This is a Quick Overview of the most commonly used stick welding electrodes.
6010, 6011, 6013, 7014, 7018

SMAW 1/8 6013 on 1/4'' Mild Steel Flat Stringer Beads. Tips on arc length, stinger positioning,

Helpful tips for 6013 padding with Matt Hayden

6013 stick welding tips for anyone in welding school trying to move on to 6010 and 7018...or who wants to build something and only has an AC buzz box welder.
6013 rods are designed to weld on DC or AC and it doesnt really matter much which one you choose.

In this video...common mistakes when learning to stick weld like amps too low, travel speed, arc too long, etc. using 6013 and 7014

A quick video on stick welding 6010 2F Tee Joints with Matt. SMAW

stick welding 6010 1/8" 3F Vertical uphill with Matt Hayden

6010 4F Overhead Tee with Matt Hayden

The skill of stacking beads uniformly halfway overlapping a previous bead is fundamental to multipass welding on pipe or structural shapes. This is some of the best concentrated stick welding practice there is.

I'm gonna use 7018 and show you some great methods for practice.
padding beads is the best way to build the skills for running a uniform bead
stick welding with 7018 1/8"

One test beats out 100 opinions. Cut and etch testing of a multi pass fillet weld using 7018 stick electrodes

In this video you will see...Tips and Techniques for Stick Welding with 7018 Uphill - Arc Force, and CLAMS. - Current, Length of arc, Angle, Manipulation, Speed

Stick welding Vertical 7018 Tee Joint with arc shots, explanations, stringers, and weaves.

Ironworker welders are seeing welding procedures that specify 5/32" 7018 electrodes.
If the procedure calls for 5/32" 7018, then that is what you do.

4F 7018 1/8 on 1/4 steel Overhead

In this video...overhead welding at 130 amps with 7018 1/8" electrode.
One mistake I made in welding school was running too cold on overhead

Overhead welding with a 7018 can be done at the same amperage used for flat or horizontal, or close to it. Set the machine hot enough so that it won't stick when you hold a tight arc, and then... hold a tight arc.

Matt Hayden - 4F tee joint Rooftop Overhead SMAW Stick welding 7018 1/8" stringers. Great practice for controlling the puddle in overhead position

Matt Hayden Stick Welding Overhead Roof Top Weave 7018 1/8"

Andrew Cardin did the welding in this video while Jody handled the filming.

165 amps, arc force set to 10 using a Lincoln PowerMIG 210mp. We decided to use some leftover rods so that we show lots of restarts because being able to make a good restart is a fundamental skill... especially in overhe...

Welding Overhead 4F position tube to plate with 5/32" 7018 is a bit more challenging than with smaller electrodes but the same fundamentals apply for the most part.
Tight arc length, rod angle, and restarts are demonstrated with instructive arc shots and body positioning.

Stick Welding 2g 3/8" plate with 7018 1/8"
3/8" thick plate with 22.5 deg bevels
1/4" backing bar, 1/4" gap
7018 1/8" dcep 130-135 amps root
slightly less amperage for cap

This video covers Welding a 3G Plate Test 3/8" thick with 1/4" Backing and 1/4" gap using 7018 1/8" at 120 amps
Toward the end of the video, you will see instructions for padding beads vertical uphill using 7018 1/8"
If you have having trouble getting uniform beads on a 3g test, padding beads is ...

Controlling the puddle, getting adequate penetration, avoiding undercut, preventing arc blow, and complying with AWS D1.1 acceptance criteria are all important.
Some welders are being required to test using 5/32" 7018 electrodes instead of smaller diameter electrodes like 1/8". 130 amps is at the...

This video covers stick welding a 4g Plate test using 7018 1/8" electrode 120-125 amps dcep.
Structural Welding Tests often require both 3G and 4G plates.
3/8" thick plates using 1/4" backing and 1/4" gap
22.5 degree bevel

Stick welding with 5/32" 7018 in 5F position, Round Tube to plate weld with Andrew.

Practice plate 3g plate 6010 root 7018 fill and cap
3/32" gap and 3/32" land
75-80 amps DCEP
these settings will work on pipe too

Pipe Welding downhill is required for many procedures in the oil and gas industry. It helps to start with plate and gradually move to pipe once you have the basics

Stick Welding with practice plate open root that will get you ready for pipe.
This video shows importance of arc length and rod angle and well and lots of other great tips.
Stick Welding with 5/32" 6010 Open Root Plate Downhill

This Video shows settings and techniques that would be used for a branch connection test. Yes its a practice plate but the welding techniques apply

This video uses a practice plate to demonstrate open root settings, techniques. also shown are hot pass, fill and cap. Arc shots, rod angle and more. Stick welding SMAW 6010 xx10

12 inch pipe with 35 degree bevel.
Open root welded with 5/32" XX10 electrodes
fill and cap with 3/16"

Downhill root with XX10 rods are very common in the oil and gas industry.
A very valuable high paying skill is to be able to make good roots like this.
In pipeliner terms, its called "the bead"

Andrew Cardin welds a 2" 6g test using 3/32" 6010 for the Root and 3/32" 7018 for the single bead cap.
Tips for amperage, keyhole repair, and body positioning are shown in detail.
If you have a 6g like this coming up, do yourself a favor and watch this video several times while you practice.

Detailed video on 6G test on 6 inch schedule 80 pipe 6010 root with 7018 fill and cap.
85 amps for 6010 1/8"
105 amps for the first 7018 1/8" pass.
then up to 115 amps

This plate is placed on a 45 degree to simulate that 4-5 o'clock area of a 5G pipe where things start to sag. Its not true overhead and not vertical either. But is a great practice plate leading to pipe

The monster coupon is a fairly common test given because it qualifies for a greater range of diameters and thickness. This video shows some techniques for the stick fill and cap and body positioning tips.

Andrew's company is seeing welding procedures for open root 7016. Before tackling an open root pipe with 7016, some might benefit from a few practice plates. Fitup, featheriing tack welds, arc length, rod angle, are discussed.

While downhill Welding using XX10 electrodes is still very common,The Oil and Gas industry is seeing more Low Hydrogen Root Pass welding procedures.
Since it is a far less common procedure, this video should help anyone get better at open roots with low hydrogen electrodes