Welding Rods

Munroast

Munroast

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old welding rods for a stick welder - they have been lying about for years and will probably have absorbed a bit of dampness. I have just used one and seem to have achieved a very strong weld,
Some tell me they will be no good as they are old?
Some Say I should dry them out
but then again, they seem to weld reasonably well (i'm no the best of welders)

As for drying them out? (I'm not baking them n the oven in the house the wife would execute me) But would they not dry out if I just strapped them to some hot water pipes for a few weeks?
Or make my own oven, blow the hot air gun through a pipe with the rods inside, that would get +200c, surely that would dry them out in 10 minutes ?
 
It makes no difference how old the rods are - the ends may go a bit rusty though and this can interfere with the initial arc strike.
Any slight heat will dry them, and of course once the arc is struck the dampness will immediately vanish! So long as the rods haven't been immersed in water and the flux is all there I wouldn't worry.
John :)
 
but what about Hydrogen Embrittlement - LOL

I'm more interested in how easy they are to use, as said I'm no welder and keeping a good arc with a stick is challenging - I'm told keeping a good arc is easier with new 100% moisture free rods ? and although my rods appear entirely dry, they will have absorbed moisture.
 
The quality of welding rods vary.......I've used Oerlikon and ESAB ones which have been great, and some Chinese rubbish which were truly awful. Thanks but no thanks, Machine Mart. Presumably the flux varies too.
My hands are shaky a bit, so I like to hold the rod with a gauntlet rather than the rod holder until it's burnt well down.
Always weld with a 'U' motion so the slag is pushed out of the top of the weld.
Try the old Oxford oil cooled welder versus the DIY ones and you'll see what a good machine is really like - with a smooth voltage output the difference is astonishing.
John :)
 
I had several years pipeline welding (stovepipe) 6011 cellulose coated rods used,
We always had rod ovens to keep them dry,
If you do suspect damp rods heat them to 60C for 20 minutes or so.
 
I keep the rods in the house, along with the "overstock" of grinder discs, and paslode nails.
 
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