Please explain rod size and usage ?

[eyspy]

Hi

I see here on the mainly American based welding forium that you guys are often quoting things like "I used a 6011 or a 7078 rod ETC..."

For us Aussies where this numbering system is not used, what do the numbers mean ?

It would be good if someone could post a list here of each different rod size, it's aussie equivalent, and what situation each rod would be best used on.:)

[I_Love_Plasma]

Well the member "Geezer" know's a bunch about rods. So I'm hoping he chimes in. He helped me a bunch. AS do most of the other guys on the forum. DaveO is really good too.
Here is a good place to visualize the break down of rod numbers http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/FM_handbook/577fm1_2.htm
A list of common rods and their common uses and handing capabilities http://www.weldershop.info/282/types-of-welding-electrodes/

To answer your questions to the best of my "know-how":

6011 broke down 60,000 PSI tensile strength, the third digit tells what position can be used for flat, overhead, vertical uphill/downhill, and the last digit refers to the rod polarity and coating.

7018 broke down is nearly the same. 70,000 PSI tensile strength, the third digit tells what position can be used for flat, overhead, vertical uphill/downhill, and the last digit refers to the rod polarity and coating.

Those are two of the most common rods in their series 60 series and 70 series. A 1/8" rod of 6011 you should use around 80-115 amps, a 7018 should be a little hotter on the amperage 100-130 amps works good. The optimal amperage range will vary slightly from manufacture to manufacture and welder to welder some have a real 120 amps and some have a lame 120 amps that is really about 115 amps.

Hope this helps you some, I know that it does not answer all your questions but hopefully it gets you going. Please correct me if any of this info is wrong or misleading.

:cool:,
ILP

[DaveO]

Another good source of information:
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/en_US/Products/literature/C2410.pdf

I tried to find an Australia-specific electrode numbering system, but couldn't- I may not have searched long enough. I found this site, which appears to be the governing body for Australia:
Welding Technology Institute of Australia
http://www.wtia.com.au/

I looked at some Australian online vendors that sell consumables such as filler metal: their electrodes had trade names associated with them, but also had AWS electrode numbers buried in the description.

What do you have in mind to weld?

[ogorir]

there's a chart on Jody's page that tells what all the numbers mean: http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/shielded-metal-arc-welding-rods.html

[eyspy]

Thanks for the response's so far, it has helped a little.

My main type of welding is on Galv and ranging in size from 1.2mm up to 5 mm, and some un galv metal 3mm up to 6mm.
Would be good to have one rod to do all this.

[jerky]

what kind of rod are you using now?

[I_Love_Plasma]

Personally I like 7018 low hydrogen for most everything but for 1.2mm I don't know if a 1/16" rod would burn through that or not. Also keep in mind 7018 rods don't have as much penetration as 6011's. For that thin of metal you might want to try DC electrode negative, normal SMAW welding the electrode is positive.

Great links Ogorir and DaveO

[ogorir]

also, this site is australian. do these numbers look familiar? if you look at the datasheets, they have the relevant AWS (american welding society) numbers(e6010,e7018,ect).
I guess I'll cross reference a list.

austarc 11: 6011
austarc 12p,13s: 6013
austarc 24: 7024
austarc 16tc: 7016
austarc 77, 18tc: 7018

the rest are hardfacing, stainless, or nickel rod.

it looks similar to lincolns semi-proprietary numbering system. lincoln makes several versions of the basic AWS specifications for different applications.

[SeanMurphy265]

If I weld on galvanized I try to grind the area I'm welding. I try to get rid of the galvanizing or at least as much as possible. 6010 would probably work pretty good since that's considered the dirty, greasy, painted steel rod.

[DaveO]

In case it becomes useful information, in another post Eyspy said he has a PowerArc 200. The max recommended rod size for this machine is 3/16". As a reminder, 3/16" converts to metric by multiplying by 25.4:
3/16" x 25.4 = 4.76mm

This is assuming the technical specs of the Australian machine are identical- I seem to recall there were some minor differences between machines sold here and machines in Australia.

[geezer]

also, this site is australian. do these numbers look familiar? if you look at the datasheets, they have the relevant AWS (american welding society) numbers(e6010,e7018,ect).
I guess I'll cross reference a list.

austarc 11: 6011
austarc 12p,13s: 6013
austarc 24: 7024
austarc 16tc: 7016
austarc 77, 18tc: 7018

the rest are hardfacing, stainless, or nickel rod.

it looks similar to lincolns semi-proprietary numbering system. lincoln makes several versions of the basic AWS specifications for different applications.

That pretty much sums it up, except the Auzzie 60 series rods are about 10 amps higher for their midrange and they seem to use 7016 instead of 7014, they also have a very nice selection of hard surfacing rods with different chrome contents and some are machinable. To view and down load the product data sheets go to

http://www.welding.com.au/l58/filler-metals/arc-welding-electrodes/

[DaveO]

I saw that welding.com.au site in my travels, and figured those Austarc names were trade names, the same way Lincoln calls their rods Fleetweld 5p for instance. Are the Austarc designations the equivalent of the AWS numbering system? Ogorir points out the AWS number is in the product description at that site.

[eyspy]

also, this site is australian. do these numbers look familiar? if you look at the datasheets, they have the relevant AWS (american welding society) numbers(e6010,e7018,ect).
I guess I'll cross reference a list.

austarc 11: 6011
austarc 12p,13s: 6013
austarc 24: 7024
austarc 16tc: 7016
austarc 77, 18tc: 7018

the rest are hardfacing, stainless, or nickel rod.

it looks similar to lincolns semi-proprietary numbering system. lincoln makes several versions of the basic AWS specifications for different applications.


I'll be buggerd !! I have used that site to suss out what rods were in comparison to USA specs you guys quote and I never seen that section with the spec details. Thanks for pointing it out to me, it is exactly what I was after and it was there staring me in the face all the time.
The old saying is very apt here "I couldn't see the forest because of the trees"

[ogorir]

happy to help. it took me opening the datasheets for all but 2 of the rods to notice that at the bottom of the product page it lists the AWS spec, if there is one. sometimes you just overlook things, even things you're looking for.

[SimpleSimon]

Be cautious when welding on galvanized metals. http://www.finishing.com/85/35.shtml

[undercut]

More info on welding on galvanized metals. Be careful out there.

http://ttysk.blogspot.ca/2007/09/welding-on-galvanized-metals.html

Also, keep in mind that some electrodes need special storing arrangements to ensure they have a very low moisture content. Moisture can affect the quality of your welds for those types of electrodes. I'd list them but I don't have the Aussie equivalent names!

[Rodsmachineshop]

http://www.hobartwelders.com/elearning/