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Tips for Improving Your Stick Welding Technique

Date: 09-03-2022
Stick Welding

Tips for Improving Your Stick Welding Technique


Stick welding, also known as shielded metal arc welding, is a great skill to have. The equipment required is relatively basic and inexpensive, it can be used indoors and out, and doesn’t need a separate shielding gas. Many welders also consider it to be one of the easier forms of welding to learn, although in our experience, the results demonstrate a huge gap between those who have put in the hours to master their stick welding techniques and those who take a “near enough is good enough” approach.

In this blog, we share some of our top tips and tricks for using a stick welder.

 

Clean Your Work Surface

One of the reasons why stick welding is so popular is that it can produce impressive results, even on materials that are dirty or rusty. That being said, people often take this way too far and try to weld through thick rust and dust, with expectingly poor results. Use a grinder or wire brush to clean away as much rust, dirt, and debris as you can before you start welding. It doesn’t need to be spotless, but a good once over will make an enormous difference to the quality of the final weld.

 

Straight & Steady

The way you manoeuvre your stick while making the weld is going to translate directly to the kind of join you end up with. If your movements are jerky and inconsistent or if you are moving from left to right trying to fill in a join that is too wide for your bead, you can expect a sub-par job. Hold the stick steady and travel in a straight line. If your join is too wide, it just means you will need to go back over once or twice to fill it out.
 
Consistency is key when it comes to speed. If you’re moving too fast, the electrode won’t have time to properly melt the weld piece; if you move too slowly, your weld pool will start spreading out to the side, rather than penetrating more deeply.

 

Plan Your Run

The aim is to make your pass as consistent as possible in order to produce clean, strong joins. If you don’t plan your run ahead of making it, you may find that your arm doesn’t reach all the way to the end of the workpiece, or you might run into obstacles along the way. It’s always a good idea to do a dry run first to make sure you’ll be able to follow through comfortably.


 
Use Quality Equipment

Stick welding can be used for a wide variety of welding jobs and requires less specialised equipment than other processes, so there’s no reason not to invest in quality equipment. For a great, all-in-one kit, Alphaweld offers the Lincoln 170S VRD Stick Welder Package, with a rugged, 10-160A output welder, welding leads, shield, hammer, brush and carry case. If it’s just the welder you need, the Unimig RAZOR ARC 160 delivers a smooth, stable arc and easy arc striking. We also stock heavy-duty fully-insulated electrode holders from Betaweld, with excellent grip and balance.

 

Contact Alphaweld Today

The team at Alphaweld are always ready to share our expertise and find the best solution for your welding challenges. Speak with an Alphaweld expert today by calling (08) 9456 8000 or email sales@alphaweld.com.au.