Yes you can run 7018 with a buzz box IF you have a OLD one with copper wireing. Can't see as well as I used to, So the welds not as good as I could do in my younger days. These are going to be engine mounts for a diesel engine.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
lol, looks identical to the welds I used to make with my tombstone, before I got rid of it.
YES, you can run 7018 on an AC225, it just doesn't compare to running it on any DC capable welder, tho.
The higher the amperage, the easier it becomes, however. You're pushing more power, so its easier to get started and harder for a random arc outtage to occur. I ran 5/32" rods on the AC side of my stickmate before (it had a higher duty cycle on AC), and they ran great... well... greater than expected.
However with AC, its harder to strike an arc, you get tons more spatter, the arc isnt nearly as smooth, you need a jackhammer to remove the slag for some reason, and you get random arc outtages.
Yes, you CAN do it, (BTDT), but in my honest opinion you're better off with a DC capable machine. I know some people are happy as can be running it on their tombstones, and thats great, so was I... But I got a DC machine and never looked back.
Here's the video STAN was talking about.... Just keep in mind, the AC SMAW side of my Precision Tig is a *little* different than a buzzbox's AC side.... Audio/Video clip:video1
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to Lanse, 12-20-2012 06:23:43
Hey Lanse,
Thanks for posting that video again. It's a good one. I had misremembered the results---somehow thought that all three types of rod you tested had turned out stronger when welded AC than DC.
I also watched one you made in 2009 comparing 6011, 6013, 7014, and 7018, all welded DC. At the end of it you announced that you were going to put the test plates on eBay---the proceeds to be directed to the shop and future videos. Did you do that, and, if so, how did it work out?
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
I've heard it said by a few different people that the Lincoln AC225 was the only "buzz box" capable of burning 7018. I know my Dad used to run 7018 on his regularly. He was not a weldor nor am I. I now have a AC/DC 225 Lincoln machine which works great for me on the things I need it for. I have tape on one of my leads.......the one our Saint puppy decided to chew on. The welder is only a couple years old.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
Didn't Lanse recently make a video comparing 7018 and 6011 welds done both AC and DC? If I remember correctly (never a given, nowadays), the 7018 welds on AC turned out to be slightly stronger than those done with DC.
7018 is not a purely DC rod like 6010. Lincoln lists DC+ as the preferred polarity for their E7018 H4R (Jetweld LH-70), but also lists the setting range for AC for all sizes up to 3/16" rods. Above 3/16", AC is listed as the preferred polarity.
I've never found a 7018AC that I like. I haven't been forced to use it much, but the few times I've tried it, it's shown a tendency toward erratic behavior, and occasional porosity. I'm not saying it's bad---just that it has never worked well for me. If I only had an AC welder to use, I might still use regular 7018 (run it a little hotter and try real hard), or take the time to shop around until I found a 7018AC that I liked. But I've already tried at least five brands---Lincoln, Weld-It (Hobart's second best), Forney, and two or three mystery rods which weren't any of those---and haven't been impressed with any of them.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to Stan in Oly, WA, 12-19-2012 11:30:56
We bought a Lincoln like the one pictured in 1962, except ours had a metal selector switch. Since I didn't know that you couldn't use a 'regular' 7018 rod with an AC welder.....'til I read it on 'here' a few years ago......I've been using 'em for almost 50 years.........nearly all being 5/32 rods. I always thought they worked great. Have had to replace the fan, but the welder has been essentially bullet-proof.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
I have been using 7018AC on my 225 Lincoln to weld the thick springs on my son's Great Plains drill for several years. Saves him over $100 each time I do one. I set it about 120 and take my time and makes a very strong weld. Picture of one before grinding the weld smooth. Richard in NW SC
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to Richard G., 12-19-2012 14:40:33
That's a hot 3/32" for 7018. To be fair you can't see the weld very well in the picture. It doesn't look like the smooth bead and ripples typical of 7018 and the slag also doesn't look like it's from 7018.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
The Lincoln welder you showed doesn't have copper wiring, they never did according to Stan who e-mailed Lincoln asking that exact question. Even then, copper wires wouldn't make the welder weld differently. They might heat up easier over time but won't affect the welding enough you would notice a difference. The AC7018 make it easier but someone with a steady hand and the right brand of regular 7018 can weld it at the correct amps on a buzz box. A Lincoln buzz box is one of the easier AC machines to weld with as some machines are difficult to weld using 7018. The older Miller Thunderbolt's seem to have trouble holding a steady arc with regular 7018 in my experience. I didn't have too much of a problem with an early 80's AC225 Lincoln.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
I dare say just about any 1/8" rod is going to burn on the ole thing at 180 amps. The challenge would be to make it burn at 120 amps. That will require a 7018AC... and they work good too.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:15:09
I have used 7018 with my old buzz box. It can be a pain in the butt unless it is heavy material using a lot of heat like you show there and then it goes OK.
Re: Welding 7018 with a buzz box in reply to rusted nuts, 12-18-2012 15:20:09
have run regular 7018 on my 1940's ac welder but have found 7018AC which is designed for ac runs very well, almost like 6013 for ease. it's a little higher priced than 7018 leroy
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