Recent content by Chuck1225

I switched to propylene for cutting and use with a rosebud. The acetylene can only come out of the acetone just so fast, so you can often have plenty of acetylene yet cannot get sufficient flow to decently use a rosebud. It seems like the tank is not full, but it is just a matter of how fast...

For TIG welding, I use a standard #8 lens and switch to an auto-darkening for MIG and stick welding. The #8 setting seems to work well on that as well. You might want to look into putting a 1.5x magnifier in your helmet if you are not wearing reading glasses while welding if you wear bifocals...

Most steel pipe is made with 80,000 psi tensile strength steel. You can weld it with weaker metal, such as 60 or 70,000 psi material, but if strength is the issue, use an 80 rod. In stick welding, I use 8014 because it is easy to use and produces a strong weld. Not all tubing is 80,000 psi...

You can dry out your 7014 in any oven at 250 degrees. It is a better choice for welding metal that is not perfectly clean than is 7018 and the weld is easier to clean. With the 7018, you might want to look at holding the rod at a lower angle to the work when you are having sticking problems...

I'm glad you got something to work. In the future, you would probably want to weld something like you describe with 6013 or 6014. The first number on the rod is the strength of the steel. The 60 is 60,000 psi. If you are welding hot rolled steel flat stock, it is normally 60,000 psi metal...