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    1,656

    Default Stick welding and stubs

    The other day I was looking on as an acquaintance was doing some stick welding, every time he finished a run he changed the electrode weather it be only half used or or not.
    this person has been employed as a welder for at least 20 years that I know of, is there some reason to do this or is it just a strange quirk he has.
    When I weld at home I use the electrode until is virtually gone.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
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    64
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    4,887

    Default

    Would they of been able to get the desired run length from the partially used rod ?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
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    586

    Default

    Main factor is - who is the guy buying the rods?
    Although some rods do re-strike better than others. Some 7016's can be quite cantankerous with a hard glassy flux cap over the tip. I'll usually scratch it on a file to remove it without too much flux damage.

    Or for a plot twist- Maybe in 20 years he hasn't mastered the ability to restart a weld and tie it in.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
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    6,446

    Default

    I agree with Commander Keen above but I think there is something else to add.

    On the shop floor as a young tradesman, I saw welders who wasted like electrodes that. I think that they were not positioning their arms/hands adequately to accommodate the changing length of the electrode.

    Taking a straight fillet bead as an example ,a good welder should be able to keep the offset and drag angle from start to finish during the progression of the weld.

    I surmise they were not locking their wrist which buggers up the angles as they swivel through the limited arc of wrist movement.

    As the electrode becomes shorter it become more difficult for them to maintain the angle and as a result they stop prematurely and change electrodes.

    As an young apprentice in the late sixties the instruction from the foreman was to drop the stubs in a can and he counted them. Woe betide me if any were too long.

    The practice is wasteful in terms of electrode cost and time lost through unneeded electrode change, chipping flux and electrode restart. On a big job the waste is considerable.

    Grahame

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    South of Adelaide
    Posts
    1,225

    Default

    If you work to welding procedures you cannot restart a rod once you have stopped*, he is probably just in the habit of getting a new rod each start.

    *cant for the life of me remember why, but think it has to do with the coating of the tip of a new rod reducing impurity's.

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

    Default

    The black oxide is applied typically to the end of Low Hyd. electrodes. It is to there start what are sometimes, difficult to cold start LH electrodes.

    The problem there is that the new LH rod leaves a bunch of porosity holes at the start of the bead. The correct way to start the rod is move downstream by a couple of stick diameters and strike the arc then snap back to the last bead crater area and match the ripple pattern. Correctly performed it is not easy for the untrained eye to pick the match up point.

    With a little practice it quite achievable. The (then downstream) porosities are then overcome by action of the now up to running temperature arc and particularly the excellent fluxing of that electrode type.

    The fluxing works so well one can often hear the arc "pop" and feel the spit out of an impurity out of the arc pool accompanied by some red hot slag and spatter.

    Heavy use of the LH electrode is a darn good reason to invest in a leather coat or at least some leather sleeves and apron.

    If using a low hydrogen electrode at home a striking plate helps. You can position it close to the restart, get the electrode arced and quickly while the electrode is still red hot nip over to the restart area and it will start for you,usually.

    Grahame

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
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    1,656

    Default

    Thanks for the replies, seems as though there may have been some justification depending on his experience

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Wisconsin, US
    Age
    40
    Posts
    13

    Talking

    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    Main factor is - who is the guy buying the rods?
    Although some rods do re-strike better than others. Some 7016's can be quite cantankerous with a hard glassy flux cap over the tip. I'll usually scratch it on a file to remove it without too much flux damage.

    Or for a plot twist- Maybe in 20 years he hasn't mastered the ability to restart a weld and tie it in.
    Just be careful not to have the ground clamp attached to the file

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    The old inappropriate preposition strikes again.
    With a file.

    Or I could just use a wood file.

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