Excalibur, so angry!

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I didn't buy/try it sooner! I've had issues with nearly every start I've made with  the farm store brand 7018.  Porosity, then very random worm holes.  I'd get a few that looked good, but it was the exception not rule.  It seemed, to get clean starts everything had to be absolutely  perfect, correct lunar alignment and all. So I finally got around to opening the can of Excalibur I had bought,  since I  hate have multiple containers of the same thing/size open,  and I  swear I couldn't get a bad start, or worm holes when I was trying.  Literally trying,  long arcing, too slow travel,  poor rod angles etc.  It made me chuckle a little. The puddle  is significantly clearer, IMO, while slightly harder to re-light, the slag seems to hang back a little better and doesn't seem to flow (all over) as easily.  Needless to say, I won't be wasting any more $ on the farm store rods.   Now,  I am well aware that good welds are made everyday with the other rods,  but I'll admit my skill levels aren't on par with many of the WW pros. I'm not new to stick welding,  but I've always written it off as old tech, same with O/A torch.  Probably because I never bothered to attempt to be proficient with it, and I wasn't.   Until I  started seeing the quality that Jody, and many of the members here display regularly.  So I'm trying to relearn, understand, and conquer this "old tech!"  I wish I  had tried sooner. So thanks to the old hands here at WW! What was it? If you want a new idea, read an old book?  Or something to that effect.
Reply:I know many people talk about certain machines like certain rod/wire. Sounds like you found your machines favorite rod.
Reply:where the farm rods dry? did you open them up from a fresh air tight sealed container? if not they got damp, try drying them out in your house oven low heat for an hour or so and try welding with them again and see if that makes a difference..Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:AMEN!!Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:Originally Posted by Teggy1I didn't buy/try it sooner! I've had issues with nearly every start I've made with  the farm store brand 7018.  Porosity, then very random worm holes.  I'd get a few that looked good, but it was the exception not rule.  It seemed, to get clean starts everything had to be absolutely  perfect, correct lunar alignment and all. So I finally got around to opening the can of Excalibur I had bought,  since I  hate have multiple containers of the same thing/size open,  and I  swear I couldn't get a bad start, or worm holes when I was trying.  Literally trying,  long arcing, too slow travel,  poor rod angles etc.  It made me chuckle a little. The puddle  is significantly clearer, IMO, while slightly harder to re-light, the slag seems to hang back a little better and doesn't seem to flow (all over) as easily.  Needless to say, I won't be wasting any more $ on the farm store rods.   Now,  I am well aware that good welds are made everyday with the other rods,  but I'll admit my skill levels aren't on par with many of the WW pros. I'm not new to stick welding,  but I've always written it off as old tech, same with O/A torch.  Probably because I never bothered to attempt to be proficient with it, and I wasn't.   Until I  started seeing the quality that Jody, and many of the members here display regularly.  So I'm trying to relearn, understand, and conquer this "old tech!"  I wish I  had tried sooner. So thanks to the old hands here at WW! What was it? If you want a new idea, read an old book?  Or something to that effect.
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbwhere the farm rods dry? did you open them up from a fresh air tight sealed container? if not they got damp, try drying them out in your house oven low heat for an hour or so and try welding with them again and see if that makes a difference..
Reply:Fresh rods: the best on the marketConstant Current Weldor.
Reply:@roadkillbob, I really don't know if they were dry.  I've shorted them out and heated them up before starting,  and restriking partially consumed rods with same results.   This isn't just some off  brand rod, it's a rather popular brand carried at the bigger box stores.  The container is as sealed as the clear tape that holds the sleeve togetherLast edited by Teggy1; 01-16-2015 at 06:36 PM.
Reply:Where do people buy good electrodes. I can get Radnor or another brand you never heard of locally. Other than that it's Home Depot or Tractor Supply.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:@docwelder, I don't want to say they are sh*t rods, but I sure can't get decent results out of them.  I know it's possible!  Running an older idealarc 250 ac/dc machine.
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BWhere do people buy good electrodes. I can get Radnor or another brand you never heard of locally. Other than that it's Home Depot or Tractor Supply.
Reply:I get my excalibers at praxair, and they run better/just as good in AC, The only ones I buy.
