Arc welding electrodes used as O/A welding rods.

Take a good look at the ingredients of the flux and the wire- there are usually more than just oxygen scavenging components in the formulation. Most stick wire that I'm familiar with has alloying elements in the flux as well. These elements combine with the filler and base metal as it mixes in the molten puddle.

If you simply scrape off the flux, you run a substantial risk of significantly lowering the strengths (shear, tensile, ultimate) of the weld.

See if you can get your hands on the welding rod manufacturer's specification sheet for the rod you have- it should state the components of the flux and their action as the rod melts into the base metal. Also try getting the AWS specifications for the wire- that will definitely tell you.

That would depend on the results you wanted. My dad, born in 1918, RIP, told of when they used coat hangers to do fender repair work on model T's and A's. Rods may require more heat than smaller diameter OA filler. I have used baling wire, but only in noncritical applications. It's only as strong as the metal, and don't forget OA has a large HAZ, particularly if you're going to use 1/8" filler rod, either OA or cleaned SMAW rods.

HTH.

Steve

Yes, for the average weld.

If you have an application for spec welding, aircraft, vessel, etc., that requires predictable results, then no. But most home shop O/A welding is on things like exhaust tubing, go carts, fences, and things where the ultimate weld strength is of much less importance. If so, bailing wire, coat hangers, tie wire as such will usually serve quite well.

A flux coated electrode is designed to use electricity. The flux coatings do a number of things IE: cleaning, stabilizing the arc, adding iron powder for faster deposition rates, creating a slag to protect the molten metal pool when solidifying etc...Taking away that electricity restricts the capability of what that rod was designed for...... To answer your question: Yeah you probably could pull it off, but it would be no more effective than using a wire coat hanger or mechanics wire as a filler metal. It's like using a Corvette as a garbage truck...It probably would haul away a bit of garbage but is certainly not made for such a task... Jim

On Sep 13, 4:38=A0pm, "Jim" wrote: The flux

.. Jim

Yeah, but you do not care about any of those things for oxy/acet welding. There may be some alloying components in the flux, but I doubt it. Can not think of any good reason why the manufacturer would do that.

I think the major problem would be the diameter of the rod. It would probably be bigger than you want for oxy/acet. The minor problem is that you paid good money for that flux and now you are going to knock it off. Other than those two things, I see no problems.

=20 Dan

.. Jim

Yeah, but you do not care about any of those things for oxy/acet welding. There may be some alloying components in the flux, but I doubt it. Can not think of any good reason why the manufacturer would do that.

I think the major problem would be the diameter of the rod. It would probably be bigger than you want for oxy/acet. The minor problem is that you paid good money for that flux and now you are going to knock it off. Other than those two things, I see no problems.

Dan

Yes, no, definitely, and maybe. The ingredients of the flux are to shield the arc from surrounding air. They also form metallurgical properties beneficial to the final weldment when combined with the electrical arc. I really doubt that two welds with the same rod, one OA and the other arc would test equal.

Steve