Why are damp/wet welding electrodes impossible to weld with?

Another reason to keep your rod dry: I "inherited" about fifty lbs. of various rods from my ex wife's blacksmith shop. It had been stored in the shop for more than a decade. I've got lots of bare rod now.
 
This whole thread is about the low hydrogen types of welding rod such as 7018, and if one is welding together high carbon or alloy steels and using one of these low hydrogen types of electrodes, one must take appropriate measures to ensure that the rods are kept moisture free or weld failure will be the result; if one is welding stuff together with a "buzz box" in the garage or backyard this is not an issue to fret about, as they will not run low hydrogen rod anyway ----- I am talking about alternating current machines.
 
RJSakowski said:
Another reason to keep your rod dry: I "inherited" about fifty lbs. of various rods from my ex wife's blacksmith shop. It had been stored in the shop for more than a decade. I've got lots of bare rod now.
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I assume that you have tried to weld with bare rod ------! I have tried it and it is nigh impossible. Way back in the early days, they did weld with bare rod, but as I understand it they dipped them in the lime sludge of the acetylene generator, dried them,and in essence, made their own coated rods.
 
benmychree said:
I assume that you have tried to weld with bare rod ------! I have tried it and it is nigh impossible. Way back in the early days, they did weld with bare rod, but as I understand it they dipped them in the lime sludge of the acetylene generator, dried them,and in essence, made their own coated rods.
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I seem to remember reading about bare rod welding. Yes, I've tried it and I don't like it. I suppose I could make a tube to fit around the rod and run CO2 down it.;) Or I could just buy new rod and my wife can use the old rods for plant stakes.:)
 
When i was learning stick in Ironworker apprentiship, my instructor made all the students knock the flux off a 5/32" 7018 rod and run it to a stub,
Just so us youngsters would get a feel for how the old timers did it!
I can say that it was one of the most humbling experiences...
 
Doesn't sound like much fun! Trying to run 7018 with an A.C. machine isn't much fun either!
 
the 7018AC rod welds like a dream with a lincoln tombstone, you get minimal arc blow
i still have the welder and some 6011,6013,and 7018 stashed away in a huge 40mm ammo can
 
But, I assume that both of us use nothing but MIG these days ------
 
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