7018

[rlp in Co.]

Yesterday I tried some 7018 rod for the first time. I borrowed a portable welder from my neighbor. I first tried with about 100 amps and couldn't strike an arc. So then I tried 150amps, still no luck. Finally I was able to weld at 190 amps. This rod makes me look like a pro! I could only hold the arc if I held it clear to the bottom of the puddle, rubbing against the metal. Is something wrong with this welder or is this normal? I was using 1/8 rod.
I usually use 6011 but my welds look terrible but they are always strong. Will 7018 welds be as strong?

 

[JDemaris]

7018 needs to be super-dry to work well. Once you open a sealed container and let it sit for a few days, it can get tough to get started - unless you live in a dry desert area somewhere. I keep all mine stored in a warm-dry place and never out in my shop.

As far as strength compared to 6011? The metal 7018 leaves is 15% stronger, but it's a medium penetration rod, whereas 6011 is a deep penetration rod. With equal sized beads, the 7018 is stronger. But, often, especially on rusty metal, the 6011 will leave a deeper weld. 7018 works much better on dis-similar metals and cast-steel then 6011.

 

[JDemaris]

I noticed, that going by your forum-name, maybe you are in a dry Colorado desert area?

 

[Keith Molden]

To answer a couple of your questions, 190 amps is in fact a bit high for 1/8 7018. It should (if properly applied) have 10,000 lbs. more strength than 6011 rod. The first 2 numbers on the rod is it's tensil strength. The biggest problem I've noticed for welders without experience with it is the flux coating will most always cover the end of the rod when you stop. I usually just tap the end of the rod on the piece I'm welding before I strike my arc. If I'm doing a critical weld, I will use a strike block ( a piece of copper) to tap it on so I don't strike the arc outside the weld area. Once you get used to it, you can lay some very nice beads with it. have fun & enjoy. Just my thoughts, Keith

 

[rlp in Co.]

I live in eastern Colorado. It is in the Pawnee grasslands.
I just bought the rod so it should have been dry but maybe not. Maybe moisture caused my problems getting it to arc. Maybe I will try heating it up in an old pan on the stove.

 

[Puddles]

190-AMPS isn't really that far out of line for 1/8 inch 7018. Lincoln's Weldirectory suggests a high of 170-amps.

6011 / Fleetweld 180 has a “As Welded Tensile Strength” of 62,000 to 81,000. And yield of 50,000 to 73,000.
Where as 7018 / Jetweld LH-75 MR has a “As Welded Tensile Strength” of 72,000 to 84,000. And a yield of 60,000. to 74,000.

What brand of 7018 are you using? And what kind of portable welder?

 

[JDemaris]

I'm in perpetually damp New York. I can open a fresh can of 7018, and by the next day it starts working funny. Nice thing is . . . once it gets real cold and my wood furnace is going all the time, I leave all my 7018 laying on top of it. Then it works fine. I guess it's called a "low hydrogen" rod for a reason.

Years back when I worked for a Deere dealer, we had a special "dry box" with a light inside where we kept all our 7018. It was our "main" rod since it's what Deere recommends for much of it's equipment repairs.

 

[Gene-WI]

7018 is supposed to be run DC reverse polarity, if you are experencing arc blow, try moving your ground to a different location. Gene

 

[James K]

thats how we do it in our shop we have a old mini fridge that we modified and put a light in the bottom so it would warm it up and keep them dry. Seeing as how i live in NY too

 

[Puddles]

If you're going to use much low hydrogen rod you need to get one of these.
I have a 300 pound oven, and a 10 pound. I was at an auction today looking at another SA-200, I bought a 50 pound oven for $25.00, looks almost new! :wink:

 

[Anonymous-0]

no welding expert but if you usually use 6011 it is mainly for ac welder use but can be run dc the dc equivelent is 6010 rod, 7018 is basically a dc rod and is very difficult to run on an ac welder however they have introduced a rod called 7018ac for use on ac welders. i love it on my old buzz box that is probably 60 plus years old as it was sold on a state surplus auction about 30 years ago. tag rating is 30 minutes at 300 amps, i've wondered what size rod would require 300 amps and how big a man it would take to hold a rod capable of loading a welder high enough for a rating like this. chuckle chuckle leroy

 

[60 acre hillside]

The amperage setting numbers are not exact. They may vary greatly from one machine to another and are used for relative settings only. Is the voltage also adjustable on your machine? what polarity were you using?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Of the basic welding electrodes 7018 is by far the strongest, 6010/6011(ac) are the second strongest. Both of these rods are for dynamic loading but burn completely different from each other. 6010/11 should use a back and forth whipping motion for most applications. All other rods use a straight forward progression. 7018 needs to be kept dry but for general use doesn't need a rod oven, although they weld a lot nicer when they are hot to begin with.

