rod price go up recently?

[Soundguy]

I just depleted my 6011 1/8 rod stockpile and went to get a 5# box to finish a project. 24$ yikes? Admittedly I havn't bought rod since last year.. but I don't recall it being 5$/# ???


soundguy

 

[Shield Arc]

It's not, buy it by the 50lb. Should be a little over $2.00 a pound.

 

[some zilch]

that seems a bit excessive. i bought some lincoln excalibur 7018 (1/8") for less than $3/lb last week from the LWS in a 10lb can. it was actually cheaper than home depot in 5lb boxes....i was surprised. i usually buy hobart rod at TSC, but i bought lincoln rod b/c i was at the LWS for work, and i like shopping on the clock

 

[SixHoeBob]

Welding rods have always been under fifty dollars a box at TSC, and they still are.
The 50# boxes have become 25# boxes for the same low price per box.

And they say the economy will get better....

 

[Soundguy]

It's not, buy it by the 50lb. Should be a little over $2.00 a pound.

since I want dry rod, and 50# would last me 5 years.. I don't buy it by the semi-truck load. I'm just a hobby-shop-farmer.. not a battleship foundry.

5# box is good for me at a time.. that way i can get about 2 a year of each size and it don't set around too long. I have sealed containers for storage.. but still.. 50# would be wet and rusty by the time I used it all iup.

rod I saw was hobart at TSC..

10# would be the largest I would consider purchasing.

will check another few stores this week on 5# box price. napa, car quest and the local tool store cary rod. so does the gas dealer in the next town.

soundguy

 

[yomax4]

Kills me. TSC, Home Depot ? Try a Welding Supply Distributor...Choose between several brands and prices..They will wheel and deal on price and you will get better rods for your money. Check it out..

 

[Soundguy]

got a gas dealer next town over I can check.. otherwise it's the box stores selling mostly hobart or lincoln.. plus napa and car quest. 1 tool store also sells some as they have low end welders.. etc..

soundguy

 

[RoMad]

I don't weld much anymore so my last 50 lbs of 6011 lasted me at least 5 or 6 years. I keep mine in an old cooler that the lid seals really tight and I don't have any problems with the rods lasting a long time. I think if they last that long in Florida's humidity they will last that long anywhere.
I bought another 50 lbs. of 1/8" 6011 a couple of months ago to build my box blade and they were just a little over $2 a pound at a welding supply. The bad news is that now that I have a tractor I am going through a lot more rods making stuff for it. :laughing:

 

[JerryK]

I have been welding up critters all winter long, and was using 7018 AC 3/32". I have lots of 1/8" and 5/32"...but was using up the little stuff for the critters. I ran out and just bought four 5 pound packs [ 20 pounds ] of Lincoln 7018 AC 3/32" from Welding Supplies and Welding Equipment by Welding Supply Company of Louisville, Inc. for $51.60 including UPS shipping. They are shipping orders over $50 for free. I bought 10 pounds of Hobart 7018 DCEP/AC [ $24.99 plus tax ] at TSC and didn't like how hard it was to restart on my buzz box. Anyway, check around....

 

[JerryK]

right, left, right, left.....PLATOON ... HALT..!!!! LEFT ... FACE..!!!!

PARADE....REST !!!!

At ease men......let out your tongues and pant if you got them.....

 

[SixHoeBob]

TSC is 15% cheaper than Airgas (the big welding store). I will just give myself a pay raise, I am sure that idea will work.

 

[SixHoeBob]

Mr JerryK,
The steel hounds look healthy but a little slim. Maybe some rebar nuggets in the dish?

 

[JerryK]

Mr JerryK,
The steel hounds look healthy but a little slim. Maybe some rebar nuggets in the dish?

Them critters are getting ship'd out soon and their new female owners can feed and clean up after them... I started out just making one for my sister..and learned my lesson the hard way [ " Oh...I want one " ]. Next winter, I am going to find something else to do.

