Frequent Stick Welding Issues

🔥 Stick Troubleshooting Guide

📋 Problem: Sticking Electrodes

• Is amperage set too low?
• Are you holding too tight an arc?
• Is the ground clamp on clean metal?

🔧 Fix: Increase amperage slightly, maintain close arc length but don't feed the rod too fast, make sure you got a good ground. Note: If your machine has a Dig/Arc Force setting, turn that up to help with sticking electrodes

📋 Problem: Porosity

• Are rods dry and in good condition?
• Is material clean and dry?
• Is travel speed steady?
• Does it happen on restarts?

🔧 Fix: Use fresh/dry rods, clean base metal, slow down slightly to let the rod burn properly, on restarts, make sure to light up ahead of where you want to travel and then come back to the starting point of the joint and weld over your start and any porosity.

📋 Problem: Excessive Spatter

• Check amperage setting (too high?).
• Arc length too long?

🔧 Fix: Lower amperage, shorten arc length.

📋 Problem: Undercut

• Check amperage setting (too high?).
• Arc length too far away?
• Is the rod angle correct?
• Travel speed too fast?

🔧 Fix: Lower amperage, shorten arc length, point rod toward the side of the weld that is undercutting, slow down travel speed.

📋 Problem: Lack Of Fusion and/or Cold And Bulged Bead

• Amps too low?
• Travel speed too fast?

🔧 Fix: Increase amperage, slow down travel speed