Found some 7024 to play with

[deereman75]

Well, I have wanted to try 7024 for a long time, but I couldn't make myself spend the cash for a can of blueshield rods...
Anyways, under the rod cabinet at the museum I work at, is a few hundred pounds of very old and possibly scrap welding rods. In that pile was a very old box of liquid air 3/32 7024. Just that brand should tell you how old they are... LOL They are starting to get some white dust on the flux, but there is no rust. The best welder there looked at them and said that they are not the best, but should still run alright. Anyways, I grabbed half a dozen of them, and I am planning on doing some testing with them tomorrow morning. It's about half a box there, and they will never use them. If they run alright, I might offer a few bucks for the box.

Stay tuned for pictures. Any idea what amperage I should run for them?

They also had a full can of 1/4" 7024, too bad nothing there has the balls to run them. I think their best use is as bar stock... LOL

 

[Shield Arc]

I think the last time I ran any 7024 was in the early 1980's. In my line of work Lincoln's LN-22s and Innershield wire eliminated the need for 7024.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Just keep moving...and keep the flux behind you if you can with the rod buried.

 

[Arc weld]

Very interesting, I sold some 3/32" 7024 last week. I didn't even think they made it that small. I've burned a lot of 3/16" and 1/4" 7024 but like Shield Arc said, its pretty much been taken over by flux-core. 7024 was the production rod for years, that's why Lincoln calls theirs there's Jet rod but pretty much everyone calls 7024 Jet rod now. You can basically rest it on the plate and it will almost burn by itself. Run it hot but not so hot you get blisters in the weld bead. I like to hold the arc length just high enough so it isn't dragging the slag. On a couple occasions I had the slag cause problems with the puddle. It might have just been that I didn't have enough angle on the rod to force the slag back. Slag should curl up by itself in most situations except deep groove welds. Then it can be a real pain to remove but 7024 isn't normally used for groove welds. Welds are very smooth and it's an easy rod to use. All 7024 pretty much burns the same and it can be used on all polarities. It works best however on straight polarity(electrode negative). Experiment with it and see what happens.

 

[CNC Dan]

Use extra travel angle to keep the slag from getting under the bead. Like 45* .

 

[deereman75]

Thanks for the tips!
I will report back after lunch.

 

[deereman75]

Well, the welding had to wait until tomorrow. The puppy was sick, and I had to look after him all day. Tomorrow morning, I will burn some 7024.

 

[deereman75]

Oh man. That stickweld 250 loves these liquid air (15 year old blueshield) rods! The rods were a lot damper than I thought... Where they sat on my hot bench, there was a puddle of water... And they were still the nicest running rods I have ever seen. 106 amps DCEN, 1/8 plate 3/32 liquid air 7024, and the amazingly good stickweld 250. That thing seriously runs nicer than the industrial 400 amp hobart at the museum... LOL
Anyways, here are some pictures. The one short bead with a really bad end, the flux fell off the rod, and it bent like a pretzel. The rest of them ran like a dream. I didn't even have to do anything! Just held a 50* rod angle, and they literally ran themselves! I didn't even have to move my hands!
Not too bad for old, soaking wet rods!

Here are some pictures.



If you have of these stickweld 250s, or even any similar inverter, you have to try some 7024! If the lead to my stinger was a bit stiffer, I wouldn't even need to hold it to weld with these things!

 

[Shield Arc]

Those are some nice welds!:thumbsup: If your mom isn't home! Turn the kitchen oven on to about 150 to 200-degrees, and dry those rods out.


Years ago there was a thread on the AWS forum, guys in Texas were building the base to a large tank in an oil refinery. They were running very large 7024, they had better luck running the large rods on AC. I would have never thought about trying AC with 7024 myself, so I thought it was very interesting.

 

[DXN1EL]

I want to get some of that 7024. But it hot outside, I have only used my PA300 3 times need some steel though.

 

[deereman75]

Thanks man! If I had more than two rods left, I would bake them. I will see about making an offer on the rest of the box.

Only possible issue is we have a gas oven.... Might not be able to dry them with the moisture produced.
I think I will try and get a toaster oven from the thrift shop, to prevent a major war if she finds I have baked welding rods in the oven.... LOL


I dont have the tombstone anymore, it is at my uncles ranch for fixing his haying equipment. No way to run ac any more.
I sure do like that longevity though! It likes these rods more than any others I have tried!

 

[flusher]

7024 is a drag rod. Works well for capping a weld after a deep penetrating root pass with 6010/11. I keep 5 lb of it around my shop for that use. Get it at Tractor Supply.

 

[rankrank1]

If you still have your Lincoln AC tombstone. Try some on that unit - I bet they burn sweet on that unit too. While I have never ran any 7024, Every AC buzzbox that I have ever ran simply loves 7014 which is very similar to 7024. (According to specs 7014 is not quite as "jet rod'ish" as 7024 as it has a slightly lower deposition rate of metal, but 7014 is suitable for all position welding where 7024 is horizontal welding only so I prefer 7014 for my uses. Plus I can buy 7014 anywhere).

Firm believer in 7014 for back yard hacks like me. I call it "idiot rod" as it will literally almost weld by itself.

 

[deereman75]

I will be doing some more rod testing soon.
My dad is picking up 10# of esab ok-55 7018 for me on his way back from alberta.
I am thinking a shoot out between lincoln 7018ac, blueshield/air liquide 7018, and esab ok-55 7018.
I might have to get a rod oven if I stock any more 7018..... LOL

 

[deereman75]

If you still have your Lincoln AC tombstone. Try some on that unit - I bet they burn sweet on that unit too. While I have never ran any 7024, Every AC buzzbox that I have ever ran simply loves 7014 which is very similar to 7024. (According to specs 7014 is not quite as "jet rod'ish" as 7024 as it has a slightly lower deposition rate of metal, but 7014 is suitable for all position welding where 7024 is horizontal welding only so I prefer 7014 for my uses. Plus I can buy 7014 anywhere).

Firm believer in 7014 for back yard hacks like me. I call it "idiot rod" as it will literally almost weld by itself.

I just sent it to my uncles ranch a week ago... Im a bit late.... LOL

 

[weldermike]

Looking good deereman!

 

[deereman75]

Thanks man!
I'm getting better!

 

[Gary Fowler]

I never liked the 7024 as they either had a smooth bead or a slag inclusion right down the middle and you couldn't tell it till you removed the slag. They do make a bad welder look good though with the scratch and drag method, they do weld by themselves with little input from the welder. MY suggestion is that you stay with the 7018 if you aspire to be a professional welder as that is the stick electrode that you will encounter in heavy construction. I haven't seen a 7024 used on a construction job in 40 years.

 

[deereman75]

No worries, I am still planning on running 7018 for pretty much everything.
It's easier to find, about the same price, still very easy to run well, and likely stronger in real use.

Now if only I could get the hang of those darn 6010 5p+......
Most expensive **** rods I have ever bought, I am having a really hard time with them.....

I know how tomorrow will be spent..... LOL

 

[CNC Dan]

Now if only I could get the hang of those darn 6010 5p+......
Most expensive **** rods I have ever bought, I am having a really hard time with them.....

Some inverters don't run 6010/6011 like other machines.