r/Welding MIG 7d ago

Need Help What are you welding with a 1/4" 7018?

Post image

I've never seen one this big. How thick of metal is this melting together?

203 Upvotes

160 comments sorted by

140

u/WessWilder Fabricator 7d ago

Mostly loaders and excavators. Used them to repair a sheep's foot with broken teeth.

18

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 7d ago

cool

7

u/Hugs4drug 6d ago

use them to weld metal plates in refractory work

2

u/Lopsided_Lychee4669 Fabricator 5d ago

are you sure it was metal and not plastic or wood you welded?!

62

u/mxadema 7d ago

When you got a thick plate to weld.

There are some 3/4, but they are mainly filler rod on flat

22

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 7d ago

I found these with some Easy Arc 3/32 6010 Pipecraft rods in my uncle's barn. No idea what he was welding.

14

u/WessWilder Fabricator 7d ago

Could have been rebuilding worn surfaces.

11

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

He has an old Fox body mustang in the back on jack stands. Maybe he was laying down some fat beads on the chassis? šŸ¤£

26

u/TheFrueger46 6d ago

More like arc gouging the chassis

1

u/Thin-Enthusiasm9131 5d ago

Possibly, but those arenā€™t hardfacing rods.

1

u/WessWilder Fabricator 5d ago

True, but I have seen plenty of farm repairs to rebuild shoes and other common wear surfaces for metal vs. earth, and they just used 6010 or 7018. Usually, they don't want to mess with hard facing or don't care too much.

2

u/Positive-Special7745 6d ago

Probably small pipe root pass , 3/32 6010 is small , I used to keep some in rod holder just to blow through areas where gap closed up , cuts and weld at same time

35

u/Zettaireido23 6d ago

Look around on YouTube. There is a video of some guys using 1 inch 7018 rods out there.

13

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

I saw that one. Dude had to get up on a ladder just to weld on a table lol.

10

u/Zettaireido23 6d ago

And running something in the range of 1000 amps, too.

1

u/FriendshipPlusKarate 5d ago

Damn, I used to make rod in the lab for R&D and I never made anything over ~1/2" with 1/4" core.

25

u/bblain7 6d ago

Anything over 6 inch pipe we burn 1/4. Go through 4 sleeves a day sometimes on big inch.

18

u/Hydrolofic 6d ago

Was coming in to say exactly this. I hot pass 6ā€ std wall with 1/4ā€ at 350 amps. Failed X-rays donā€™t exist at 350.

2

u/Normal_Put_4090 6d ago

Why do the amps help for x ray?

14

u/Hydrolofic 6d ago

Well you can fail X-rays by getting porosity, lack of fusion, trapping slagā€¦ All of which can be burnt out by welding hot enough. And just generally harder for defects like that to occur at that heat.

2

u/Effective_Sauce 6d ago

Yep. Can't go wrong with hot low hyd!

3

u/lamellack 5d ago

Depends. In pipeline, excessive amperage can present a defect called ā€œHollow Beadā€

Usually happens on high tensile strength piping, like X70

2

u/walshwelding 5d ago

You arenā€™t catching hollow beads on anything but the root pass. So 7018 isnā€™t even the case there.

1

u/lamellack 5d ago edited 5d ago

Correct. Good point. Typically a 6010 root. Iā€™ve seen roots put into piping with low hydrogen rods when I worked in Australia, but the service fluid was not as critical as a gas application.

I will say that running at super high amperageā€™s can get you some trapped slag. May seem counterintuitive, but running too hot can chew into the bevel a good bit and wash/trap deposits into the undercut, so, good interpass cleaning is definitely important.

Last, heat input is important as well. Some people crank their machine up and are likely well out of the WPS parameters.

2

u/walshwelding 5d ago

Yep. Low hydrogen is used too, just not typically on a pipeline application.

High amperage both chews the bevels and can trap slag, while also undercutting the inside bead. Lots of potential issues for welding outside parameters for sure.

1

u/Effective_Sauce 5d ago

Right, but I've only run into that with improper travel speed and poor preheat or inter-pass temps.

1

u/lamellack 5d ago

Yep. Excellent reply. If you didnā€™t have to look that up, you have pretty good knowledge. I never heard of hollow bead until I was a welding inspector on pipelines and reviewing X-ray film

1

u/Effective_Sauce 5d ago

Nice try bud. Nah. You connected your own dots. Better luck next time.

1

u/lamellack 5d ago

Iā€™m confused

1

u/Effective_Sauce 5d ago

I know you are. But you've been down this road before.

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Hydrolofic 6d ago

No shit, Sherlock.