As was said, the amperage on a machine can vary quite a bit from what the dial says, even with 2 identical machines. Some shops have their welding machines calibrated so the dials are close to the actual amperage. This is so that strict weld procedures for critical work are followed. Generally 1/8" 7018 would run in the 120 to 150 amp range but it does depend on the machine. You can't go by what the dial says. That's why most welders will set their heat on a piece of scrap. 1/4" 7018/7024 will take about 300 amps to burn properly and it's not uncommon to have 2 stingers because they do get too hot to hold even with welding gloves! Get into some 3/8" round or 5/8" flat gouging rods and you can use well over 300 amps. The welding cables actually jump when you strike an arc and you can feel the current going through them. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Puddles, the shop I'm at doesn't have a rod oven. Oh never mind, they don't have any rods! LoL When I was at the Ritchie Bros. auction earlier this year, I should have bought all the rod ovens. About 15 10lb. Gullco ovens, on a pallet, sold for about $50 or $60... for the entire pallet! New they're well over $200 each. Dave

 

[trucker 40]

7018 doesnt dig in as deep as 6011.Thats why with 7018 you should bevel what you are welding in most cases.Also 7018 works good for welding uphill.There are demonstrations of using 7018 on You Tube and other places on the internet.

190 is probably a little high.7018 is hard to strike an arc with until you get used to it.As far as welding with any rod goes you dont want to have it real hot,you want it on the lower side of the heat,as long as it welds good.When the slag peels off of the weld its just about right.

When you weld with it you want to keep your rod at the front of the puddle.Actually if you are welding flat,if you look as you are welding you can see a line behind the puddle which is the slag laying down on the weld.If you move slower the edges of the line go forward,if you go faster the edges of the line go back.You want to keep the line straight and thats about as good of looking a weld as you can make with it as long as you have it set right and move at the right speed to keep the line straight where the slag lays down.

 

[rlp in Co.]

The welder is a Miller ae200l. It just dawned on me why I had to use so much amperage. The cables are about 100 ft. long. Maybe it's getting a voltage drop.

 

[rlp in Co.]

The brand of rod is Forney. What brand do you like the best?

 

[rlp in Co.]

Not sure of the polerity. There is no marking on the welder. It just says work on the plug where I pluged in the stinger. The voltage was set on the higest setting, 100. Like I said in the other post, maybe the long cables caused voltage drop. Thanks to everyone for the replys. I have learned a lot just by reading this forum.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I don't know who makes rods for Forney. A Miller legend is a decent machine. Yes, with long cables you will lose some amps, especially if the cables are on the small size. Bad cable connections or a bad ground can lose amps as well. Air Liquide 7018 is preferred by about 90% of the shops up here even though it costs more. I'm not sure how much of it is sold in the US though. Atom Arc 7018 from Esab, I think is similar. They now have an improved 7018 called Atom Arc Acclaim that is supposed to have improved puddle control for easier out of position welding. Dave

 

[Puddles]

You may see a little voltage drop with 100 feet long leads, but as Dave said chances are you have a bad ground, old leads, or quite a few other things that could cause you to run a little higher AMPS.

I doubt very seriously I've ever run any Forney rod, I don't think it is sold around here. I really like ESAB's AtomArc, and their Sureweld 10P, and 10P Plus 6010.

Here is some AtomArc 7018 on a 2-inch pipe ran in the G-G position. Remember I'm not a pipe welder, just an old structural hand, who can't see anymore, so go easy on me. :wink:

 

[buickanddeere]

Try 7018 with a DC welder, wonderful struff. With that dry clean materials. Just about any quarter decent tinkerer can make an acceptable weld.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

I am located in the stix. I have tried several Fourney supplies and remain shocked that the company continues to exist. The products were not just not great quality, but in practical usage almost a negative.

My local comm. supply guy (who ain't no saint) charges me $6 or so for a 14" cutoff wheel and
I get 20 or 30 cuts, mainy 1/8 or 14 steel tubing.

I bought a couple Fourney wheels on the road and got I think 3 cuts and the wheel was done.

Poor result with other products from the same company.

 

[Anonymous-0]

That must be heavy wall pipe. Was it welded in the 6G(45 deg.) position, 1/8" rods? Nothing wrong with that weld. On the pressure retest here you can use 3/32" rods which makes it a lot easier on 2" pipe. Dave

 

[rlp in Co.]

Thanks for the pictures. I wish my welds would look so good. Why make two passes? And what is the G G position? How thick is that pipe?

 

[Anonymous-0]

2 pass stringer bead caps are slightly stronger because they give a finer grain structure in the weld and are common on heavy wall pipe with a wider bevel. A lot of inspectors don't like really wide weaves. No such thing as G G position. I think he meant 6G where the pipe is on a 45 deg axis. The G means it's a groove weld. The number in front is the position of the weld. 6G covers most positions in some way. Dave

 

[Puddles]

Sorry about that, yes it was suppose to be 6-G, (45°). Told you guys I can't see!

Yes 3/32 inch 7018. On 2 inch sch 80 pipe.