#2 Quick Tips Video - Stainless holes, MIG settings, & 6011 stick welding #2

Tip#1 Backing for stainless holes

is using aluminum backing for filling a hole in stainless steel.

If you try to weld a hole shut in stainless sheet metal without any backing or argon shielding, you will get what they call "sugaring" or granulation.

Whatever you call it, it is severe oxidation and is a defect.

IF you have some small pieces of aluminum in the shop, and can clamp it to the back side, it makes a big difference. 

Copper works even better but aluminum is the more likely metal to have laying around.

Tip#2  Mig settings chart

The settings chart on a mig welder is an ok place to start but is really designed for a flat or horizontal fillet weld .  But sometimes you need to weld uphill.

Those settings are too hot for short circuit mig welding uphill.

Instead of just adjusting the settings lower until they seem right, you can just choose a lower thickness setting and also increase voltage by just a bit for a much more controllable puddle.

Welding uphill gets way better penetration than welding downhill with short circuit mig so using lower settings still makes for an arc that gets penetration.

Tip#3 6011 3/32 rods can save your bacon

I have had a chance to weld with many different small inverter welders over the last 15 years or so and some of them will not burn a 6010 rod and even struggle to run a 1/8 7018 for long without popping a breaker on 115 volt power.

6011 3/32 was always the answer for me.

All my machines will run a 6011 3/32 on 115 volt power and that is a good thing to know for portable welding.

Here is a video where I used 3/32" 6011 to repair a gate