Should pulse be used for stick welding?

[Touge Boy]

Really no need to use pulse with a stick.

Should be able to control the penetration/fusion with the settings and your hand, and during arc (Mainly structural) the weld needs to generally be as straight and as uniform as possible anyways.

And seeing as most stick welders/inverters cant use the pulse function during arc mode anyway, there's really no reason to do it.

It CAN be used for arc, as it with penetrate as far as it has to during the pulse and then back off, so it doesnt burn through. This is actually how a lot of robotic welders operate, as they will weld and then move along the job, and they move at the same time every time. But you'd need to have very fine settings on the machine and super steady, sniper-like hands to be able to control it manually. And most things welded like that arent generally more than 3-4mm thick.

And X-Raying is really to only way to properly test a weld. 80% of the suff that leaves our workshop is X-Rayed and crack tested.

Pulse is really only needed for thinner alum. jobs.... Even then I dont use it too often.


I probably havent explained it too well, but yeah, it might work, but you dont need to use it.

If Im welding 15/20mm plate at work, (Which I often do) you think Im going to bend/break it with a hammer?

[Vezza]

Yeah I hardly ever use it in stick mode or mma these days. Ended up forking out the cash to hire some gas and I pretty much only use it in TIG mode. Best move I ever made. So much more controllable. I use the pulse function on really thin stuff like panels and what not, but for thicker stuff I don't bother. However it does help to shake the pool around, to get the filler rod to fuse to the parent metal even with less average current. Very handy indeed.

[fantapants]

probably not, but i doubt anyone here has ever needed to weld 15 - 20mm plate in their car??? and yeah befor i invest in an xray facility to check the quality of my home modifications, i might just do something that is repeatable and quantifiable. Your weld should be at least as strong, if not stronger than the materials you are welding. Therefor if applicable, a simple test to destruction as above is a good way to determine if the strength of the weld is better than than the material being welded? this gives and INDICATION of the quality and repeatability of your penetration and welding in general. This process gives you confidance in your HOME skills without needing to run off to the labs every five minutes to xray your car. not trying to be a dick, you clearly know your way around the industry more than me, or most of the site, but it is still a useful test for people like me who dont weld daily but do like to improve their skills.

[Touge Boy]

Nor was I trying to be a dick... I probably should have put this symbol - after the post.

What you said here...

"Your weld should be at least as strong, if not stronger than the materials you are welding."

Is bang on the money...There are obviously exclusions... such as sacrificial welds, but they're not really used much so it's neither here nor there., and X-Raying/magnetic powder testing is probably not needed in 75% of welding...

The company I work for specializes in structural fabrication, and Im a Boilermaker/fabricator by trade, If you have any questions or want to learn anything... more than happy to help.

Sorry if I came off like an asshole... had a big night friday night LOl.

[fantapants]

nah been losing to my car all day and had a cunt of time getting my finger out from between the engine mount and crossmember... and needed to bitch about something to someone