Beginner Welding Looking for feedback

[D-weld]

Hey all, I have been welding for about five months at a high school tech program.

Miller CST 280
E6010 Rods
50V Amperage

Please leave feedback. Thanks!

[smokin_dodge]

lookin good, probably time to start tryin to stick stuff together.

[SinisterDexter]

Does look pretty good. I'd also work on stacking your beads along with learning to fit stuff up. A decent thing to remember is the CLAMPS philosophy.

C urrent
L ength of arc
A ngle of travel
M otion if you are whipping or using a weave
P late preparation
S peed of travel

Remember, when you weld with CLAMPS, you are welding to the best of your ability!

[papabear]

Your on your way. I'm no stick welder, but it looks good to me. Welcome to the forum.

[trapperjohn]

Looks like you're on your way, from here, experience will be your best teacher. Weld, weld, weld, and when something dosen't look right, experiment a little with your setting and you'll find you can solve most of your problems yourself. If your weld is too high, your probably welding too cold and if your leaving craters on the sides of your welds, your too hot. Keep watching this site and you can see examples, your doing fine.

[specter]

Hi D-Weld your getting those beads down now all you have to do is alot of practice. When you start welding your plates together is when you really see how your doing. A good weld may not necessarily have the best of beads but will have good penetration. Once the plates are welded together put the piece into a vice a pound on the weld to see if you can break the plates apart.. If the plates break at the weld the appearance of the break will tell you why the weld failed. practice & break Practice & Break, then PRACTICE & BREAK some more.

[Supe]

Looks like you may need to decrease your angle a bit, and slow down a smidge. Both should help minimize that undercut.

[CWI_98]

Looks adequate for someone who has been doing it for five months. One thing I've instructed people is "KEEP YOUR WRIST STRAIGHT" move from the upper body and do not become a wrist weldor. If this occurs you now will change your work angle which inturn changes your volts and amps. When you change the parameters (volts/amps) you change the appearance of your weld causing spatter. Spatter can come from long arcing watch that also, slow down and that will help with the undercut.
Keep on burning the rod and keep the wrist straight.

[Silverado]

I have been welding for about 8 months and teaching myself for the most part, i practice ALOT... one thing someone told me to do that you may want to consider is next time you have a few hours and a welder, choose a rod and lay 5 or 6 beads all using diferent technique and/or settings and see how things look and just keep doing that and try to make improvements on each pass.

Also when you start sticking stuff together do the same and cut the welds in half so you can see cross sections and determine what is fusing the mot material... my favorite rod at first was the 7014 because the beads always look perfect haha...

[JLE-ENT.]

For 5 months they look pretty good. From the pics, it looks like you need to slow down a bit and keep the rod tip to workpiece just a little closer. Slowing the weld pass down will help with the undercut and you'll eliminate a lot of spatter by keeping the rod a little closer, especially with E6010 electrodes. Keep at it and as trapperjohn stated, weld, weld, weld....

[ImagineMW]

Looks good. I hope the next step in class is building a box or some sort of small project. You're ready. I work with the local high school welding teacher, and inform him of what is "really" needed in the industry, right out out of high school. If you're looking at making this a career, learn as much as you can! Welding, (Stick, MIG, TIG etc.). Fabrication, (Oxy-fuel, plasma, layout, fit-up) and it doesn't hurt if you can draw. Drafting and CAD abilities can come in very handy down the road too. It's always good when you get the job because you have the ability to carry it out from start to finish. Most people think welding is just welding. It can be for some, but if you really want to excel, learn as much as you can. Welding is a BIG industry with a lot of people doing it, be the better than the next guy.

[dougspair]

...looks like SMAW?....pretty good looking beads....you're hired !