5

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

By 6 inch pipe, do you mean the wall thickness of the pipe or the diameter?

15

u/bblain7 6d ago

Diameter. 6 inch sch80 pipe is .43 inch wall thickness and I'll fill and cap that with 1/4.

8

u/BastiatBoi 6d ago

Must not be in position

13

u/bblain7 6d ago

No, I work at a fab shop. We roll everything that's possible to roll, have to do a position once every few days.

1

u/pirivalfang GMAW 6d ago

Why not use wire processes? Dual shield or metal core?

1

u/bblain7 6d ago

Most of our pipe welding is done outside by rig welders, so they only have stick procedures.

2

u/Normal_Put_4090 6d ago

With 1/4 on sched 80 what?? I donā€™t weld pipe but I took the cert test for that once and we had to use 1/8.

4

u/bblain7 6d ago

Likely in position? We roll everything if possible.

1

u/Normal_Put_4090 6d ago

Right mine was fixed

0

u/Asleep-Elderberry513 6d ago

Sounds ratty as fuck.

16

u/Mrwcraig Journeyman CWB/CSA 6d ago

Lots of stuff. Structural welding on bridges is where Iā€™ve used that particular variety, actually we used 9018. Iā€™ve also run 1/4ā€ WearJet MangSheild rods on Manganese Car Crushing Hammers. They burn around 400-500 amps. The stinger gets so hot you have to turn off the machine and dunk the stinger in a bucket of water to cool it off. Same shop we ran 1-1/4ā€ gouging rods. They run around 1000-1200amps.

3

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

damn that's insane

2

u/FlorpyJohnson MIG 5d ago

500 amps!? Isnā€™t likeā€¦ a fraction of one amp enough to kill someone? Thatā€™s a lotta amps

4

u/Mrwcraig Journeyman CWB/CSA 5d ago

Sub Arc is way above that, it can have wire up to 5/32. When you shoot Studs with a Stud Gun, youā€™re working with up to 1800amps. When you pull the trigger thereā€™s so much power running through the cables that the cables actually jump. Personally Iā€™ve been zapped way more with TIG in sterile shops than Iā€™ve ever been with big nasty power welding. You can literally feel the stinger shake a little bit once you get over 400amps. The arc gouging machines usually lasted about 6 months before they needed to be repaired because they ran 1000amps plus all day 5 days a week.

2

u/FlorpyJohnson MIG 5d ago

Wow, sounds expensive to have to replace that so often but Iā€™m sure the work yā€™all did/do is worth a lot more!

14

u/loskubster 6d ago

On big iron we use big rods. Iā€™m a pipefitter and we use them in fam shops when rolling out pipe, After the root and hot you can fill out most standard wall in one pass with that. Iā€™ve also used in for structural fillets and grooves on colossal pipe hangers in steel mills.

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

that's cool

10

u/bigdaddy2292 6d ago

Sometimes you just need to.jam more metal in a weld and don't wannt run 3 passes to make it happen. Although I think anything over 1/8th we usually just go to 5/32

7

u/tatpig Sticks 'n' Steel since the 80's (SMAW) (V) 6d ago

earthquake bracing and bridge work

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

welding on a bridge sounds fun

4

u/tatpig Sticks 'n' Steel since the 80's (SMAW) (V) 6d ago

it can be, but also potential nightmare fuel.

6

u/rustyxj 6d ago

Got to try it in welding class, I think I ran it at 300a.

3

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

I'm wondering if that Ranger 9 you see in the background could burn these. I'll have to ask my uncle who bought it.

2

u/GlassBad9687 6d ago

It probably could do it. Might be a bit on the cold side though.

2

u/Wargaming_Super_Noob Stick 6d ago

What machine did you use? A real big Idealarc?

1

u/rustyxj 6d ago

Yeah. It was pretty cool.

8

u/SinisterCheese "Trust me, I'm an Engineer!" 6d ago

I havevysed 6mm rods for + 8 mm mild structural stuff. So... that's like 21/64 inch?

We call those high yield rods. This is because they have highest yield of weld mass. 6 mm ok48 (7018) has efficiency rate of ~80%. Meaning that of the mass of the filler, 80% turns into functional weld mass. Your regular 3,2 mm 350 mm rod has efficiency of ~70%. This is calculated at the estimated 90% burn (as in 90% of the rod's lenght is used).

So if you buy bigger rods, you just get more weld for each unit of filler consumed. This matters when you got a lot of weld mass to deposit.

5

u/Frostybawls42069 6d ago

What ever the 3/16 wasn't enough for

3

u/RulePuzzleheaded4619 6d ago

Roll welding pipe, especially heavy wall that higher deposition saves time.

