Green/Gray Slag -What???

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Hi...So, I burned through my first box of 7018 (Lincoln brand rods) and bought another box at a different supply store.  They were Forney brand.  The Lincoln rods always made black slag that would pop right off pretty easily.  The Forney brand makes this green/gray slag and it's a devil to get off!  The beads are fine -once you can find them under the slag.Same diameter rod, same current.  I also tried a couple different currents above/below what I would normally use...  I'm welding the same batch of steel as before.  This new stuff feels just fine going on.  Makes weird slag.What's up?
Reply:They added a bit of spinach to give it some iron...City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Are they 7018-1 ?
Reply:7018-1 is almost the same as 7018. It has a better low temperature impact than 7018. Its was designed to be used on low temp material such as cold service pipe. 7018-1 flux has a slightly different make up which produces its funky greenish brown slag. But don't worry its fine to use it on most everything 7018 used on provided its not specified in a weld procedureLast edited by slim83; 10-04-2010 at 11:36 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by tanglediverThey added a bit of spinach to give it some iron...
Reply:Originally Posted by slim837018-1 is almost the same as 7018. It has a better low temperature impact than 7018. Its was designed to be used on low temp material such as cold service pipe. 7018-1 flux has a slightly different make up which produces its funky greenish brown slag. But don't worry its fine to use it on most everything 7018 used on provided its not specified in a weld procedure
Reply:Weird. Man its a pain in the butt when you fight getting slag off your piece. I perfer atom arc but that's just me. Well have fun tinkering around brother
Reply:I've also seen moisture contamination have effects on slag color and ease of removal.  May want to bake them and see what happens.
Reply:Originally Posted by SupeI've also seen moisture contamination have effects on slag color and ease of removal.  May want to bake them and see what happens.
Reply:Unless they came out of a SEALED container, as in a hermetically sealed metal can and -not- a plastic wrapped plastic or cardboard container, even so-called 'new' 7018 or other low-hydrogen rods  _may_ require a rebake to drive off absorbed atmospheric moisture.One sign of absorbed moisture in 7018 or other lo-hi rods is difficult to remove slag.  Check the fine print on the paperwork/documentation/label for those rods.Lincoln says that rebake for 'exposed' (exposed to atmosphere for 1 week or less, no actual water contact or high humidity conditions) 7018/7028 rods is 1 hour at 700F +/- 50 deg.  YMMV.A toaster oven is NOT going to do it.    The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by Ray C10-4 Chief.  I figured there'd be a logical technical explanation.  I feel better now. Anyhow, I'm not going to sweat it.  The welds seem OK and this is nothing fancy -but I won't buy this stuff anymore... practically wore the tip off the slag chipper...