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What is the arc force setting on new inverter welders?
What is Dig?
What is arc control on an older Miller syncrowave 250?
Guess what? These differently named control knobs are the same thing.
No matter what the name, it is a setting that allows you to adjust the arc to a soft smooth arc to a more aggressive digging arc.
What arc force setting does when set high is to bump up amperage when you have a really tight arc.
My usual advice to anyone having any trouble setting amperage for stick welding is to set the machine just hot enough so that it will not stick the rod when you hold a tight arc. Then… hold a tight arc./em>
So, it makes sense that I would be a fan of arc control/dig.
In other words, when you are just about to stick the rod (that’s why they call it stick welding… right???), the arc force bumps up the amperage just a bit so that you keep welding.
Most operator manuals recommend setting the arc force knob to around 30 or so for 7018 rods. But I like to turn things upside down sometimes.
Because I like a tight arc, I think setting the arc force sorta high lets me hold a tighter arc at a lower amperage and that helps prevent arc blow.
Arc blow is when a magnetic field starts messing with your bead.
A 7018 used at the high end of the amperage rating will have more arc blow than one used at the lower end. So my way of thinking is that if I can use a lower amperage and a really tight arc without sticking the rod, then arc blow won’t be a big deal.
I might be totally full of crap… but it works for me.
For welding with 6010 or 6011, a very high arc force will do the same thing. It allows you to jam that rod in a pipe root without sticking and without being too high on the amps. Instead of using a higher amperage to prevent sticking of the rod, a higher setting on the dig or arc force knob can do the trick.
( As always, feel free to visit us at our sister site, WeldingTipsAndTricks.com. )
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March 21, 2014 at 7:32 PM
Greetings: I am having issues with some open root plate welds for The Alberta red seal inter providential weld challenge 3g mig downhand root, up hill 2 passes fluxcore; problems with root opening and penetration another one that is killing me is the 2g tig root with 7018 cap out. as an Ironworker, we almost never see a tig, yet have to for the root in this test.
Thanks for any advice, Butera1965@yahoo.com
June 29, 2013 at 12:15 AM
Jody, i want to buy a tig welder just to use it home maybe to welb 3/8 and maybe up to 1/2 think metal, i want learn tig with aluminum and stainless steel. please reply to me what brand do you recomend, i dono’t want too complicated with too many buttons ok.
ok wait for your reply
jose
joehino@aol.com
May 29, 2013 at 5:01 PM
can u do a video welding 2″carbon steel pipe purge
May 21, 2013 at 6:45 AM
Great videos, lots of good tips but with the North American economy in the tank I hate seeing Chinese junk being promoted ie; the Thermal arc Fabricator. My supplier was demoing one at my shop, when I was looking for the % of duty cycle I notice MADE IN CHINA and told the salesman to put it back in the box. Unless we all plan to move to China to work, maybe we should try supporting North American Manufacturers. Peter Greenlaw ,Ontario Canada
May 13, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Thanks Jody
Another great video, you make getting great welds look so easy! I’ve never even tried stick welding but my tig has a stick setting so I’m going to give it a go this week.
I love the videos, they inspire me.
Thanks
Bily
May 13, 2013 at 1:04 PM
Jody, I’ve been watching your videos for quite awhile now. As always, they are outstanding. Have you ever thought about teaching a class or even better, a school? If so, I would be very interested in attending. Keep up the great work and thanks for all that you do.
May 13, 2013 at 12:52 PM
I always wanted to know what that darn knob was,and guess what…not even the supplier could tell me what arc force was?
thanks Jody!!!
now ill run better runs!!
May 13, 2013 at 12:20 PM
I’m New At Home Welder. I Have a Tig And Stick Welder.
I Know This Is Not Q&A Thing, But I Can’t See Were I’m Welding On Any Of Them.
Can You Help?
Harry
May 13, 2013 at 8:03 AM
Hi Jody just watched your weekly video on arc force etc, have never had arc force explained to me before,been welding for a fair while now thoroughly enjoy your demo’s and info.Keep em coming cheers ps purchased some tig fingers well worth the price.
May 13, 2013 at 2:57 AM
thanks for all the great videos that’s packed full of info.
some of the boys here have bought your tig finger heat shields.
i tried getting the boss to buy them for all us welders here at
HECO-ITB crew but he can’t buy anything online with the company
credit card. Dam! will tell me welding buddies in Pipefitters Local
675 and the Boilermakers Local 627 here in Hawaii about your store n
website.
again, thanks for all the great videos!
May 12, 2013 at 7:48 PM
G’Day Jody,
Just viewed this video on Arc Force, very informative as always, explains a lot thank you. All I need to know now is what the “bloody hell” is an AC Balance doing on a 200 Amp DC only Tig/Stick welder with a 50Amp Plasma cutter, it’s driving me nuts. If you ever get around explaining this I will be watching this with bated breath.
I enjoy your very informative videos, there teaching me a lot. I am thinling about getting a Mig welder with pulse capability around 250Amps.
As always keep up the brilliant Videos and have a great day.
Your Devoted Fan
Steve
May 12, 2013 at 6:01 PM
Good subject. I’ve been asked and wondered about this control several times myself. I use a lot of different welders so I guess it’s just experiment with each. I’ll use this video to encourage myself to do just that.
I know that it’s a lot of work to present a new video each week. I appreciate it. I know many others do.
Thanks Jody.
Jack
May 12, 2013 at 5:26 PM
really look forward to these. I am still a student , so these videos are extremely helpful to my learning curve, Jody, you would make one fantastic teacher in a shop environment with students. keep em’ coming . thanks.
ps. I am moving onto MIG this week, will probably use my TIG finger a bit. flux core seems brutal!
May 12, 2013 at 5:25 PM
Hey Jody,
Nice welds buddy.
It is always good to see you vary your posts e.g. tig, mig and stick.
Love the work mate.
How about making some useful tools for the at home welder mate.
Cheers
Dave