Dropping from a #8 to a #5 helps with outside corners. The bend actually splits the argon shield and heats up the puddle (akin to long arcing). If you can, drop to a #5 and try a few runs. The tighter corner may help you more than you’d think. It really does help dial in the heat zone and keep the w...

Sticky filler is too cold parent metal (usually). For 11 ga corners, I like #5, 12-15cfh, and I run it on 130 amps with a pedal to ease off. Outside corners really depend heavily on direction. Are you up, down, flat, horiz? If you’re comfy, I like downhill so gravity drags the puddle into the heat s...

Straight Stick machines do cost less. But using a Stick/TIG hack is unreliable. That’s all. Long arcing to start is because you’re using the TIG box, again, it’s a workaround for your equipment. Long arcing intentionally with a Stick is used in some circumstances, but it’s a technique not a good “pr...

Stick is not easy. The margin of too long an arc and snuffing the arc because you’re buried is very small. And let’s remember, your machine is NOT specifically designed for Stick welding, you’re hacking it. So expect challenges. A typical cause of blowing through is too long an arc. With 7018 rods, ...

Don't do vertical up. From your description, turn the table upside down (top of table on ground) with legs sticking into the air. Then weld the table in a "flat" position. The thinner material being above will easier for you to run the rod along the thick with 80+ amps and the weld pool wi...

I tried welding thin to thick today. It's HARD. Now you’re learning! Understanding how hard it is to get right is a critical part of the learning process. Hard as in there's a very fine line between getting it to weld, and blowing big holes into it. Unlike TIG you can't really see where the metal's...

When you weld two different thicknesses, you move the arc or rod to the thicker piece and linger longer, then sweep to the thinner side and spend less time on thin. You still burn stick rods at the rod diameter, regardless of the thickness of the material. But… you also do your best to use the corre...

I refer to 7018 as it’s a standard rod in the US. Probably 7016 in Asia, maybe Tweake knows better.

Watch the damn videos to understand what you’re looking for. And yes, it takes at least 50# in any position to become good. 100# in each position if you use both hands (not common for a hobby welder).

As I said, watch WTT videos on stick. Get thicker material. Practice, practice, practice. Whenever I have had a new apprentice show up, the very first task they are required to do is to burn 50# of 1/8” 7018 rods in flat with their dominant hand. Then, 50# with their non-dominant hand. All they are ...

Can you elaborate the voltage issue? I thought voltage is variable, the machine adjusts voltage to maintain current, and longer arc means higher voltage. There’s a great deal more to electricity than voltage and amps. Especially where welding is considered. You didn't tell me if my practice welds a...

Yet again, you are wrong. The reason you’re struggling is because you have no formal training, little practice, and you’re attempting the most advanced techniques with cheap equipment and unknown rods. You constantly cite the expense as a reason to pursue your choices, but you can either pony up and...

If you are hitting the joint directly, even with a good fit, lower your amps to 45. Be prepared to move away quickly. You can also use a dab of filler resting on the joint, and hit that with your arc. This can provide just enough extra material to avoid blowing through. One thing that is critical: y...

You need to learn to read the label and understand the variables in welding. Not all stick rods work on steel, and not all steel stick rods are the same. Each rod is specifically designed for the position, polarity, and material they are used on. And, not all machines will run all rods. Some rods ca...

A filler-less tack (autogenous weld) requires perfect fit-up. If you have gaps at the seam, you’ll need a dab of filler. Even though the tubing might be mild steel, I find it best to purge while welding. The purge gas pressure from behind helps push the tack/weld up and keeps the tubing cooler. I’d ...

Hi Again, I'm not sure if it's good practice; but, I have just started tacking panels together while they are flat and then bending them to 90 degrees before tacking them closed. It seems to work pretty well. I'm not sure that it would work with stainless, though. Jeff It’s been my experience that ...

This thread is 4 years old. I don’t expect the OP to respond. You should start a new thread, post a picture of your results, and list the settings you are using. Also, a picture of the front of the machine when ready to weld helps.

With stick rods, you set the amperage based upon the rod size, not the material. You choose a rod size for the material you are welding. When welding thin to thick, focus the rod on the thick and pause there until the weld wets in. Then wick over to the thin side and back to the thick, pause and hol...

I can't just jam the rod down, doing so will stop the arc completely like sticking a tungsten. Solid indication of too low amps and/or a cheap welder. Many cheap inverters won’t run certain types of stick rods, even though they are for DCEP. Simply assuming because it’s a “carbon steel” rod you can...

Clean plasma cuts are easily obtained. Often, the issue is too low of air pressure. Better to be high on that end and low on the amps.

For cutting stainless square holes, I like to drill the corners as “stops”. It prevents any over-runs with shears or torches.

Plasma. Use some ally chill blocks around the cut if possible, and keep your post flow turned up. I just did 18ga stainless with a plasma and did not have a bit of distortion.

Back to the question about fit up- For thin stainless, I use aluminum angle bars. I clamp the stainless sheets to those either as inside or outside corners. I prefer the aluminum as it does not contaminate the stainless, won’t accidentally weld to the stainless, and provides a minor heat sink to boo...

The “collets” on the left side are for a proprietary type of torch. Those in the middle are more traditional collets that can fit in standard 17/26 type torches. There are many older types of welding machines that used unique torch types. And modern parts might not be interchangeable with them. Don’...

They can accept any amount of amps you wish to throw at them. The benefit of using a thinner tungsten is that at lower amps, they can be more managebale. I’ve welded at 18 amps with a 1/8” before quite successfully. I had run out of the correct type in a smaller size and found only a 1/8” in my draw...

I’m so glad you came along to teach me all the things that everyone with decades of experience knows is now incorrect. I’ve welded using that ratio much thinner than 1mm and much thicker) which is where the ratio breaks down. But you know more than I after your few weeks of welding. Wish you best of...

Your amps are way too high for 1mm. Reduce to 45 amps. 1mm is 0.039 thick. Rule for steel is 1a:1k of material thickness. You can reduce that ratio for stainless by 10-20%