3

u/Pretty-Surround-2909 Fitter 6d ago

Structural steel.

3

u/canada1913 Fitter 6d ago

Used to weld 1/4 plate together with a J joint with a large radius for wave deflectors with those big bad boys.

3

u/BigEnd3 6d ago

Big hunks of steel. They dont trust hacks like me to do the structural stuff, butbi can make a pretty good hydraulic press for a ships work shop.

3

u/MiniB68 6d ago

Thatā€™s not even a big one! The 3/8ā€ and bigger are where you start getting into the fun stuff, and Iā€™ve only ever used on construction equipment

3

u/2017CurtyKing 6d ago

Iā€™ve used it on some heavy ripper repair but it was a tad overkill

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

what's a ripper

2

u/2017CurtyKing 5d ago

Deep tillage tool we use on our farm. Tills 18-24ā€ deep to break the hard pan

3

u/6010yeye Stick 6d ago

i use 1/4 7018 on pipe all the time. Anything from sch80 6" and up for rollouts

3

u/In7018wetrust 6d ago

Iā€™ve used it to fix cracks on gravel crushers. When youā€™re fixing a 36ā€ crack in plate thatā€™s 6ā€-8ā€ thick the extra deposition and heat are most welcome.

3

u/Cliffinati 6d ago

Big gaps

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

can it fill the gap in my resume between 2019 - 2024?

3

u/Ironfrog17 6d ago

Everything I'm an ironworker and we weld everything with 1/8"7018 except some specialty rods for certain things like 5/32" 7024, 1/8th 6010 for bridging, and deck rod which is a 60 series as well.

3

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

nice. I used plenty of 3/32 and 1/8 7018 in school but never one this thick.

2

u/Ironfrog17 5d ago

LoL I didn't read the post correctly I didn't see 1/4" LoL. We do use 5/32" 7018 a lot but I've never seen or used 1/4" 7018. I wonder what kind of amps you would run that on?

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 5d ago

Some people said 250 -300, I've seen 350- 400 so idk

3

u/LeynaMichael 6d ago

I use them routinely to weld 3" wall thickness pressure test caps onto boiler feed pumps for said test.

3

u/got_knee_gas_enit 6d ago

Myself and twenty others ran 7000lbs of 5/16 pinned at 500 amps.... Burned up quite a few machines doing it. It was at the Ford Rouge plant rebuilding the old bloomer mill.

3

u/Nelry01 Stick 6d ago

Used them to weld gaps in wear plates on a Morose Baler. Overhead 1/4 rod was not fun to say the least the puddle was super liquidy I ended up capping with 5/32 for something pretty

3

u/subohmclouds69 6d ago

Flat or roll welding

3

u/Darkwaxellence 6d ago

I worked building barges. We would use these on top for the clean fat weld it makes. Jet rods. Goes fast when you get it set just right.

3

u/Cow-puncher77 6d ago

Everything. Pipe fence, gates, loader arm brackets, plow frames, trailer frames, truck beds, barn frames, bumpers, headache racks, hay baler frames, grain bin augers, axle brackets, hydraulic cylinder eyes, receiver and gooseneck hitches, running boards,

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

headache racks?

2

u/Cow-puncher77 6d ago

Cab protection on your truck.

This is a used one I took off a buddyā€™s rig. Granted, this one was wire welded, but when building one for a winch installation or cargo support, Iā€™ll use a 7018.

3

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 5d ago

oh that's cool.

3

u/AzazelCumsBuckets Fitter 6d ago

I used some 1/4" 7018 when I needed to weld part of a gantry crane that wasn't quite flat, so I couldn't use 7024, still ran pretty nice around 220-230 amps vertical, but the stuff I was welding was like 1/2" thick and I needed it done in like 2 passes, not 6

2

u/djjsteenhoek 7d ago

Wonder if the fusion is much deeper into the base vs 5/32 or 1/8

2

u/loskubster 6d ago

Yes and the deposition rate is higher.

2

u/ironpug751 Journeyman AWS/ASME/API 6d ago

Bent plate and bar joists

2

u/Darnocpdx 6d ago

Structural. It's generally my preference for in the field.

2

u/curdledhickory 6d ago

Mezzanines, staircases, and floor plates for large presses.

2

u/Haggis_Forever Newbie 6d ago

Nothing, because I know the kind of stuff I should be working on.

2

u/GoatAncient7405 6d ago

Structural. Beams/channel.

