keeping welding rod dry?

bitternut · Oct 6, 2011

The other day I needed some 7018 rod and the smallest amount I could buy was 10 lbs which was quite a bit more than I needed at the time. Since I don't have a rod oven the chances of it staying dry till the next time I needed some more of it seemed remote.

Well I bought it anyway since I felt it was the right rod and I thought that possibly I could preserve it by sealing it up in a vacuum freezer bag. I split up the remaining rod into smaller lots and used my food freezing vacuum sealer. Has anyone ever tried this before to keep welding rod dry? If so how did it work and for how long?

Here's hoping its a winner

k0ua · Oct 6, 2011

Sounds like it would work.. Let us know. Never thought of it.

James K0UA

Baby Grand · Oct 6, 2011

Dang! That should work. Why didn't I think of that? My wife has one that she uses to put up the veggies from the garden for freezlng that didn't get pickled or canned. I wonder what she'll say when she sees me drying the rod in her oven, then sealing it up with her bagger .... hmmm .... gotta play this one carefully.

Great idea - thanks for sharing.

-Jim

easygo · Oct 6, 2011

I have one of those twist lock tubes and I tossed in a bunch of moisture absorbing packages that come with any electronic item these days. I have used that method for a few years and the 7018 rods "fresh" out of there work very well for me.

SandburRanch · Oct 6, 2011

editt

JB4310 · Oct 6, 2011

So as long as you keep them airtight there should be no need for drying them?

I have the storage tubes also, but the last 7018's I got, I just left in the container they came in, folded up the plastic good but I doubt they are air tight.

Do they dry themselves if the ambient conditions are dry will they dry as well even if exposed to high humidity earlier?

What's the time and temp if you have to throw them in the oven (when the wife's at work of course) ?

That would be perfect, she's always complaining why I don't try cooking a meal. She comes home from work and sees me in the kitchen with the oven on and thinks I must of got all sensitive or something

Then looks in the oven and sees "metal sticks" I better run before there's a serious pincident (rolling pin assault)

:laughing:

JB

ihuntbear · Oct 6, 2011

I have an old bar fridge that doesnt work anymore.I installed a 15 watt light bulb and leave it on all the time.Rods stay warm and dry.I wait for rods to come on sale and store them

kf4uda · Oct 6, 2011

ihuntbear said:
I have an old bar fridge that doesnt work anymore.I installed a 15 watt light bulb and leave it on all the time.Rods stay warm and dry.I wait for rods to come on sale and store them

:thumbsup: Same setup here also

slowzuki · Oct 6, 2011

Plastic lets a fair amount of moisture travel through it. I'm never good about keeping rods dry but I try to buy fresh ones for a big projects. Unfortunately I used to blow through boxes of rods in no time while now I might have the same box for a year or more. You sure notice when using a wet rod.