Welding rods - where from?

map · Mr Calendar Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Karma :

My lad picked up one of the cheapie welders from somewhere like Lidl. I think it's the one from this thread.

Just wondered where was best to get some more welding rods for him from?

It's not the sort of kit I have experience with (never welded in anger myself) so any advice would be useful.

Thanks Thumbs Up

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map · Mr Calendar Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Karma :

Bump

Anyone?

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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger? Very Happy

lihp · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Karma :

Screwfix, workshop suppliers, halfords etc

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Get some scrap and practice.

Warm the rods first (stick them in the oven).

A self-darkening mask lets you see what you're doing and have both hands on the torch.

An agricultural suppliers is a good source of welding rods.

If you know someone who does welding, scrounge some half used rods off them. They are much easier to use.
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map · Mr Calendar Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Karma :

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

So its an arc then? Arc is actually quite difficult. Mig is obviously the easiest, and Tig is a lot harder.
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Zen Dog · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Karma :

If you haven't had any training/don't know what you're looking at, feel free to do anything cosmetic or unimportant, but dont be tempted to do anything where the structural integrity really matters.

Slag inclusion with stick welding is very hard to detect, and almost guaranteed without proper technique. Also, multiple welds create all kinds of weird stresses within the metal. They can only be fully removed by annealing. A load of ships were built during WW2 before this was understood and cracked more or less in half. Get welding rods appropriate for the metal you're welding! Everywhere will have rods for mild steel. (I'd advise on the exact ones but i haven't done it for a while). Stainless/Aluminium/Strange Alloys are a different ball game.

Don't weld anything painted/contaminated with oil if you can help it. And absolutely, under no circumstances weld any anything galvanised. Really dont.

As stinkwheel says, warm the rods, but the warmth is not what is important, the important part is that they are as DRY as possible. For self-darkening masks, I've got one of these and its very good for a cheapy (expensive ones basically have no benefit for stick) -
Parweld Mask

TL:DR version - feel free to make yourself a garden gate, but dont brace your own swingarm!

Zen Dog
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Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Bah, I stick welded brackets onto a rear axle for a kit car, and nobody that I heard or would care about died from it. Hand

You'll need to find your own technique, but I find it easiest to "strike" an arc by putting the stick past the workpiece and drawing it backwards.
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reckless_b · Trackday Trickster Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Karma :

what do you intend to weld, anything really thin is a real pain unless you have had loads of practice, does the power on the welder go really low such as a min of 20 amp, the higher the power you use the easier/bigger the holes will be .
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Dazbo666 · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Karma :

Got mine as a selection pack of rods from Machine Mart.
I'm sure there are cheaper places, but I bought them as part of a package deal.... and barely used any of them in the 6 months since I bought them Embarassed

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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

It must be said, I bought my Dad an inverter based arc welder and it is not only more portable (about the size of a DAB radio) but way easier to use without blasting holes in stuff. Striking a weld is much easier too.

Apparently you can also use it as the basis of a TIG setup.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.