Learning Welding Techniques

Try this.

I cut a paragraph or so from the url you referenced. It follows:

SMAW electrodes such as E6010 and E7014 are not low hydrogen, and yet it is important that these electrodes also be properly stored. Unlike the low hydrogen electrodes that always must be kept dry, some of the non-low hydrogen electrodes need some moisture in the coatings in order to perform properly. If these electrodes are too dry, they may not function properly. Alternative, excessively moist electrodes may cause other problems. The following procedures should be followed:

• Store these non low hydrogen electrodes from the freshly opened containers in heated cabinets at 100 degrees ? 120 degrees F (40 ? 50 degrees C). * Do not use higher temperatures, particularly for electrodes from the ?Fast Freeze? group, which includes Lincoln Shield-Arc® and certain types of Fleetweld® electrodes.

• * * I suppose this means we need at least two different storage containers! Just above that quote I read that some rods are allowed 4 hours exposure to the air and others only ONE-HALF HOUR. It seems that

I got a little plastic thermos bottle looking holder with an "O" ring to seal out moisture and placed a couple of pound in it. Supposedly it will BARELY hold 10#. The thing cost about $10. Anyone recommend a cheaper one that seals out the moisture well?

Thanks to Ecnerwal for the excellent url and for any suggestions on the rod holder/storer.

Al

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Ecnerwal wrote:

I suspect that there is a difference between what the professional weldor is required to do and what the hobbiest needs to do. My own experience is that I cannot tell the difference between brand new, out of the box 6013's from those that have been sitting in the open for maybe 6 months, or more. This is in my cellar where the humidity ranges from very low in the winter to pretty high in the summer.

YMMV, Bob

Take all of this with a grain of salt, Al. I have an ancient can of 7018 1/8" rod which has been open for probably 30 years. The coating has flaked off in some places. Overall, the rod mostly welds just fine. I bought a welding rod heating oven on ebay a few years ago and never used it and then couldn't find a buyer so I gave 'em to Goodwill. Sat in their store for a long time, too.

Of course, I only weld on dry days, and this rod has always been stored inside at 60-72°F, dry.

Grant Erw> I cut a paragraph or so from the url you referenced. It follows: >

Check your local swap meet/boot sale, army surplus store for 81mm mortor round storage tubes. they are green, with an very nice o ringed screw on top, that makes great rod storage. About $3.50 each in my neck of the woods.

Here is a picture:

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

I think you're right.

I see welding rods sitting around small shops and garages fairly often exposed to the room air and don't know of it affecting their work too much.

Al

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Grant Erw> Take all of this with a grain of salt, Al. I have an ancient can of 7018 > 1/8"

Harbor Freight sells these for about $3 or $4.

Dan

Not a problem if you are welding mild steel and probably welding more than necessary. Some water vapor will help keep the arc stable. But if you are welding steel as T1 with a tensile strength of 100 k psi, you are likely to get small cracks next to the weld from the hydrogen in the water vapor.

Dan

Thanks. I got on the net and found them for about $5.95 or less. Then I found one that was rectangular for about $3.95, but it appeared to just slide together which would be better than nothing. I really preferred the one with the "O" ring seal.

I'm glad to hear HF has them. I drive over there from time to time. They're only about 55 or 60 miles away. After my welder gets in here in about a couple of weeks I'll try to pick up a couple of extra rod holders. BTW, the brand of the one I got was "Rod Guard".

Al

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Dan Caster wrote:

I looked for the HF stock number and couldn't find it. They are made in the USA and HF probably couldn't get the US company to put on a tag with HF's number.

Dan