Violent Arc

I'm trying to weld square .040 2*1/2 tubing. I was using 3/32 7014, because I have it. I was getting a lot of crap in the weld. Assuming I let moisture get to it or it was just old, I bought some 3/32 and 1/8" 7018. At first things went well with 3/32 at 90v. Then it took a turn. Rod was sticking. in about 5v increments, I got to 100. The sticking stopped but the arc became violent and I could not hold a steady arc. Same with 1/8 starting at 100 and going up to around 120 with the added benefit of blowing through my metal. I've not had some an experience that a slight adjustment and cleaning the ground didn't resolve. What else might I check? (other than my sanity) Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

You can dry out your 7014 in any oven at 250 degrees. It is a better choice for welding metal that is not perfectly clean than is 7018 and the weld is easier to clean. With the 7018, you might want to look at holding the rod at a lower angle to the work when you are having sticking problems. This uses the flux to gap the weld, so it is less sticky.

When I use SMAW which isn't often, I keep a toaster oven in the shop and I dry the rod put in it. After it's dry I'll put it in a plastic rod container with a bag of desiccant inside to keep it dry. I also use the toaster oven to pre heat the hard rod I use. The hard rod I use must be preheated to 350 degrees prior to using.

Chuck1225 said:

You can dry out your 7014 in any oven at 250 degrees. It is a better choice for welding metal that is not perfectly clean than is 7018 and the weld is easier to clean. With the 7018, you might want to look at holding the rod at a lower angle to the work when you are having sticking problems. This uses the flux to gap the weld, so it is less sticky.

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Thanks Chuck the angle is something I often forget. I had the 7014 from my dad's leftovers. It's good to know what it's for. I'm currently looking for a toaster oven that will fit the rods.

Aldo said:

Thanks Chuck the angle is something I often forget. I had the 7014 from my dad's leftovers. It's good to know what it's for. I'm currently looking for a toaster oven that will fit the rods.

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You can also use your kitchen oven rather than buying a big toaster oven. Rebake of wet rods might take 6hours or more at 350F or higher (consult mfg. requirements).
Rather than buying a new toaster oven for your shop, invest in a 10# or 50# Phoenix Dry rod box and just keep it plugged in with your low hydrogen rods in it. I found a used one that was like new for $250 that holds 350# that I have been using for 13 years now. It is thermostat controlled and I keep it set at 275 F. It basically costs me nothing since my shop is on a separate meter that has a minimum fee that I rarely go over unless I have some major welding project.

Chuck1225 said:

You can dry out your 7014 in any oven at 250 degrees. It is a better choice for welding metal that is not perfectly clean than is 7018 and the weld is easier to clean. With the 7018, you might want to look at holding the rod at a lower angle to the work when you are having sticking problems. This uses the flux to gap the weld, so it is less sticky.

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It's been quite a while since I used a stick welder, but 7014 is a shallow, flat orientation penetration rod, with a super-thick slag. It was very sensitive to imperfections, and had to be thoroughly cleaned before welding. I would think I did a great job, until I cleaned off the slag, which would show a splotchy, jiggered mess of a weld. 7018 is a low-hydrogen rod, that will weld dissimilar metals, and will weld through most anything: rust, dirt, grease, paint, even its own slag. The slag is harder to chip off, but if the temperature is right, it almost peels off behind the arc. The big problem with 7018 rod, is just which 7018 rod there is: I think there's at least two different rods under the 7018 classification (from Lincoln), and one welds really well, and the other is a royal pain to weld. But that's with a once-ubiquitous Lincoln buzz-box welder: once you've gone past the duty-cycle, it starts acting up by sticking and being difficult to hold a decent arc. It's best to take a break and walk away at that point.