I have started welding with an old Farney C-3 Arch welder .I can weld, but it is hard and not pretty. But, the welds are good and hold. I have a few questions,
1. What are low and high ground
2. How do I get the amp settings right.
3. Why does the rod stick.
4. What does changing the rod size do for welding?

It seems I can weld better with a smaller rod.Ck my gallery for pics of the welder.

 

Low and high are for low amp use and high amp use. The rod will stick for two reasons...to low of a heat or amp setting or damp rods. If the rods are damp you can stick them to the steel for a couple of seconds which will warm them up.
Smaller rods require less heat-amps and are used for thinner metal. Larger rods require more heat-amps and are for thick steel and filling in larger gaps.

To get amp settings correct are up to you. You need to fiddle around till you get good clean welds with good penetration without burnthru.

By keeping your rods in an airtight place this will cut down on moisture. Or an old way was keep them in a container with a low watt light bulb inside to keep them warm and dry.

It takes more skill to do good stick welding than wire feed.

 

You might want to get one of the many books on welding available at Home box stores or welding supply stores. The local library has many and the local book store has them also.

 

Hm, maybe Ill get one of those books, def could be helpful. There are 2 amp ratings on each plug for the rod holder. Does the low/high ground correspond with these? Can yall give me any tips on how to get a good weld? Ive heard to make little circles, or go to a straight line. Any thoughts? Thanks for the help so far.

 

The books will be full of great diagrams and pictures worth a thousand words each. There are also some welding sites that have info and pictures. Check some of the other welding threads here.

The high and low ground lead taps correspond to those numbers.

 

Allrighty, thanks allot. Il get a book from the library. thanks again