7018....still good?

RobertBrown · Dec 4, 2011

I have a full can of 7018 rods (100?) that has been open for 10 years. The rods look good but will they still work? I use a wire welder and got rid of the stick, before I sell, trade or give these things away i would like to know if they're still good.
Anybody have an opinion on this?

dstig1 · Dec 4, 2011

Ummm...try them? Only real way to tell. If you don't have a stick welder anymore find someone who does. Otherwise if you want to just give them away, then I don't think anyone can really complain...

Brushhill dave · Dec 5, 2011

Bake them at about 350 for 2+- hours and see what they will do. If the flux is still on them then they should be good once you dry them out.

sandman2234 · Dec 5, 2011

Age doesn't hurt them from what I can tell, as long as moisture hasn't gotten to them. I got a HUGE supply of rods back in 1987 and am still using them with great results. (all types of rods)
David from jax

Haywire · Dec 5, 2011

Depends on who you talk to. Lots of opinions. I've been told that they're fine and I've been told they're useless and I've been told that the welds will look good but will fail later due to hydrogen embrittlement, but (and this is my guess) that might be only in those applications that require properly kept low hydrogen rods due to the base metal being welded. I don't know. I'm a rookie.

Ian

deereman75 · Dec 5, 2011

If someone offered me the rods, I would take them. If all the flux falls off, I would just use them for gas welding.

Gary Fowler · Dec 5, 2011

Bend one double to crack off the flux. If the wire inside the flux isnt rusty, they can likely be rebaked to remove the moisture and they should work fine. If I remember correctly (without using Google) rebake temps are 750 F for 4 hours. Lower temp of 500F for a longer period might also work. Correct info on that should be easy to find on internet. If they are rusty inside the flux, just toss them.

AHNC · Dec 5, 2011

I've had good results re-heating/drying 6010 and 7018 over the years. I had my rod in a damp basement and if I had a project coming up I'd wait for the boss to go to the store and throw a handful in the over for drying. Worked very well and I would suggest heating the rod prior to use anyway. It can make a world of difference with 7018.

Gary Fowler · Dec 5, 2011

6010 shouldnt be heated but just kept under dry storage conditions at room temperature. They have a cellulose coating that deteriotes when heated unlike low hydrogen rods which have an iron powder coating that absorbs lots of moisture and needs to be kept dry. For those without rod ovens, a suggestion would be to put unused rods in a vacuum sealled bag like seal-a-meal and keep them till ready to use. Heating to 350F in an electric oven for an hour or 2 would dry them out sufficiently prior to use. I would heat them prior to bagging to remove moisture, cool and immediately seal them up in 1/2 pound bags more or less depending on your average use. Once bagged and sealed they would keep indefinitely. Some rods come in 10# plastic slip apart containers that would be ideal for keeping these bagged rods in for protection. I threw away about 50 of them when I got my rod oven.

Shield Arc · Dec 5, 2011

From an AWS D1.1.**** book.

A5.1 is carbon steel electrodes for SMAW, A5.5 is low alloy electrodes for SMAW. Plain E7018 is an A5.1 electrode.

Clause 5.3.2.1 states that the electrodes must be transferred directly from the hermetically sealed container into a storage oven maintained at 250-degrees F min.

Electrodes must be rebaked after exposure to the environment. Per clause 5.3.2.4, A5.1 electrodes must be rebaked for at least two hrs between 500-degrees and 800-degrees F. A5.5 electrodes must be rebaked at least one hour between 700-degrees and 800-degreesF.

Back to clause 5.3.2.1, electrodes can be rebaked only once and electrodes that have gotten wet shall not be used.