 

[dstig1]

Jerry - cute. Impressive to do that with Stick too. That would probably be a lot easier with MIG.

 

[Soundguy]

TSC is 15% cheaper than Airgas (the big welding store). I will just give myself a pay raise, I am sure that idea will work.

yep.. ours is airgas too and was similar.. so i passed.

lucked up and the lil tool store had 6011 and 6013 by the 10# box reasonably priced. I use tubes with good gaskets a different tube for each rod size and type .. tube holds 5#.. if I have more than 5 split my rod between 2 tubes. and I work out of one tube till exhausted then hit the next one..that way the rod isin't exposed to the atmosphere every time I need a couple.. just one batch is.. etc.

ended up getting a 10# box for 23$ was -QUITE- happy with that. and since i DO use about 10# per year, and just ran out of last years 5# I bought in july.. I'm just about on schedule.. so I should be good till the end of the year if not a few more months.

wow.. tsc was 2x the price PLUS!!! simply amazing..

soundguy

 

[J_J]

right, left, right, left.....PLATOON ... HALT..!!!! LEFT ... FACE..!!!!

PARADE....REST !!!!

At ease men......let out your tongues and pant if you got them.....

Nice looking critters. Do you have any painted ones to show? I have some ideas for a large spider.

I also have a hyd re-bar cutter/bender machine that I got in a trade.

 

[JerryK]

Nice looking critters. Do you have any painted ones to show? I have some ideas for a large spider.

I also have a hyd re-bar cutter/bender machine that I got in a trade.

I made them just to set out and rust....if the women don't like them that way they can paint them or whatever. I cut the rerod on an old Harbor Freight bandsaw, and bend it with a 3/4" pipe with the rod in a vise. All low tech. I always wanted to make myself a real bender, but never got around to it. Rerod is cheap, and it gives me something to do while I am wasteing away waiting for spring... Making a couple of critters is fun, more than that and it starts to be work..... I make at least one part of each one out of stainless, just for the heck of it. Have at it.....and enjoy life... Jerry

 

[easygo]

I keep my welding rods in those sealed tubes as well but I toss in a pack or four (depending on rod type) of that silica that comes with most electronics and just about any gizmo these days. That keeps the rods nice and dry. Besides in the winter I have about 20% humidity on the real cold days. I bought around #30 of rods from a guy a year or so ago. A whole variety including 6011/6013/7014/7018 and all work fine with the above mentioned storage. I'm sure the previous owner had them for a few years before selling.

 

[Shield Arc]

A lot of people use these, in a cabinet, old icebox, etc, etc.

Buenger Enterprises 3D18 Golden Rod Dehumidifier 18"

 

[rankrank1]

yep.. ours is airgas too and was similar.. so i passed.

lucked up and the lil tool store had 6011 and 6013 by the 10# box reasonably priced. .. tsc was 2x the price PLUS!!! simply amazing..

soundguy

For another future alternative local source: If you have an Ace Hardware nearby, then they have Forney rods in 1lb, 5lb, and a few 10lb boxes on some rod sizes. I just bought some 1lb samples last week to try out on a used low output 110 volt cheapie arc welder just to see what it will do (cheapie welder was essentially a freebie that I will proably never use - have Mig and a 220 buzzbox for critical welding). The Ace pricing on the Forney rods was decent. Have not used the rod yet, but it should do fine for my Hack welding needs.

The few items that I have ever tried pricing at AirGas have always been overly expensive so I do not do business there period. I really do like the other LWS (Weiler Welding - I bought my Lincoln Mig from them) and there prices on welding consumables are better than any of the box stores on identical items. Unfortunately, Weiler Welding closes at Noon on Saturday and I can not always make it there by then and weekday shopping is not an option for me due to work obligations so I sometimes do use convenient weekend sorces that are open. Lowes, Home Depot, TSC, and Ace Hardware are nice for the convenience factor.