Scored On Some AC 7018 Rods (Long Story)

[doogdoog]

Aloha,
These are some of the rods that I normally use:
1) 6011
2) 6013
3) 6010
4) AC 7018

I went to one of my welding suppliers for some AC 7018 1/8" rods and couldn't find any on the shelf. I asked the welding guy if they had any and he went in the back to look for some. He came out with a 5 lb box and I asked him how much it was. He checked his computer and couldn't come up with a price so he went to the office. He came back and said this was your lucky day because it is free. I actually wanted two boxes but I didn't want to push my luck and thanked him. Friday I went back for more rods and I asked him if they came up with a price yet. He said to wait and he went into the office and when he came back out he said how's about $1.00 a pound. I said ok and how many boxes do you have? He said 12 so it came out to $60.00. According to him, the industrial guys don't use that type of rod so I ended up with it. It works well with a low voltage machine (buzz box) and it strikes easy on the first strike because there is some kind of coating on the tip. I checked Home Depot and it was $12.00 for 5 lbs. and I checked another welding store and they wanted more. Any of you ever used this rod?? TIA

Mahalo,
doogdoog

[Richard_W]

I usually find the 7018 with the AC flux in 5 pound boxes at Ace hardware. Since I got an AC/DC welder I get whatever is the closest to my house. You got a real good deal on your rod!

Richard W.

[steamin10]

Try to keep your rod dry. Put it in a flex plastic shoebox to protect against high humidity changes. I have seen rod that rusted under the flux. It is no good for welding as it spatters heavily. If you have a dry agent, silicon gel, put some in there to keep the rod cozy. I use rod tubes, and metal containers.

Welding rod should be as fresh as eggs for best results, the coatings of iron powder, and wood flour, do not hold up well with humidity.

[Russ Hanscom]

Rod does need to be kept dry, particularly if you are doing critical work. When we were doing lots of Xray quality work, rod stayed in the sealed box or in a rod oven. Any rods out of the oven for more than four hours got pitched - and you could sure that Xray failures would go up as the time out of the oven increased.

Low hydrogen rod ceases to be low hydrogen after a bit of exposure to high humidity.

When in doubt, use fresh rod.

[mike71]

Yes the 7018 also welds nice and clean, flux should just rise off and flake or brake off on its own when cooling down, leaving some nice colors.

I have a few packs open, when I get ready to use it I toss a hand full in the oven to dry out, but then I'm only welding bumpers on 4x4 trucks with them...

Super score by the way !

[fonzy]

I just made a video where I burn test a bunch of E7018/E7018AC using an AC welding machine! Take a look>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kPPCeNTIUs

[atomarc]

I have used 7018 for a bazillion years and have never seen it called out as you indicate. Any old 7018 will work with either a DC machine or a AC machine...same rod, same flux. Maybe I missed something along the way.....

Stuart

[awake]

I just made a video where I burn test a bunch of E7018/E7018AC using an AC welding machine! Take a look>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kPPCeNTIUs

Fonzy,

On the video it looks like the angle on your rod is often nearly vertical, and/or that you are pushing rather than dragging. Is this just a matter of camera angle?

[fonzy]

Awake, It looks like pushing, but it was about square to the work, I was having trouble with spatter, at first,[too high amps for the small sample plates] so, by expereience, I tend to reduce the normal lead angle from 10-20 deg to about square with work, to counteract, throwing spatter from a hot welding puddle, until I cut the heat some.