[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by Dave57210

And then there is old farmers emergency welding rod- a chunk of coat-hanger wire!

I chopped the top on my 48 Chevy using a torch and a coat-hanger..Years ago... Before I upgraded,to my MIG..

[oldred]

Just a note about using coat hanger wire, while there have been probably many millions of welds made with it and almost certainly more non-professional exhaust pipes welded with it more than anything else the fact is the stuff is junk! It may work fine for welding a tail pipe or something like that but anything else is a crap shoot and it almost always makes poor quality welds that are sometimes difficult to do. The reason for this is that the stuff is made from scrap and has next to no quality control and certainly no thought given to welding alloys during manufacture. Also some of the no-name welding rod sold at some auto parts, hardware, farm supplies, etc is not much better and poor welds of unknown strength along with lots of torch popping during welding will be the result of using this crap. Get some REAL welding rods such as those manufactured by Linde, ESAB, etc because these are manufactured using controlled methods and known alloys in exact amounts, coat hanger and cheap rod however is made from 100% unknowneum.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by oldred

Just a note about using coat hanger wire, while there have been probably many millions of welds made with it and almost certainly more non-professional exhaust pipes welded with it more than anything else the fact is the stuff is junk! It may work fine for welding a tail pipe or something like that but anything else is a crap shoot and it almost always makes poor quality welds that are sometimes difficult to do. The reason for this is that the stuff is made from scrap and has next to no quality control and certainly no thought given to welding alloys during manufacture. Also some of the no-name welding rod sold at some auto parts, hardware, farm supplies, etc is not much better and poor welds of unknown strength along with lots of torch popping during welding will be the result of using this crap. Get some REAL welding rods such as those manufactured by Linde, ESAB, etc because these are manufactured using controlled methods and known alloys in exact amounts, coat hanger and cheap rod however is made from 100% unknowneum.

I would ''never'' do it with todays hangers..

[cliff tate]

i have a ac machine and find if i tap the used rod on the floor and remove slag it will start easly, i also use a scrap piece to start the arc and hop back to weld. re the coat hanger i still use them for gas welding. i also have a problem useing 7018 on a ac machine. a welder (pro) has told me it is a wast of time useing 7018 on a ac as the strength is diminished with the ac arc,true or not cliff

[oldred]

Originally Posted by cliff tate

a welder (pro) has told me it is a wast of time useing 7018 on a ac as the strength is diminished with the ac arc,true or not cliff

A 7018 can be used on AC without significant loss of strength although it is a bit harder to control and there will be a lot more spatter but strength however is not an issue, this according to the manufacturers and AWS codes. The special E7018AC rods made just for 7018 welding with an AC machine fair only marginally better than a regular 7018 but they are a bit easier to start and seem to work somewhat better for out-of-position welding, IMO they are not very good on AC or DC. AC is sometimes used with 7018 or other low hydrogen rods for welding heavy parts that are slightly magnetic which is VERY difficult to weld with DC and this is accepted industry practice. Where this would apply to the type of welding most of the guys here might be doing is that they may very well be limited to an AC only machine but that should not discourage them from using 7018, or other high tensile rods, for critical welds such as frame repair or welding steel castings (NOT cast IRON! ) parts. An AC machine can be used quite successfully for this without compromising weld strength even if it is a bit more difficult to use, use of the 7018AC instead of regular 7018 may be a help to some welders.

[chase1994]

thanks. well I don't really know what # the rods are. But I use mild steel and low hydrogen rods. I don't have a problem with the low hydrogen rods to start arcing but the mild steel rods I have a little problem with. But my problem is that when I weld everynow and then it will stick. Thanks guys. There is a lot of good tips out there. And thanks for the link JeffB.

[oldred]

Originally Posted by chase1994

. But my problem is that when I weld everynow and then it will stick.

Don't feel bad about that you are just part of a big crowd!



