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Welding electrodes. You should always match the electrode with the base
metal. Most guys are using AS516-70 steel, so I'm using 70 series electrodes.
Pre-heat the base metal before welding, make sure the electrodes haven't
absorbed any moisture, and weld it hot. Then use a torch to cool the weld
slowly. This rod when new ( dry ) is easy to use, and will give you a good
weld with little grinding. When stick welding, you need to drill out the end
stop before making the next weld so you have a nice clean start. Start the weld
about 1/8 inch over the last bead so the cover gas has a chance to expel any
oxygen away from the new bead. Practice stopping and starting with drilling etc.
before you do the real deal until you are confident you can get a clean weld
consistently. If it's an area that's hard to get to, it's gotta be right
the first time cause you probably can't get in there with a grinder to fix it
after the fact. A nice idea is to blow shielding gas on the back side too. Takes
a little set-up but makes for a very nice weld. You can make a little tin cup to
contain the gas on the back side. Use a magnet to hold the cup in place. Run a
small hose to the cup and blow all the oxygen out before starting the weld.
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