# Welding Rods



## Mark A (22 Aug 2017)

Hi chaps,

I'm after advice regarding welding rods for a Lidl inverter welder. 

For the foreseeable future I'll only be using it to practice welding mild steel, so which rods do you recommend? 

BTW It's only 80A.

Cheers,
Mark


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## chaoticbob (22 Aug 2017)

6013 rutile is an OK starting point - worked for me anyway. Looking at my boxes, 55A is recommended for 2.0 mm, 80A for 2.5mm, but in practice I've found I can use lower currents - but this is with a different (180A Parweld) inverter. Maybe best to start with 2.0mm and see how it goes?
Rob.


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## pcb1962 (22 Aug 2017)

Agree, 6013. Here's a tip Mark, keep your rods somewhere indoors, warm and dry, don't leave them out in the garage, they don't work very well if they get damp


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## novocaine (23 Aug 2017)

chuck em in the oven for 20 minutes on a low heat.  

6013s aren't to adverse to humidity and temperature, so keeping them in a bag or box will be fine. 7018 on the other hand doesn't like it, so will want to be kept nice and toasty in an oven (not that I've ever needed to do this, they don't usually last long enough for that)

6013 from me too, easiest of all electrodes to use and control. buy from a welding place, not screwfix, unless you want to spend a fortune.


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## Mark A (23 Aug 2017)

Hi chaps,

I've ordered some 6013 electrodes, an auto darkening helmet and a pair of leather gloves from Welding Supplies Direct. I found a discount code for free next day delivery, so the gloves cost me nothing effectively 

When the stuff arrives I'll post a picture of my first attempt at welding so you can have a snigger.

Mark


Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## Roughcut (20 Sep 2017)

novocaine":2m6izo66 said:


> chuck em in the oven for 20 minutes on a low heat.
> 
> 6013s aren't to adverse to humidity and temperature, so keeping them in a bag or box will be fine. 7018 on the other hand doesn't like it, so will want to be kept nice and toasty in an oven (not that I've ever needed to do this, they don't usually last long enough for that)
> 
> 6013 from me too, easiest of all electrodes to use and control. buy from a welding place, not screwfix, unless you want to spend a fortune.



Reminds me of an Engineering firm I worked for when I left school. 
They had a dedicated welding rod oven for warming up welding rods prior to use.
Some of the fellas would also use it to warm up their sausage rolls.


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## Phil Pascoe (20 Sep 2017)

I worked on Camborne Redruth bypass when it was built in the early '70s - we were fortunate in the welders hut (about 15' x 8', open on the long side), we had the only stove on the site for this reason. We were the only people with dry clothes.


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## novocaine (20 Sep 2017)

right, you've had a month (nearly), so we now kindly request, na demand, pictures, lots and lots of PICTURES.


my old man worked on a few bridges local to here, used to say the same thing, keep your rods warm and you shoes dry. as this was coded work you did as you were told and followed the markups. if you're welding for yourself you don't need to be quite so fastidious though, unless you are doing it for building, if it's just a gate or the like then just crack on, a bit of slag or a few pores aren't going to make the weld fail in that circumstance.


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## Mark A (20 Sep 2017)

My first weld. Easy peasy!


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## Mark A (20 Sep 2017)

Wait, that was my second.

First weld was this:






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## AES (23 Sep 2017)

If that really WAS only your 2nd weld (or even, I venture, your 22nd) then VERY well done Sir.

=D> 

AES

BTW, was that the Lidl Inverter that you used? How did you get on with it? Useful tool? Does it run off a 13 amp supply?

AES


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## Mark A (23 Sep 2017)

AES - I can only wish to weld like that! 

Yes, it's a Lidl Inverter welder. My uncle (experienced fabricator) had a go when he was visiting recently and says it wasn't bad at all. A bit under powered, but for £50 I can live with that. Runs off a 25m 13a extension no problem.

