Long welds..

[Puff]

The most welding I have done I before is about 3 or 4" worth at a time on an old motorcycle frame and the welder sat the last 10 years collecting dust. So now that I'm doing this cooker, I did a bit of experimentation to see how much distortion is actually happening.

I had spoken with Frank a few days ago and he advised not to do more than a few inches of baffle plate at a time for this reason.

Experiment: I took. 1 1/2" x 5 ft. 1/4" thick angle and added a 1x1/8" x5 ft to it along one side. It turns out that despite my stitches. The banana curve in this 5 ft length was about 1"....gee whiz. I thought that this was heavy and strong but the heat got it.

To AVOID this , what is the best way to seal weld long runs like 5 or 6 feet?

[Gizmo]

Puff I forgot - are you using a MIG?

[Puff]

No stick. 5/32 and 1/8 e7018 and 6013

Miller Thunderbolt 225 AC/DC 20% duty cycle which by the way seems like a long time. I have set up a bunch of pieces and just went down the line for 30 minutes or so at 125 amps without incident... Is that typical of 20% duty cycle? I have read that you can buy some good welders with 40 to 60% duty cycle but I see no problem is this is correct.

[Gizmo]

I wish I could help but my knowledge of stick welding fits in a thimble.

I was going to suggest stitch welding the BP solid so as not to get it too hot. Then turn the MIG down to where you would weld say 16 ga. and just run a seal bead down the joint to stop air flow. It worked for me in the past but I don't know how to "turn down" a stick welder……

[Puff]

Well Gizmo, thanks for the information. I had a mig welder here about 5 years ago that I never ever used. Never really welded anything any way so when a friend asked to use it for a few months...sure go ahead. That was 2007 or 2008. He has moved since then and while I could run down there ( about 2 hours) and pick it up, he could also bring it back. But it's one of those things that is important but not...until now

So I did whatever little welding with the stick. Since I sucked at it anyway, it made little difference UNTIL, my neighbor helped me build the log splitter. We used my stick and his Snap on monster mig welder on the 3/8 and 1/2" stuff.

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

The best way to do this is weld 3-4 inches and stop. Go to the opposite end and repeat. Then move to the center and weld again. Go back to the first weld and weld another 3-4 inches. Repeat this until you've completely welded the BP.

[Puff]

CRS. That is what I needed to know... I was amazed at this heavier steel shaping like a banana from-the heat. I'm guessing that it might take a few hours to do 9 feet of baffle plate? Just letting it cool in between?

[mazdaparts]

I haven't stick welded in years, but you could lower the amps a bit to help with the heat. When I was welding in my prime I stick welded some very thin tubing back together.

[Gizmo]

Puff I can appreciate you loaning out your old MIG unit to a friend but I'm sure that when you explain your affliction and show him a letter from your BBQ therapist he'll be glad to return it……

[Puff]

Ha ha ha. ....

So, if I understand this correctly, you CAN just run a long bead with a mig? Or at best longer stitches?

After the upcoming holidays, I may just go and order the Eastwood welder and plasma cutter combo. Seems like a decent price for the two as most 60 amp plasma cutters are running about 700 and that leaves 400 for the welder . I would love one of those Miller Matic but gotta draw a line some where.

My " shop " is loaded with guitar making wood tools including a 24" drum sander, table saw, band saw, lathe ( for pens) and that woodworkers bench that takes up a ton of space. 4 tool cases 6 foot tall fillEd with hand tools from rebuilding the motorcycles. My wife always told me I had too many hobbies, she is an avid quilter. I tried the argument about the 7 sewing machines and a room full of fabric but that doesn't work . There is a 77' ham tower off the side of the woods with a 32' beam antenna. She's gonna love this!

[Big T]

If you were using a MIG you could turn it up and put a few stitch welds on the ends and in the center to hold the BP in place. Then you could turn it down and run a bead to seal the BP, it wouldn't have much penetration but it would stop the hot air from coming through. MIG welders are great but they also have a few draw backs, a little wind and your shut down and they don't like rusty metal. I have used a mig to weld everything on my cooker but I have thought about breaking out the old cracker box and a few rods.

[Rodcrafter]

I know what you mean when you say the item bends due to heat from welding. But you also need to consider that the BP is not going to be laying on a table, it is becoming a rib cage for your tank. Stitch welding it in place will work fine, it becomes stronger as you go.

