Ask your WELDING questions here.

I'm making my own steel shoe for flat track racing. I have a hard surface rod thats applied with a torch. Its not a flux core rod. I'm guessing this is like brazing and I need some form of flux. Thanks for any help.

This may sound dumb but some of those rectangular and square bare rods are put on with an electric welder. They treat it like a stick electrode.

are you sure about that?
I do a lot of cast iron repair and the cast filler rod I get for gas welding, (with a flux), is square in cross section. You can buy fluxes from your local supplier or you can make your own from anhydrous borax, silica sand and iron filings can be thrown into the mix as well. I use this last blend for forge welding, (hammer and anvil and a coal fire).

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Yeah, I witnessed it being done. Big amps 500+ and AC current but it layed down a bead of hard surface. Huge amounts of spatter but as the factory rep told me, spatter is fine if it also restricts wear. These were on the bottoms of buckets, welding large beads in a waffle pattern where the steel and slag they were moving would pack in to the waffles and work as abrasion resistant it's self.

Do you have an electric welding machine capable of DC welding current? If you do try some 'Avista' (sp?) rod.

Avesta, they make or package about 20 different alloys; it will require machining likely if you get to the mating surface if you weld it with stick electrode.

I got the rods from Cody racing. Thay list them 15.00 ea. My local supply house could only order 10# at 600 bucks. I only need two to cover one shoe. Thay are listed by Stoody for use with a gas torch. The bottom of a shoe definitely looks like its done with a torch, all puddles and irregular. The rods are bare and round

Avesta 309-16 will weld cast iron , just like 7018 welds carbon steel. It will also weld carbon steel to cast iron or stainless to carbon. It runs down hill, side ways and flat. never tried it over head. Best rod ever for dis-similar metal. Spendy but it is worth every penny. Another option would be TIG with 309-16 fill wire.

They are torch rods if from stoody.

Cody racing is the problem there. go to your local welding supply dealer. I would be willing to bet you can buy them in 1lb increments . you may also want to look at a TIG outfit

one of my biggest challenges is welding Expanded metal to angle or box to make a rack.

I need advice on how to accomplish this with the best result.

I have an AC - 225 buzz box.
my favorite rob is the 7014 followed by 6013

my biggest problem is that the thin metal does not tolerate much heat

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be talking with the fella at my supply shop this week, he uses a similar rod with abrasives to tractionize horse shoes for the winter. My nephew has offered me two machines all I have to do is make a trip to Texas and pick them up. Thermal Dynamics pak master 100xl plasma cutter and a Miller Syncrowave 250 200 230 460 volt. I think this is a Tig and stick. This is all the info he gave me. Got any more info ??

I know this might sound strange....... but try using Borax hand soap. Heat the rod slightly and dip the rod in the Borax, it will stick to the rod. Super Old School.

Try using 3/32" 6011P or 6011, faster freezing rod , with good penetration.

You can find the manuals for the syncro 250 on Millers web site. Good machine, the pakmaster 100 is fine too.

I don't have an arc welder, just MIG, but have had to stitch expanded mesh to flat and angle stock. I just try to make the mesh cuts along a line that gives me all closed ends in the mesh rather than open spots with two little ends to weld down. Then just zap each point quickly, starting the weld aiming at the flat or angle stock to initiate penetration then leading the puddle to the end point on the mesh. As soon as you reach the mesh with the arc, stop before burning through the smaller cross section of the expanded mesh.

More or less a "BZZZT...BZZZT...BZZZT..." as you move from each point on the eadge of the mesh to the next.

I have a can of 6011, it has been a while since I burned one, if I remember correctly i had trouble getting them to run right, I may have to burn a few on some scrap to get a feel for it.

Thanks - I will try this . Like so many things welding seems to be one of those things that you just have to feel. and it takes time to get that feel.

I don't use my stick welding electrodes enough to keep them fresh, but I need to keep some around the shop for the rare times I need them. I currently keep them in the plastic tubes with the big rubber O-ring, but that's not doing the job. I guess I need an electrode oven, but I was wondering if there any cheaper options? If not, I guess I'm looking for a Keen K-200 oven. Anyone have any experience with this unit, or similar ones? I'll probably be storing about 5-10 different types of rod at about 10# each.

i use a old refrigerator that doesnt work anymore to store my tires, paint and welding rods. they keep the stuff pretty good in really hot or really cold temps form the different seasons. they keep the temps stable and moisture out.i have two refrigerators right now but waiting for another one to break so i have a third for storage!