Best welder for soft metal?

[Gary Fowler]

I am not a pro welder and as such will never do any code work but I also keep my 7018’s in a small rod oven. An excellent investment.

Also NOT being a pro I find I can run a HOT 7018 WAY easier and with better results than a cold rod. But of course I realize that is just ME and is strictly lack of experience.

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It is not you, a hot electrode does run much better than an improperly stored one.

 

[PILOON]

Added to my 'to do' list!
ROD OVEN

 

[Gary Fowler]

Added to my 'to do' list!
ROD OVEN

For small amount users get a 50# Phoenix Dry Rod box with the hermetically sealing lid. Once hot, they use very little power to maintain because they are air tight and well insulated. If you have rods that have been exposed to the weather for long, just leave the lid unsealed (close it but dont snap the closure down)for a few hours to release the moisture prior to sealing it tight. They do make 10# cans but they dont seal tight and require lots more energy to keep them hot.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just a reminder, only put low hydrogen type rods in an oven. Cellulose covered rods like 6010 should never be placed in an oven, just keep the in a dry area. They actually run better when they have been in 60-70% relative humidity. I have actually had to dunk them in water to make them run right when working in desert like conditions. If they get too dry, the cellulose coating tends to finger-nail (burn of to one side leaving a nail like protrusion at the rod tip) which makes it hard to tie the metal in on that side especially if running a root pass.

 

[California]

Cellulose covered rods like 6010 should never be placed in an oven, just keep the in a dry area. They actually run better when they have been in 60-70% relative humidity.

Good to know.
Between projects I keep rods behind the free-standing gas heater in the living room, the driest place that is out of the way.

Maybe the 6011's should be stored in the barn. Morning fog is common here so there's plenty of moisture.

How much harm does it do to low-hydrogen rods to not protect them but just store them in a relatively dry place? Does this just give up some percentage of the intended weld strength, or does it cause visibly worse welds?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Yes and No, the iron powder absorbs moisture that will / can cause hydrogen embrittlement and at best porosity which can be failure point in the weld. Also the moisture accumulation in the flux will cause the wire core to rust which makes them unusable due to the amount of porosity that is causes. Once rusted, no amount of heating will remove it.
If you dont have a heated rod oven, one of the hermitically sealed rod caddies is the next best choice. Add some desiccant to it and they might last a long time.

 

[Sberry]

I used to keep them hot but dont bother anymore. I worked in the same plant as Milo Milo who is on SFT. He was an inspector and I was a welder. We got a little drawing every day and a slip that you went to semi trailer that had maybe 100 or more 10# ovens in it plugged in and hot
Then went up to the counter and the guy pull a handful out of a big oven and put in the small box we carried to our work area and plugged in
At end of shift returned the oven. They made sure they were still hot. Stripped them out back to the big oven, same game next day.
It was a place took a little getting used to but I had some small rod experience which helped.
I remember the first wed I did in the place, a simple plate, held ounces and only to keep it from sliding. I put 150k tensile of rod on it but by that standard was a mess in a bad spot. Took about 2 days to fix 3 little beads

 

[Sberry]

They used this crappy Chemtron Atom Arc. Cost them a fortune. They were super fussy at start and had to long arc a second or they had porosity in the start. Very highly inspected and finished work.

 

[PILOON]

Added to my 'to do' list!
ROD OVEN

LOL, that was Jan and we are now July and still no rod oven.
But that's in my 'job jar'.