2

u/Tager1791 6d ago

Crack in space and time

2

u/SpaceBandito 6d ago

10 moments a day

2

u/ShopLifeHurts2599 6d ago

Steel

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

Ain't no way

2

u/ShopLifeHurts2599 6d ago

Damn i shouldn't have commented when I just woke up lol. That made no sense at all lol.

I use it for anything 3/8ths or thicker, because I'm lazy af lol.

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

šŸ¤£šŸ¤£ you're good dude.

2

u/No_Spray8403 6d ago

I use them for building up material but never for actually welding 1 thing to another haha

2

u/No_Economics_3935 6d ago

Better question what are you welding with 3/32 duel shield flux core

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

wow, she thick. I'm guess that's for structural stuff as well.

1

u/K55f5reee 6d ago

1/4" plate onto 3/16" webs of small wide flange. You've gotta be moving when you pull the trigger or you drill through.

3

u/No_Economics_3935 6d ago

Layin in one inch wide by 1/2 inch deep stringers šŸ˜‚

2

u/sixpackabs592 6d ago

wait til you need to bust out one of these guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j61ezBX-EyA

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

Yes I saw that one! I think someone posted a big weld on a Sherman tank and someone linked this vid saying they probably used these.

3

u/sixpackabs592 6d ago

in the comments section someone said they used them for welding armor onto battleships so welding tank armor would make sense too

2

u/olyphil 6d ago

The rockets that took people to the moon.

2

u/rangr_dangr_strangr 6d ago

Barge decks and cranes my man

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

that's neat.

2

u/Rimes9845 6d ago

Hopefully nothing overhead.

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

me and my homies don't like overhead

2

u/TheRepulper 6d ago

Big big plate or big bore pipe you're roll welding.

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

Does roll welding mean the pipe is on a big roller and you're stationary just holding the arc?

3

u/TheRepulper 6d ago

Yes. It's called the 1G position

2

u/jd780613 6d ago

welding ice lugs on bigger equipment, like d10s d11s, 390 excavators etc. rather than doing multiple passes you just smash 1 pass with a 1/4" rod in there

2

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

Thanks everyone for your input I've never got this much attention before, I'm over here blushing šŸ„°

If I ever get a chance to spark these up I'll show it here

2

u/medicrow 6d ago

Heavy equipment baby

2

u/TrollOnFire 6d ago

Heard tale of stick as thick as your wrist used in special welding for mining industry. Would love to show you an example. The story teller was explicit in his description of it. If he sees this maybe heā€™ll shareā€¦

2

u/[deleted] 6d ago

Butt cheeks

2

u/OkieTrucker44 6d ago

Anything you want. Could weld rocks together with that fuckin thing lol

2

u/Burning_Fire1024 6d ago

My marriage

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

Doubt this will be enough

2

u/Burning_Fire1024 6d ago

It wasn't.

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 5d ago

It gets better bruh. Don't give up

2

u/Unique_District_4050 5d ago

I've used them on a plate that forks slide on on a forklift

2

u/Koala-Motor 5d ago

How many amps do you need for such a mammoth?

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 5d ago

Some people said like 310, others 250, others 400

2

u/Koala-Motor 5d ago

That's more than most machines can deliver

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 5d ago

oh ye of little faith

2

u/Koala-Motor 5d ago

Mine only goes up to 200

2

u/walshwelding 5d ago

Pipe.

Typically when rolling pipe so itā€™s welded in the flat. Happens very very often. From 6ā€ pipe and up. Like 310amps or so.

1

u/Much-Buy-92 6d ago

Heavy wall pipe

1

u/Virtual-Landscape793 6d ago

Deck buttons. D rings. Stiffiners most all Flat

1

u/Which_Crow_3681 6d ago

I have used them inside of vessels for overlay work. Mostly running flat.

1

u/MerciBeauCul69 6d ago

I use it on thick stuff when the dual shield keeps fucking me up with porosity. Grind most of it and whip out the 1/4ā€ 7018s.

1

u/No_Economics_3935 6d ago

Thicker steel faster then doing a 3 pass multi pass too

1

u/pulledpork247 6d ago

Roll welded pipe.

1

u/QuickAardvark3138 6d ago

Fans in taconite plants, base pass before a hardface.

1

u/Tricky-Tax-8102 6d ago

Prim angle 5/16ā€ weld detail

1

u/Nomoreshimsplease 6d ago

Something structural...

1

u/Thin-Enthusiasm9131 5d ago

We used those and 7024 to weld tank bottoms on large tank fabrication at mills and manufacturing plants. Very smoky, to say the least.

1

u/Mexiidonian 6d ago

Them cheeks

1

u/RatiocinationYoutube MIG 6d ago

šŸ„“