Stick Welding (SMAW) A Butt Weld Manifold
 

I have 50-60 hours of stick welding under my belt. I can weld pretty good, but not perfect. I've read maybe 5 books on it. My dad's an awesome stick welder (20,000 hours experience), so if nothing else I can get him to weld it. But I'd rather do it myself. What I'm wondering is if I build a tubular fancy 4 into a divided collector manifold would it hold up? I don't want it cracking on me. TIG is the most common method. Is it because TIG is truly stronger and less suceptable to cracking from thermal stresses or is it more for aesthetics?

If nothing else, I'll do the fab work and tack it up with the stick welder and get it professionally TIG'd. Just wondering if that's really necessary though. Is a good stick weld as good as a good TIG weld? Are they close? I figure I'll use some 1/8 7018's. Clean the parts perfectly before welding and maybe preheat them too. And after welding them I'll use a torch to heat the area to relieve any stresses induced from the weld. Sound like a plan?

Re: Stick Welding (SMAW) A Butt Weld Manifold
 

the only reason stick welding is even around is if you dont want to lug gas & wire cables around all day.
hours are meaningless, show us your work.
anything will hold together. you haven't seen the (amazingly pimp) birdshit flux core welding here???
what the ---- are you going to heat the pipe for it's not cast iron lmao
use whatever you want, but 3/32" rods will be a ---- of a lot easier welding the schedule-40 pipe you're probably thinking about using.
a tubular stick welded manifold? its never going to happen. you cant get the electrode angles to weld all the seams when it comes time for assembly.



schedule-40 long manifold here we come lmao

Re: Stick Welding (SMAW) A Butt Weld Manifold
 

3/32 will be your best bet, 1/8" is just overkill unless youre amazing at welding stick.