CHIPPING HAMMERS & WIRE BRUSHES
Stick welding is probably the most forgiving of the welding processes when encountering dirty or rusty metal. With that said though, good preparation should not be overlooked to achieve good results. Unclean surfaces can lead to porosity, cracks, inclusions and lack of penetration. Use a wire brush or grinder to remove dirt, rust or grime from the area to be welded.
Wire brushing of the workpiece for the earth clamp is also a good idea to ensure the welding arc is consistent.
Post weld, the slag layer can be removed using both a grinder, wire brush and a chipping hammer. Equally, if more than one weld is to be performed at a joint for example, it is important to clean each weld of slag before making a further pass.
Cleaning tools should be identified for each material type and kept for that material to avoid contamination. For example, a wire brush used for stainless should only ever be used for preparing / cleaning stainless.
Generally use tempered steel for carbon steel, stainless for stainless and brass for aluminium.