Any advantage to pre-heating parts prior to stick welding?

Do any of you bother preheating your 6013 rods?
I seem to find the second half of a rod welds better that the first half and had put it down to the rod warming up - but it could also be that it is just shorter so I have more control over it.

^^^This^^^^Unless you store your rods in a rod oven, this works well for a stable ark. Preheating thicker weldments help. Rod sticking is operator error from too low amp setting and lack of arc gap control. 7018 is common to have a glazed over tip. Keep on practicing and try heating up your rods.
 
I've read about 7024; does it work for AC?
Mark S.
Yes Mark, you can use 7024 in AC or DC
you'll want to be in the flat or horizontal position.
it lays down a beautiful welds with a thick slag that almost peels off as the weld cools.
you really don't move the rod much, just keep a relative short arc and it welds all by itself
it was introduced to me as Jet Rod.
 
I ran a ton of 7024 back in the day. Probably the best flat drag rod for metal deposition and the slag peeling up as you go was a bonus. We used it in the ship yards and later when I was welding heavy flange/pipe work. We use to show off by turning away while welding, lift our hoods and talk. Those 36" flanges had large shelfs and with the right angle you could simply rest the rod (1/4" 400 amps) and it fed itself. Everyone called it monkey wire back then, cuz a money could burn that rod. Some called it jet rod. It didn't matter reverse or straight polarity as Mike stated.
 
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