Which welding rod???

[rcmf5525]

I am going to mount the TnT D44 install kit on a new axle I am building. I will have to go old school with a stick welder. Some have said it is better for a deeper penetration (i know the jokes will come now), but regardless it is what I am going to be using. The question I have for yall is the shop i will be working in has an abundance of E6011 3/32" rods. Should I use those or purchase different ones? If so, which rods and why? Just trying to gain some edumacation. Im not much of a welder and will have a buddy of mine to guide me along. Thanks...

 

[Ironmen77]

6011 is a fast freeze rod good for filling gaps running root passes,etc. (when using an AC welder). It doesn't run like a 7018 or a 6013, but it's great for tacking things together. It is best suited for filling gaps then being ground down and welded over with 7018 or 6013 or another filler type rod. Hope that helps.

 

[Ironmen77]

Read this for some more info: http://www.steamengine.com.au/misc/welding/index.html

 

[jdogg4]

No gap too big or small my rod can fill them all.

I use pretty much 7018 on everything I do.

 

[xuv-this]

for welding on something round, i would prefer a 6013. 3/32 sounds a little small for me. if you want a different rod, you can buy them by the pound. they're not much. if you need to weld on a diff or knuckle(because they're cast iron), you will need nickel rods. at about $3 a rod, i would try to steer clear of that kind of welding.

 

[RªMB°]

I like E6010 5P+ rods. I use it to weld pipe fittings in the bottom of drench tanks and it strikes easy and is deep penetrating. I have had 0 problems with it and its my favorite rod to use. Pipewelders use it to do the root pass on most pipes because of its fast freeze and doesnt cause many failure problems. 5P+ rod has arc stablizers in it. The normal 5P is what most arc welders refer to as school boy rod due to the arc being inconsistant and lots of sticking to the material.
Just my 2¢

 

[Gerr]

I guess my choice would depend on how experienced you are. 7018 is my usuall rod of choice BUT 6010 6013 are also good choices. If your not real familiar with arc welding then the 6010 will net you a messyer but better penetrating weld. really it is your choice but 3/32nds rod is way small for this type of work, 1/8th is the size I generally suggest as it fills a little better

 

[rcmf5525]

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[rcmf5525]

It turned out the shop had 1/8" 6011 rods and they did fine. Now I have turned the knuckles to correct the castor and need to reweld. Since the knuckle is cast and the tube is not, which rod should I use?? The cast is very thick as everone knows, do I still need to pre heat? I would love to read some tech on this but as I said in the "knuckle rotation contemplation" thread there really isnt any that involves turning the knuckles on the tubes, just cutting the tubes off and welding them back on...

 

[stewie]

It turned out the shop had 1/8" 6011 rods and they did fine. Now I have turned the knuckles to correct the castor and need to reweld. Since the knuckle is cast and the tube is not, which rod should I use?? The cast is very thick as everone knows, do I still need to pre heat? I would love to read some tech on this but as I said in the "knuckle rotation contemplation" thread there really isnt any that involves turning the knuckles on the tubes, just cutting the tubes off and welding them back on...

cast iron is a biatch to weld to. however (correct me if im wrong) the knuckles and diff are both cast STEEL. yes, there is a difference. cast steel is slightly more tricky to weld to than plate. if your welding near the edge of the cast piece, it usally will drip more easily than plate will. there is no extra prep to be done to cast steel than to plate- just the usuals remove rust, remove paint and bevel if needed. i used my stick welder with 6010 5P+++++ root pass and 7018 fill and cap to weld on a buddys track bar bracket to a disconnect D30. the bracket was right on the uca tower on the 30 which is cast steel on the discos. the only area that i had problems was right on the edge of the tower where the flux had a hard time keeping in with the larger amount of molten steel. i checked and had no perocity or slag inclusions, just didnt look as pretty with a little bit of sagging and dripping.

watch the size of your weld pool and how it behaves. if you have any scrap cast steel laying arround (like old brake drums etc) run a few practice beads on that until your comfortable with it.

hth
stewie

 

[rcmf5525]

WOW! That is some of the best tech I have ever received from this fourm. Thank you!

 

[Georgia Mike]

Inner "C's" are actually forged steel. The outer knuckles and diff center section are cast iron, IIRC.

 

[corbinafly]

Inner "C's" are actually forged steel. The outer knuckles and diff center section are cast iron, IIRC.

x2.