When I find time my first job will be to make a pair of grates to secure my garage's windows. 

Mark


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## AES (23 Sep 2017)

Thanks Mark A. I must say I was more than a bit suspicious about "your" 2nd weld!!!!

(I used to work in aviation, where we used approved/certified welders for some repairs, and some of their (regular) test pieces didn't look as good as "yours")!

Thanks for the info on the Lidl machine too. I'm "thinking about it"! (Yet another slippery slope).  

AES

Edit for P.S. Pix REQUIRED when finished - NO cheating allowed!


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## porker (23 Sep 2017)

Just a heads up Aldi also have a 140A inverter MMA welder at the moment. Ordered one today, haven't stick welded in a while and that was with an old buzz box. 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-140-amp-inverter-welder/p/076597143942300


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## dzj (24 Sep 2017)

Filigree-like welds on your 2nd go?
Not bad.


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## Mark A (24 Sep 2017)

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## Phil Pascoe (24 Sep 2017)

porker":1vkhr6le said:


> Just a heads up Aldi also have a 140A inverter MMA welder at the moment. Ordered one today, haven't stick welded in a while and that was with an old buzz box.
> 
> https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-140-amp-inverter-welder/p/076597143942300



Sold out on line but in store today.


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## dickm (25 Sep 2017)

They had one left in Ellon today, so I had a look, but couldn't see any real advantage over my current (sic!) setup of 100A Oxford and 140A Mig. Apart, that is, from being able to lift it and move it around without wrecking my back. But decided not to buy it. 
Tell me - did I make the wrong decision? And if so, what are the killer advantages of inverter machines?


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## bourbon (25 Sep 2017)

I got the Aldi one about 6 years ago. Used it twice in all that time. BUT the two jobs I did, I couldn't have done without it


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## novocaine (26 Sep 2017)

dickm":3jb5k815 said:


> They had one left in Ellon today, so I had a look, but couldn't see any real advantage over my current (sic!) setup of 100A Oxford and 140A Mig. Apart, that is, from being able to lift it and move it around without wrecking my back. But decided not to buy it.
> Tell me - did I make the wrong decision? And if so, what are the killer advantages of inverter machines?



weight, duty cycle and ease of start. 

stick with the buzzbox, if it dies think about getting a decent inverter, till then it isn't worth it. 

oh, and you can scratch start tig with one too if you so desire.


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## DennisCA (26 Sep 2017)

I only use 7018s, I keep them in a dry warm place, not ideal but IMO still better than 6013.


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## pcb1962 (26 Sep 2017)

novocaine":2cvrnjly said:


> dickm":2cvrnjly said:
> 
> 
> > They had one left in Ellon today, so I had a look, but couldn't see any real advantage over my current (sic!) setup of 100A Oxford and 140A Mig. Apart, that is, from being able to lift it and move it around without wrecking my back. But decided not to buy it.
> ...


Also a more linear power adjustment curve, a more easily maintained arc and usually an 'anti-stick' feature to help you not stick the rod to the job.
just ordered the Aldi one as a backup in case my R-Tech decides not to work one day.


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## pcb1962 (26 Sep 2017)

phil.p":35jbe97f said:


> porker":35jbe97f said:
> 
> 
> > Just a heads up Aldi also have a 140A inverter MMA welder at the moment. Ordered one today, haven't stick welded in a while and that was with an old buzz box.
> ...


Available online at this moment.


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## dickm (26 Sep 2017)

novocaine":141s7odt said:


> weight, duty cycle and ease of start.
> 
> stick with the buzzbox, if it dies think about getting a decent inverter, till then it isn't worth it.
> 
> oh, and you can scratch start tig with one too if you so desire.


Thanks. Can see the weight and easy start advantages, but duty cycle? According to the box, the Aldi one will do 15% at full power. No idea what the Oxford will do, but I've never beaten it yet! And it will certainly outlast me, so no case for change! Must find something else to spend kids inheritance on.


