Arc welding - sticking when striking

kkelly77

I'm using a Lidl arc welder to try and weld some 50x50 2.5mm box steel. It's been about 20 yrs since I last tried some arc welding. Everytime I strike to try and start the arc, the electrode keeps sticking. I've reviewed several videos on YouTube for some advice but I can't quite get it to work. I'm using a strike technique like striking a match. Once I do finally get the arc going, I can run a bead no problem. However, the weld piece is usually wrecked with strike marks.

Can anyone offer some tips for me?

Doom

Lidl....they're cheap muck.

kkelly77

Doom wrote: »

Lidl....they're cheap muck.

It's all I have to work with.

Anything else to offer?

Doom

Are you placing the earth clamp near enough to where your working...?
Are the sticks decent quality?

kkelly77

Doom wrote: »

Are you placing the earth clamp near enough to where your working...?
Are the sticks decent quality?

I was practicing on some off cuts before I attempt it on the actual project. Off cut was 2 sections of box steel, about 150mm in length each. I had the earth clamp attached to one of the off cuts I was welding.

The sticks are the ones that came with the welding unit so probably not.

Doom

Try turning up wattage or getting smaller sticks...right down the specs of the welder go in to supply shop and ask them to get you some decent sticks to suit

bbam

Check the flux on the welding rods.
When striking if there is too much of the metal showing it makes striking the arc harder. So if the flux is damaged its much harder to strike properly.

Are your rods dry. Even a little damp makes a difference. Rods are best kept in a hotpress when being stored. Try putting half dozen in the oven for 30 minutes to dry them and see is it any better.
Where your clamping on the earth try clamping in a piece of scrap metal along the clamp. You can run the rod along the scrap quickly to heat and clean up the rod tip, then move to your weld point and it should be better.

CJhaughey

What size rods are you using? I found the rods that came with the welder are shíte better to buy some decent rods, you can get small diameter rods that need less current than the bigger 2.5mm ones.
I have some in 1.6mm and 2.0mm which are very handy for thin material.
It sounds to me like you aren't using enough amperage, For 2.5mm rods I would have my cheap welder on 80-90amps try it with scrap and clean dry rods.
One more thing, is the welder plugged into a good socket, not miles away on a thin extension lead?

kkelly77

bbam wrote: »

Check the flux on the welding rods.
When striking if there is too much of the metal showing it makes striking the arc harder. So if the flux is damaged its much harder to strike properly.

Are your rods dry. Even a little damp makes a difference. Rods are best kept in a hotpress when being stored. Try putting half dozen in the oven for 30 minutes to dry them and see is it any better.
Where your clamping on the earth try clamping in a piece of scrap metal along the clamp. You can run the rod along the scrap quickly to heat and clean up the rod tip, then move to your weld point and it should be better.

Rods are dry. They've been stored indoors. Good idea with clamping the scrap metal on to strike the arc on. Will definitely do that.

CJhaughey wrote: »

What size rods are you using? I found the rods that came with the welder are shíte better to buy some decent rods, you can get small diameter rods that need less current than the bigger 2.5mm ones.
I have some in 1.6mm and 2.0mm which are very handy for thin material.
It sounds to me like you aren't using enough amperage, For 2.5mm rods I would have my cheap welder on 80-90amps try it with scrap and clean dry rods.
One more thing, is the welder plugged into a good socket, not miles away on a thin extension lead?

I'm not 100% sure what size they are but 2 - 2.5mm sounds right. AFAIK the welder was up to max amps. The welder was plugged into a decent socket with no extension lead.

ART6

Trying to strike an arc like striking a match isn't going to work, and is one of the more common causes of sticking. There's no easy way. You just have to practise a quick dab of the electrode tip where you want the weld to start, and pulling back as the arc strikes. It takes time to learn the trick. And using 2.5 mm rods on 2.5 mm steel at 80 amps is likely to simply burn through. You need smaller rods and lower current for that.

kkelly77

ART6 wrote: »

Trying to strike an arc like striking a match isn't going to work, and is one of the more common causes of sticking. There's no easy way. You just have to practise a quick dab of the electrode tip where you want the weld to start, and pulling back as the arc strikes. It takes time to learn the trick. And using 2.5 mm rods on 2.5 mm steel at 80 amps is likely to simply burn through. You need smaller rods and lower current for that.

