ESAB FABRICATOR 141i
BASIC WELDING GUIDE 4-16 Manual 0-5420
4.05 Stick (SMAW) Welding Troubleshooting
FAULT CAUSE REMEDY
1 Welding current
varying
ARC FORCE control knob
is set at a value that causes
the welding current to vary
excessively with the arc
length.
Reduce the ARC FORCE control knob until welding
current is reasonably constant while prohibiting the
electrode from sticking to the work piece when you
“dig” the electrode into the workpiece.
2 A gap is left by
failure of the weld
metal to fill the
root of the weld.
A Welding current too low A Increase welding current.
B Electrode too large for joint. B Use smaller diameter electrode.
C Insufficient gap. C Allow wider gap.
3 Non-metallic
particles are
trapped in the
weld metal.
A Non-metallic particles may
be trapped in undercut from
previous run.
A If a bad undercut is present clean slag bout and
cover with a run from a smaller gauge electrode.
B Joint preparation too
restricted.
B Allow for adequate penetration and room for
cleaning out the slag.
C Irregular deposits allow slag
to be trapped.
C If very bad, chip or grind out irregularities.
D Lack of penetration with slag
trapped beneath weld bead.
D Use smaller electrode with sufficient current to give
adequate penetration. Use suitable tools to remove
all slag from comers.
E Rust or mill scale is
preventing full fusion.
E Clean joint before welding.
F Wrong electrode for position
in which welding is done.
F Use electrodes designed for position in which
welding is done, otherwise proper control of slag is
difficult.
Figure 1- Example of insufficient gap or incorrect sequence
Insufficient Gap
Incorrect Sequence
Art # A-05866_AC
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