Reply:Originally Posted by Teggy1@roadkillbob, I really don't know if they were dry.  I've shorted them out and heated them up before starting,  and restriking partially consumed rods with same results.   This isn't just some off  brand rod, it's a rather popular brand carried at the bigger box stores.  The container is as sealed as the clear tape that holds the sleeve together
Reply:Originally Posted by Teggy1@docwelder, I don't want to say they are sh*t rods, but I sure can't get decent results out of them.  I know it's possible!  Running an older idealarc 250 ac/dc machine.
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbthats not the same as having them in a rod oven or drying them out in your oven, and the way the rods are packed is not airtight, they are damp..cook em up in the oven and try welding them again..the lincoln rods probably came in a metal pop top can that is vacuum sealed..
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbwhere the farm rods dry? did you open them up from a fresh air tight sealed container? if not they got damp, try drying them out in your house oven low heat for an hour or so and try welding with them again and see if that makes a difference..
Reply:ill take atom arc over the excalibur .... but just barely.AWS CWI xxxx21711968 SA200  Originally Posted by WelderMike  I hate being bipolar, It's awesome.
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BWhere do people buy good electrodes. I can get Radnor or another brand you never heard of locally. Other than that it's Home Depot or Tractor Supply.
Reply:I got some Excalibur for the first time ( also at huber supply) 5/32 7018 and really liked the way they ran. The Lincoln's they sell ran nice also. I had some old rods and if I turned up the amps they ran ok.
Reply:I keep mine in a Phoenix warming oven which maintains about 350 degrees. I think they weld better right out of that oven than fresh out of sealed can because they are hot. You need to have gloves on to extract a rod from this oven and it's small enough it sets in arms reach when repairing something.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:excaliber is nice. very forgiving! i have 100lbs of it that got wet that is still great to practice with and only makes a sponge out of the start. if i short it dry, it runs like new!i dont think using a home oven is a good idea if it is gas. natural gas is a hydrocarbon. so main products of combustion are h2o and co2. you can see it with a torch on cold steel. the steel will get wet before it gets dry.bosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:excaliber is the only 7018 i buy and test onHigh Octane Welding
Reply:Air Liquide 7018 and Esab OK55 are more popular than Excalibur here but i'm real curious who made the bad rods from the farm store were? Were they cheaper or what?
Reply:Glad ya found something that works for ya.  If you ever get a chance try some atom-arc 7018 it's a nice rod also.
Reply:Originally Posted by 92dlxmanexcaliber is nice. very forgiving! i have 100lbs of it that got wet that is still great to practice with and only makes a sponge out of the start. if i short it dry, it runs like new!i dont think using a home oven is a good idea if it is gas. natural gas is a hydrocarbon. so main products of combustion are h2o and co2. you can see it with a torch on cold steel. the steel will get wet before it gets dry.If you are going to do lots of stopping and starting then you want Excalibur.If you are welding in a tight space where slag removal is needed but near impossible then you want Excalibur since the slag almost falls off all on its own.Excalibur is the only 7018 I have ran that works really well on AC.But its expensive compared to other 7018 rod.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:Originally Posted by 92dlxmanexcaliber is nice. very forgiving! i have 100lbs of it that got wet that is still great to practice with and only makes a sponge out of the start. if i short it dry, it runs like new!i dont think using a home oven is a good idea if it is gas. natural gas is a hydrocarbon. so main products of combustion are h2o and co2. you can see it with a torch on cold steel. the steel will get wet before it gets dry.
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloSet oven heat to 200. Leave door cracked open an inch- most oven doors have a spot they remain slightly open to allow venting. Heat the rods for an hour. They do not have to hit 200 degrees; even a half hour at 100ish will make a huge difference.Do NOT heat up 6010 rod. It does not appreciate it nearly as much as 7018.
Reply:There's big difference between reconditioning electrodes that have become wet and heating new electrodes. Normally if 7018 are dry they shouldn't get porosity. 10018D2 though are bad for starting porosity even when they come directly out of the rod oven. Used them to rebuild blow out preventers and you had to start ahead and then bring the arc back and weld over where you struck the arc. This is always a good practice but something in the coating on those rods must have been what caused the starting porosity. The 7018 the OP has could have just been crappy rods to begin with.
Reply:Originally Posted by 12345678910Half an hour at 100F is a hellofa long way from the proper procedureIt's here
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BWhere do people buy good electrodes. I can get Radnor or another brand you never heard of locally. Other than that it's Home Depot or Tractor Supply.