Picked up some 1.5mm rods and are working much better on practice runs.

The match striking technique I found was on a few YouTube videos. It definitely isn't 100% and I just need to learn how to get the "feel" for starting the arc first time every time.

ART6

kkelly77 wrote: »

Picked up some 1.5mm rods and are working much better on practice runs.

The match striking technique I found was on a few YouTube videos. It definitely isn't 100% and I just need to learn how to get the "feel" for starting the arc first time every time.

A lot of YouTube videos are nonsense frankly. There are four fundamental techniques for stick welding: 1. Use the right rods of the right thickness for the work. 2. Set the right amps for the rods. 3. Practice, practice, practice until you can strike an ark at first touch where you want to start the weld. 4. Learn to weld by holding the arc at exactly the right position to the work and moving at the right speed so that you end up with a perfectly rippled weld surface where, if you have it right, the slag will peel off in a ribbon without any need for chipping. A good stick welder doesn't need a chipping hammer or a wire brush, and certainly not an angle grinder! If you do enough of it, it will become instinctive and you won't need to think about what you're doing.

If you are a newcomer to welding you might look up photosensitive welding masks, which allow you a clear view of the workpiece but which darken instantly when the arc is struck. They have come down rapidly in price from hundreds of euros to a few tens. They make the initial strike much easier as you can see the workpiece until the arc initiates.

Go for it. Even with an average DIY set it is perfectly possible to become a good welder if you put in the effort and a bit of practice. You might never become a coded welder, but you can certainly become proficient.

kkelly77

ART6 wrote: »

A lot of YouTube videos are nonsense frankly. There are four fundamental techniques for stick welding: 1. Use the right rods of the right thickness for the work. 2. Set the right amps for the rods. 3. Practice, practice, practice until you can strike an ark at first touch where you want to start the weld. 4. Learn to weld by holding the arc at exactly the right position to the work and moving at the right speed so that you end up with a perfectly rippled weld surface where, if you have it right, the slag will peel off in a ribbon without any need for chipping. A good stick welder doesn't need a chipping hammer or a wire brush, and certainly not an angle grinder! If you do enough of it, it will become instinctive and you won't need to think about what you're doing.

If you are a newcomer to welding you might look up photosensitive welding masks, which allow you a clear view of the workpiece but which darken instantly when the arc is struck. They have come down rapidly in price from hundreds of euros to a few tens. They make the initial strike much easier as you can see the workpiece until the arc initiates.

Go for it. Even with an average DIY set it is perfectly possible to become a good welder if you put in the effort and a bit of practice. You might never become a coded welder, but you can certainly become proficient.

Picked up a photosensitive helmet (79.95 ex VAT)

What a difference having it makes. Both hands free to work and no worries with vision whether welding or not. The response time from the screen is incredible. Also, the helmet can be used while TIG welding too.

ART6

kkelly77 wrote: »

Picked up a photosensitive helmet (79.95 ex VAT)

What a difference having it makes. Both hands free to work and no worries with vision whether welding or not. The response time from the screen is incredible. Also, the helmet can be used while TIG welding too./QUOTE]

Good man yerself! Now practise, and it will only be a matter of time before you are posting welding advice on Boards! Next step MIG, TIG, and gas welding. You can do it. They are all just a skill learned like everything else.

tommer

Hi i have a auto darking helmet but latley it flashes when not welding and not darkening when you strike rod. Can you replace glass or new helmet ?? Any help would be great

CJhaughey

tommer wrote: »

Hi i have a auto darking helmet but latley it flashes when not welding and not darkening when you strike rod. Can you replace glass or new helmet ?? Any help would be great

I had the same thing, better to just buy a new helmet. They are cheap now compared to what the used to cost.