[Puff]

It would be nice to take a welding class somewhere this week. I get a lot of help from you guys but in a concentrated format I'll bet some good stuff comes across the floor in a class. On the other hand, I never planned to complete this entire project with the stick welder I have. My plan was to pick up my old MIG or buy one after getting started....I just feel that I have gotten better and better at controlling the weld and since I'd spent over $1000.00 for steel and other parts, I just figured I'd put off spending an additional chunk of money on another welder. By the way, I know I've said this was a FREE tank.
I have the two other old air compressor tanks near work, also free, and a mig and plasma cutter by late winter has got to be on the list. Some of the things I've learned in the last month has already caused me to make changes in the work I'd done on the smoker so today, I wrapped up a few re-do things and looking forward to getting the entire system ready to fire up. I also have seen the mig do some really nice fill- in work. Some of my cuts initially were not 100% square so a little extra gap is standard.
Additionally I see a big difference in rod selection. I have several here. The 6011 is very sloppy for me. 6013 is a favorite, it can arc instantly no matter how many times I start or stop a bead. The 7018 is nice and lays a pretty smooth bead but when I stop welding ...the start up takes a good strike of the rod. It seems to form an insulated glass bead at the tip of the rod. I had some 5/32 E7014. That stuff forms like toothpaste. It took me a while to get it to flow but seems to be a good filler rod.

If you guys have any suggestions for rods, I can sure use them. I have read those electrode charts but they don't provide the hands in information. Nice to know it has good or bad penetration but they sure lay a bead very differently...I have about 15lbs used so far ! Hard to believe .

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

I'm a 7018 fan myself. I have too have noticed it takes a little more effort to start again once the rod is burnt. I usually tap the end on the concrete floor before trying to weld again. This really helps.

[Grabber70Mach]

I'm a 7018 fan myself. I have too have noticed it takes a little more effort to start again once the rod is burnt. I usually tap the end on the concrete floor before trying to weld again. This really helps.

+1 I usually have a cinderblock within arms reach to scratch the end off before starting again.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[Pete Mazz]

Real men use their beards!

[Miketheforester]

The BS is getting a little deep in here Pete Isn't 7014 an electrode negative rod?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using Tapatalk 2

[Puff]

I had gotten a 5 lb sleeve of Hobart 6013 3/32 and a 5lb sleeve of Hobart 5/32 7014. Both had been sitting in the garage over 20 years out in the open, unsealed. While I assumed they would be mediocre at best they both worked great. Having stocked up on 10 lbs of 6011' 7018 and different diameter rods, when I used up my old stock, I began to notice the differences in their characteristics. It does appear that the 7014 can be used either way including AC . Nearly all reviews claim a good filler rod and I have to agree. Despite my amateur attempts, I have some text book perfect welds with the 6013 and 7014.

Running to the supply store before the weekend to restock the 7014.

[Frank_Cox]

as far as welding long beads on the baffle plate with a mig goes, as long as the welder is set properly for the material used you should be ok just don't run all the way down the long side of the plate. I use the stitch method and do a patern like putting on a wheel like clover ridge said. the main problem I have had in the past is not with the BP warping but the tank itself stretching so the door cuts are out of square. the short side of the BP is no problem to run in one pass really.
when running the long bead with the mig don't get in a hurry between starting and stopping. let the weld cool enough to almost touch before starting back in that spot. then do a good restart to prevent grease leaks

[jaybird302]

I usually just snap that flux coating off of the tips of my 7018s with my gloved hand. I let it cool long enough that it doesn't hurt anything. It might be hard on the gloves, but that's why I wear them...

[Puff]

It's amazing... I have had this welder for 19 years or so. Miller Thunderbolt 225 AC/DC. It was used very very few times when I first got it and I really sucked at it. I never really saw a need to keep it and until I got involved with this, I was going to give it away.
Abra cadabra ... I start welding a smoker. I have now used over 20 lbs of rods and like magic, I ve gotten really comfortable and good at using almost any of them... The 6011 just gives me the worse job for some reason. The 7018, I found that I just need to slam it into the work once and then start..works fine

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

Do you still want to give away the welder? ha ha ha

[Puff]

Good one... I'm on the hunt for a plasma cutter. Haha. Actually,I was going to give it away only like...June

[vizion]

Puff, I weld alot of stuff with my MIG welder. Here is what I do to stop the metal from warping. I run tack welds at one end and then the other. Then the middle and then tack about every two to three inches alternating ends to allow the last tack to cool while I tack somewhere else. Once I have it tacked together every two or so inches the you can go back and run long beads and the tacks will keep it from warping. It has been awhile since I stick welded anything but I know you can do the same thing with stick.. The key is getting good tacks to hold it in place

[Puff]

Good advice...unfortunately I need to use it on my next smoker. This ones almost finished. Problem now is weather. I used to love the cold. Now that oil prices suck, I have to turn the heat up. When we moved in back in 1978 it was about 42 cents a gallon and I was a hot blooded lover. Now , well , aw forget it...