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## DennisCA (27 Sep 2017)

I wouldn't give those cheapo things a second glance myself unless I was expecting to not weld more than a single 5kg packet for the rest of my life. 

I started out with an old single phase transformer form the 80s, still works and welds fine, lacks fancy functions though and single phase rectification is not as nice as 3 phase, my dad has it now. Then I got a 300a TIG and stick machine very cheaply, both machines were Kemppi which is quality stuff. This one is built like a tank.


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## Eric The Viking (27 Sep 2017)

I have never stick welded but I found the weld quality improved a lot when I put a 16A plug on my 120 A MIG set. I think it improved the ability of the machine to keep a stable arc, although apparently it comes into the "quite reasonable" category of machine (according to friends who have tried it). 

It came to me with an ordinary 13A plug, and those are notorious for poor connection. 16A plugs are a lot better, and have no fuse fitted as a bonus. If you can't do that (16A back to the consumer unit), use heavy gauge cables, to minimise voltage drop when you strike the arc.


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## NazNomad (27 Sep 2017)

I have one of these...







I probably use it once every couple of years to blast a 'farm quality' weld onto something. I wish I could do it properly though.


Note: 'farm quality' does no imply any resemblance of quality.


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## novocaine (27 Sep 2017)

dickm":17nph2mb said:


> novocaine":17nph2mb said:
> 
> 
> > weight, duty cycle and ease of start.
> ...



wow thats rubbish, no cooling in there then.


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## novocaine (27 Sep 2017)

DennisCA":1cenf800 said:


> I wouldn't give those cheapo things a second glance myself unless I was expecting to not weld more than a single 5kg packet for the rest of my life.
> 
> I started out with an old single phase transformer form the 80s, still works and welds fine, lacks fancy functions though and single phase rectification is not as nice as 3 phase, my dad has it now. Then I got a 300a TIG and stick machine very cheaply, both machines were Kemppi which is quality stuff. This one is built like a tank.



at 15% duty cycle it'll take you a lifetime to burn through 5kg.

my big MIG is a Kemppi, it was 4th hand when we got it, still going strong now, serious industrial grade machine, needs a bit more umph than a 13 amp though, it trips the breaker on a routine basis, I'll be running a new line out of the consumer box next year for it.


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## heimlaga (27 Sep 2017)

Dennis has a good point. 
I have notised that there are plenty of hobbyists who are led to believe that they are unable to learn to weld properly just becuause they don't have proper equipment. I have also notised that many of them go through so many cheap welders in a lifetime that they end up spending more money than if they had bough one decent welder. 

I think that Aldi is wasted money. 15% duty cykle using 3,2mm rods essentially means that 2,5 mm are the thickest rods it can use. Practically speaking it is a 110 ampere welder sold under false pretentions. That makes me wonder what else is false and how long it will last.
You can easily get a good secondhand welder for that money and after a few repairs it will likely last a lifetime in hobby use.

I bought a 1960-ies Unitor 180 ampere three phase DC rectifyer at an auction. I had to put new cables on it. I think I spent some 200 euros in total on purchase and refurbishment. Then it worked perfectly for roundabout 8 years. Then it broke down but after some repair costing just under 200 euros it runs again. I had to make my own spare parts but as it is old the parts aren't too complicated. 
I am pretty confident there is several decades of hobby use left in it and just in case it ever breaks down I recently paid 50 euros for another similar welder.

By the way OK 48 or P48 or 1718 or whatever different manufacturers call them are the proper rods for most welding jobs.
Lot's of amateurs buy sour or rutile rods because they are easier to start but using those rods there isn't much of a likelyhood to ever produce good welds. Again a case where inferrior materials lead people to believe that they cannot learn.


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## dickm (27 Sep 2017)

DennisCA":198jtmab said:


> This one is built like a tank.


Which, of course, is exactly what the Oxford is - a tank half-full of oil with some thick copper wire in it!


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