Gate Repair - Stick Welding with the PrimeWeld MIG180
Sometimes all you need are a few 6011 stick rods and a 115volt welder and you can make a good weld repairFixing a gate latch that seems to have been welded downhill with 6013.
No telling how long ago this gate latch was welded but I would guess it was done on site to ensure proper alignment of the latch receiver.
The welds were pitiful. From the appearance, my guess is they were welded with 6013 downhill and cold.
I think 6011 rods are a better all around choice for most situations where 6013 rods are used.
Even though I have seen some awesome pictures of 6013 pipe welds from across the pond, here in the USA 6013 is just not used much for industrial applications.
Some folks tout 6013 rods because of their ability to run off any welder whether it's an AC buzz box, or a DC stick welder, …because 6013 will run on AC, DCEP, or DCEN .
While that is true, do you know what other rod runs equally as good using AC, DCEP, or DCEN?
6011
And 6011 rods have other added benefits like the ability to run downhill and still get penetration.
And for situations where you would like to use a 6010 rod but your small inverter won’t run a 6010, often times a 6011 will work….
Especially a 3/32” diameter 6011.
And when you have to run off 115 volt power, a 3/32 6011 can get you out of a pinch. Sometimes having a few 1/16” diameter 6011 rods will get you out of a pinch too when you have a really weak 115 volt circuit.
I used the PrimeWeld MIG180 plugged into a 115volt outlet to get this job done.
Since it's called a MIG180, a lot of folks are not aware that it is also a stick welder.
And as a stick welder that runs off either 115volt or 230 volt power, its portable and handy for jobs like this.
Here is a quick story about how I learned to carry small diameter 6011 rods...
I offered to fix an elderly ladies porch handrail once and I thought the job would be really simple.
One small weld where a spindle was loose in the anchor.
I had a really small stick inverter I bought off eBay but my extension cord wasn’t long enough and so I had to use one of her household extension cords like you might use for Christmas lights.
All I had in my tool bag were 1/8” 6011 rods and I kept popping the 15 amp breaker.
So I had to lower the amps really low and use a really long arc just to keep the rod lit.
I got the job done, but that job taught me why its a good idea to keep some smaller diameter 6011 in my tool bag.
And did you know you can also get 6011 in 1/16” diameter?
Honestly, 1/16" 6011 would have been perfect for that porch spindle repair. 40 amps is not enough for most stick rods but 40 amps will work with a 1/16” 6011 and you can even weld thin sheet metal downhill with it at lower amps if your welder settings go low enough.
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