Now since you are just starting out and you can still see, hear and breath OK and your skin is not leather-like and burn scared let's discuss the most important part of welding- SAFETY! Starting right now get yourself a good respirator, a bunch of those soft disposable ear plugs and a pair of safety glasses and wear them all the time when you weld, wear those safety glasses any time you are working. NEVER weld with short sleeves and always make sure all of your skin is covered when you weld, be especially careful of the neck area under the bottom of your helmet. A lot of us who have done this for many years will attach a "Bib" on the bottom of the helmet to protect the area just above our Tee shirt, unfortunately for most of us however we did this much too late! Welding almost always involves damaging noise and believe it or not there is a high frequency sound that comes from a cutting torch that will destroy your hearing even though it does not seem uncomfortably loud, wear those ear plugs! Never expose any area of your skin to arc rays not even for a few seconds at a time, the damage is cumulative and you will get more than enough in spite of your best efforts so take every precaution you can. There are a heck of a lot of older, and some not so old, welders out there who look a lot older than they are, have difficulty breathing and couldn't hear an atom bomb go off in their back yard. Take these precautions NOW while they will still do you some good because once the damage becomes apparent it will NEVER go away but it simply does not need to happen and it is easy to avoid but if you don't you will regret it, go ahead and ask me how I know all this!

[oldred]

Just like to clarify something I said earlier about AC machines and their use. I said they could be used successfully with 7018 and other high tensile rods for frames and steel castings but not cast iron but I meant the 7018 and other steel rods could not be used on iron castings not the welder, AC welders with the proper rods (Nickel) will weld iron castings just fine.

[Old Hemi]

I agree with oldred, I don't weld as much as I used to but still burn a few pounds of rod a year. I use my old faithful 1946 SA- 200 Lincoln that I've had forever. I usa 7018 and 7014. The 7014 I use for general purpose and 7018 for just about everything else. I spent 30 plus years as a heavy equipment mechanic/ welder in construction. I now work for the state.

[chase1994]

Thanks oldred. I cover myself good when I weld. But I haven't thought about the "bib" thing. I will have to try that too. I most of the time don't stick weld, but I guess it is good to do when MIG welding too.

[boatbob2]

Hi Guys,you all forgot something,if a rod is damp,it will USUALLY stick...i have a plastic rod box with a rubber gasket,i keep rods in it,sometimes for a year or more,and they dont get damp, but,since ive had my mig welders,i dont stick weld much anymore.

[boatbob2]

Hi Guys,you all forgot something,if a rod is damp,it will USUALLY stick...i have a round ,blue, plastic rod box with a rubber gasket,i keep rods in it,sometimes for a year or more,and they dont get damp, but,since ive had my mig welders,i dont stick weld much anymore.

[oldred]

Bob, you are of course right about that and it should have been mentioned earlier, thanks for bringing it up. There are several other problems related to using damp rods also and some of these are more serious than just the rod sticking! A rod does not have to be visibly damp to contain enough moisture to cause problems and while storing them in a dry place is a very good idea it is a super good idea to keep them in an oven, or at least bake them for a few hours at low heat before use. On mild steel for general fab work, a trailer frame built from angle iron for example, then baking would not be necessary even though it would still be a good idea. If you wanted to repair, for example, a frame, spring hanger, steering parts or any steel casting using 7018 then baking them prior to use would be very important. An exception is when buying rod in hermetically sealed containers they will be ready to use until they have been exposed to air for more than a hour with low air humidity and as little as 1/2 hour when humid. (15 minutes or so on a rainy day!) Buy dry rods and KEEP them dry, by sealing them while they are still good and dry and/or baking them before use when making a critical weld.


On 7018, 8018 or any low hydrogen rod if the rod wire core is starting to rust and/or the flux is coated with a loose white powdery residue then it is best to discard them and buy new rods, they are not nearly as expensive as a failed weld!

[chase1994]

thanks guys.

[61bone]

Another thing about them earplugs. There is no excitement in the world like having some spatter go in your ear. Burning eardrum sounds like frying bacon. If it sticks while your welding, your not maintaining your arc length.

By the way, before prefluxed rods, The rod did come in rolls, but were struck to heat them and were then dipped in powered flux just like you do with brazing rod.