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Welding rod oven
- Thread starter Martin w
- Start date
Years ago, I worked quite a bit with a welder (welder, mechanic, AZ driver, jack-of-all trades, etc.). He was very skilled at fabricating things and coming up with ingenious gizmos. Anyhow, that is beside the point. In his shop, he used an old refrigerator to store his welding rod. Inside the refrigerator was a 100-watt light bulb that was always left on. It kept the inside temperature over 100 degrees F (as well as dry).
I forgot to add. Inside the frig was a paper bag full of kitty litter to absorb moisture.
Yea and no
Technically, should be in a rod oven to keep the moisture content low to zero, reasoning is that extra moisture can cause hydrogen embrittlement which could lead to cracking.....it's more of an issue with something that has high cyclic loading like a bridge
Practically, the rod burns the same unless it's absolutely soaked, chances to have a crack that propagates due to hydrogen embrittlement in general welding is very low, add to that most amateur welder's have far worse weld faults than the possibility of an internal crack resulting from rod that have not been kept in an oven, it's really not something to worry about. Higher likely hood you will have inclusions, lof or undercut...and add to that most hobby welders over weld the heck out it
In other words, unless you have been keeping them in the rain, or an extremely damp location, weld on.
If you have been keeping them in the rain or in the bottom of the fish tank and the flux is somehow intact, 24hrs minimum
Technically, should be in a rod oven to keep the moisture content low to zero, reasoning is that extra moisture can cause hydrogen embrittlement which could lead to cracking.....it's more of an issue with something that has high cyclic loading like a bridge
Practically, the rod burns the same unless it's absolutely soaked, chances to have a crack that propagates due to hydrogen embrittlement in general welding is very low, add to that most amateur welder's have far worse weld faults than the possibility of an internal crack resulting from rod that have not been kept in an oven, it's really not something to worry about. Higher likely hood you will have inclusions, lof or undercut...and add to that most hobby welders over weld the heck out it
In other words, unless you have been keeping them in the rain, or an extremely damp location, weld on.
If you have been keeping them in the rain or in the bottom of the fish tank and the flux is somehow intact, 24hrs minimum
Martin w
Ultra Member
farm equipment. usually 7018 or 6011. If I remember to plug the oven in it’s usually the day before…
Martin
6011 doesn't go in the oven, only xxx5, xxx6, xxx7, xxx8 and possibly some very specialty rods.
In your application for 7018 I honestly wouldn't worry about it, but it won't hurt either, so it's your call. If you were to plug it in, it needs to be at least 24hrs, less than that you might as well have not plugged it in and saved the electricity
In your application for 7018 I honestly wouldn't worry about it, but it won't hurt either, so it's your call. If you were to plug it in, it needs to be at least 24hrs, less than that you might as well have not plugged it in and saved the electricity
I figure you are wasting time and effort on sticking rods in the oven for any length of time before use.
Logic is this. 300 Degrees, is not going to be hot enough to drive off bound moisture, provided that you actually need the Low Hydrogen characteristic, which should see the rods go straight from the package, in to the oven, and only pulled out as used in a short period. On the brighter side, unless you are doing ticketed welding on structure or pipeline, you are probably just wasting time and effort trying to comply with code...
Have read reports of guys sticking 7018, and it's ilk, into the kitchen oven at some pretty high temps to drive off moisture, Like, placing the oven on the 'Cleaning'cycle, but a rod oven (or a fridge with a heat source) is only hot enough to prevent the moisture being absorbed, not hot enough to drive moisture already absorbed, off.
I don't have enough background to explain why, but I was told repeatedly (one of my "apprentices", had 25+ years working as a ticketed welder before he joined the CF! With production, shipyard, pressure, and underwater experience) that 6011 and others with a cellulosic flux, actually weld a little better with at least atmospheric moisture levels intact.
Logic is this. 300 Degrees, is not going to be hot enough to drive off bound moisture, provided that you actually need the Low Hydrogen characteristic, which should see the rods go straight from the package, in to the oven, and only pulled out as used in a short period. On the brighter side, unless you are doing ticketed welding on structure or pipeline, you are probably just wasting time and effort trying to comply with code...
Have read reports of guys sticking 7018, and it's ilk, into the kitchen oven at some pretty high temps to drive off moisture, Like, placing the oven on the 'Cleaning'cycle, but a rod oven (or a fridge with a heat source) is only hot enough to prevent the moisture being absorbed, not hot enough to drive moisture already absorbed, off.
I don't have enough background to explain why, but I was told repeatedly (one of my "apprentices", had 25+ years working as a ticketed welder before he joined the CF! With production, shipyard, pressure, and underwater experience) that 6011 and others with a cellulosic flux, actually weld a little better with at least atmospheric moisture levels intact.