When I say arc welding, I mean old fashioned Stick. The 2 terms are used interchangeably by a lot of welders. Technically speaking, tig, mig, flux core, and stick are all arc welding processes.
But since a lot of welders just use the term “arc welding” to refer to stick, sometimes in this article, I will also call it arc welding?
In a job shop, its easy to totally forget about old school arc welding. Mig is usually much quicker and cleaner and lets face it….quicker and cleaner translates into more profit.
But for tight spots where a mig nozzle wont fit and where a tig cup will not fit, Stick welding is the only way to go.
Lets look at some reasons why we should not forget stick welding:
A stick welding electrode is long and skinny and can fit it spots where nothing else will reach.
Wind, mud, rain, oil, rust, do not affect Stick welding nearly as much as mig or tig
With stick welding, there is not swapping cylinders, spools of wire, etc.
Stick welding is dead simple and very tried and true.
Changing from carbon to stainless and back to carbon is a breeze.
In this weeks video, I set up a mock up situation where 2 plates need to be welded with less than an inch between.
For the outside welds, I used 6011 1/8″ rods using a plain old Lincoln tombstone AC buzz box welder and about 120 amps.
for the inside welds that were hard to reach, I used some 3/32″ 7018 AC rods made by lincoln and bought at Home Depot.
Did you know that regular 7018 rods dont burn that great on AC? but 7018 AC rods weld smooth as silk even on a buzz box.
BONUS…
Old school Arc welding made me think of this Video of Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs”
this is a brilliant speech about how Society has waged WAR on a four letter word called “WORK”
( And as always, feel free to visit us at our sister site, WeldingTipsAndTricks.com. )
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October 21, 2012 at 8:49 PM
I have been viewing your video’s to learn how to weld properly, GREAT VIDEO’S, and just saw your “Stick Welding is Better Sometimes” video to freshen up my limited knowlage on welding, Very informative too, after I finished watching it I then watched the video from Mike Rowe, I was impressed to say the least. I’ve done many jobs in my time, and enjoyed most of them, I’ve owned a small electronic repair company for about ten years, whitch I had to do by force, due to the lack off work available, the only good thing about that was that I was the only person doing the work. I’ve tried the academic side of work, “witch I did extremely well at”, but hated it. The only work I ever really enjoyed was and is physical labour, “Hands On stuff” you know what I mean “Down And Dirty”, there is a sence of satisfaction about it. I love electronics, the repairs side of it, but now-a-days because of a throw-a-way sociaty, it is cheaper to replace entire main parts or just buy a new item then to repair it,COST AFFICATENCY. Oh well such is modern life and progress.
Love your video’s and the Tig Fingers and your T-shirts and the “Down And Dirty” stickers, which adawnes the front of my welding helmet. Keep up the brilliant work, (video’s) as long as you can my friend.
Your Devoted Watcher
Steve K
November 12, 2011 at 3:08 PM
Being a mechanic now called Tech,for better part of 36 years,I’m still a mechanic.This is because every thing that is used today still applies to the principles that we used 40 plus years ago
November 8, 2011 at 8:52 PM
Jody,
That video was great from Mike Rowe he’s right. That’s why I’m proud to be in the trades. For awhile I thought I was cursed to be in the trades. Now seeing how much I can do that is second nature to me some people my age have no clue. It’s very rewarding to know that my grandfathers knowledge has been passed from him to my father then to me. I can plumb,wire,frame houses,weld: stick,mig,tig and I’m an avid woodworker in my spare time. I think it’s a tradgedy that the tradesman are a dieing breed.
Matthew
November 5, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Jody,
Thanks ALOT for including Mike rowe’s speach beacause he’s absolutely right. More importantly thanks so much for doing what you do. I weld tug boats for a living and still learn quite a bit from your site. I wish I had about a month to just live in your shop an pick your brain. Maybe have you show me what I do wrong and how to feed tig rod smoothly.
Marc