So a while back I had asked the group if it was possible to use stripped SMAW(stick) hardfacing electrodes with TIG.
I finally got a chance to try it. I had some Lincoln wearshield ABR left from another project.
I stripped the coating off the rod. Very messy, kind of greasy the way the coating gets in your skin. Hard to wash off. Took a long time before the bare rod wouldn't leave black marks on a rag.
It went OK, but the 1/8" rod was a bit big for the size of stock I was working with. The puddle kept foaming up and hitting the tungsten. I managed to do better by putting more heat on the rod, and letting the deposit sit on top of the base metal.
After laying a few beads, I gave it the file test. It was harder than
1018, but not as hard as beads that I had put down before with SMAW.
I quick re-heat and quench and it passed the file test with flying colors. I think that I couldn't go fast enough, so the whole piece got too hot to cool the bead fast enough after I stopped.
The data sheet for the rods mentioned not letting the workpiece get too hot.