Glad you like it Nick, just be careful on anything thicker than 1/8 thick, because anything in that amperage range is prone to cold lap and lack of fusion with mig. That's why short circuit isn't allowed on structural codes such as D1.1, so please don't weld up a hitch or anything critical.
They usually don't have enough magnetic field to really throw you off, you use them just to tack stuff. Arc blow happens with all stuff with corners, a tight arc and working from the corner in helps, and you basically have to learn to deal with it on uphill. Angle your rod to push the puddle where you want it to go, utilizing the arc force of the rod. Sometimes you have to turn down a bit if you are too hot. Ac stick doesn't have arc blow, which is why learning on an ac machine is a good thing. You can also change your movement to a circle, which will put the molten metal ahead of the puddle, which will be pulled into where it's supposed to go. A tight arc length is critical.
Yup, pros will run dc only for the most part. Jam the rod in tight, and don't be afraid to angle that rod. Keeping the same travel speed (or faster because you are coming to a corner) is the goal. If you put the arc above the puddle you are in the right place. Remember metal flows to the heat, so put your heat where you want it to go. What ends up happening is you will be weaving above where you want, but the metal will be deposited where it should be.
I don't use it for critical welds, mainly for building tool boxes and gear/ tool storage for trucks. Here's my most recent project. I made plywood and chainsaw/ pole saw and gear storage for a few trucks.
You only get "arc blow" on DC machines .Most of these guys would be happy just to be able to weld with an AC buzz box using fast freeze rods and make it look better than a pile of pigeon shit .All it takes is practice .Once you learn how it's like falling off a log,you never forget how.It's been decades since I took an xray or guided bend test but in a couple hours of fiddling around I'd bet I could still pass one .
I doubt I'll be dumbing it down, but I'll try. Dc has what's called reverse polarity (electrode is positive, dc+) and straight polarity (electrode is negative dc-). In dc+ 70 percent of the heat is on the rod, so this is what's usually used for stick welding. In dc - 70 percent of the heat is on the plate, so this is used for tig and stick on sheet metal. Dc will have a very stable steady arc, which is required for certain rods like 6010 and normal 7018. Because it has a polarity, magnetic effects can push the arc around on some welds. This is called arc blow, and has to be learned to be dealt with by the posts above. Dc is much safer in confined spaces and wet conditions, so you can get shocked and live to tell about it. Dry gloves are a must tho, so if yours get sweaty, change them out.
Ac will have a harsher arc, because it jumps between these two modes. It will penetrate less than dc+, but actually runs certain rods better, like 7024. So not use ac when it is not completely dry, people have died doing so. It's basically the worlds biggest toaster, so don't go lie in a puddle with it. It won't have arc blow which is nice, but you are limited slightly in rod choice. Most farm buzzbox machines are ac only for economy of initial purchase, just about all pro grade machines will have dc, even if it's a high end aluminum tig machine (which is ac).
FFZero, Jim, are you getting any of my private messages through Tree House
Tried calling and texting an old number I had for you. Figured out late last night one way I might have screwed that up - had it programmed with a 1 in front of it.
My number to text or call is 707 ---- 573 ... 0seven27, thanks.
(Came on an accident beside the road and Jim was kind enough to give me some info on dealing with EMT's/Firefighters.)
Forney and perhaps others make a form of 7018 that is both AC and DC .It does pretty good .If you are getting zapped from an AC welder something is wrong with the grounding of the machine .It should not do that .Then on the other hand if it's a typical 40 -50- 60 year old buzz box it's not strange for things to be not up to snuff .In other words screwed up electrically .The AC voltage on the output should only be 26 to 30 volts which might tickle you but it won't zap you .Fact if memory serves the highest output I've ever seen was 40 volts on a 600 amp Lincoln motor generator DC machine .On that type both amperage and the voltage can be controlled .
So I've been reading a bunch on the inverter vs transformer debate. Kyle I need you to convince me that I don't need a cheap inverter multiprocess machine again.
Been working a bunch here and then catching up chores. Hopefully maybe today I make it into town for some steel and a cheap cart so I can atleast start messing around some with the mig I have.
I'm just putting the razz to Kyle. Lol. I am holding out for a smoking deal on a ac/dc transformer still. But it's hard not to notice for a the same price you could get a brand new off brand stick/tig or for a little more a stick, tig, and plasma machine. I've had my weld king(off brand) mig for a number of years now like seven or eight maybe?
Lol inverters aren't bad, they just aren't as robust as a transformer. They rely on advanced single piece circuit boards, that are then dipped in epoxy or the like to make them impossible to repair. So if a board goes out, you will spend a ton on fixing it. If you wanna drop some coin and get one, they do make good ones, and will serve your needs just fine. They have become very common in construction, because they are small, lightweight, and are new (about all the welding companies make anymore). A used industrial machine will cost a fraction of the price, and will work till the end of your natural life, and then possibly outlive your children as well. I'm not sure what you are aiming to get, if you say which models I'll be able to tell you more. Many of them have a contactor for tig shielding gas, which is a pointless waste of money and source of future problems. Every tig rig that I've used industrially is simply a hose connected to a tig hose, with a simple screw valve on the handle. You turn on the gas manually before you start welding, then shut it off manually when you are done. They are either setup to accept the twist connection of the welding leads, or more commonly have a spot where you literally clamp the welding stringer on to, and then slide a duct tape covered Gatorade bottle over it so it doesn't arc on everything.
Look it's like this, what do you want to weld on? If you want to weld together new things with clean metal in the flat position in your shop, your existing MIG welder will do just fine as long as the metal thickness is under a quarter inch. If you want to repair stuff ranging from cast iron to steel, from thick to thin sections, you're going to want to stick weld. This is simple fact, coming from a guy who makes over six figures a year doing this, not some guy on YouTube that thinks he knows what's what. An inverter machine we'll run stick rods just fine, but it will be lacking on 6010 but you will probably not even notice it. The highest price welding machines out there today welding are designed for welding stick rods in very critical and demanding applications. They cost 5 times what a regular stick machine costs. If you are going to spend the money, I would personally like to guide you into getting something that will actually pay off in the long run, rather than a trouble filled lemon. I bought my machine in a junkyard for $500 and with a little work to it, I have something that allows me to make more than that a day. It will last my entire career (with another possible motor rebuild) and will be around for my kids to work with. While you don't need a machine like this, you should get something that will actually work, rather than something you will fight to weld with.
Its just overwhelming all the frigging info out there.
I think for what I'll ever be doing a cheap bulletproof ac/dc transformer will fit the needs without breaking the bank. I am currently involved in classified psychological warfare with a thunderbolt seller who's about an HR away from me.
I certainly wouldn't spring on any machine without running it by you and the house first. I appreciate the ongoing input.
I did pick up a cheap azz handcart today but nearly choked when I saw what the surplus shop wanted for a 50cal ammo box(biggest they had on hand in metal). $34.95cdn plus .12% sales tax. This is without bullets in it! That buys more than enough steal to make my own little cubby to put on the cart. I went and picked up a few odds and sods from the offcuts pile at a local machine shop too so now I can atleast progress on my cart and my table. Luckily I have most of the steel to make the table with already. Atleast the frame of it.
Good deal! Make sure to call around to scrapyards and see if you can buy stuff from them. Great way to get scrap for projects if they are game. And it is overwhelming the amount of info, and even more amazing the amount of bullshit as well.
Just read it again. I've been re reading lots in this thread. There's a lot of good info. I was just yanking your chain earlier. I've heard you loud and clear. About the only thing that will sway me from a ac/dc transformer machine would be if a decent looking engine drive came up for a screaming deal. But seems like they will be a step up in cost. Hoping I might chisel away at this fellows resolve on the thunderbolt and pick it up for a deal. That to me will probably be a versatile enough of a setup then with my little mig, little stick, and little torches. Lol. I'll leave the heavy work to the pros.
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Glad you like it Nick, just be careful on anything thicker than 1/8 thick, because anything in that amperage range is prone to cold lap and lack of fusion with mig. That's why short circuit isn't allowed on structural codes such as D1.1, so please don't weld up a hitch or anything critical. 
Who has time for cheap tools.
