6012 rods

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I noticed that in my grandfathers (who passed away 6 yrs ago)welding stuff there is a tube of 6012 rods.  Never used them or heard of them before. Just curious to there uses.
Reply:From Miller:  "6012 electrodes work well in applications that require gap bridging between two joints. Many professional welders also choose 6012 electrodes for high-speed, high current fillet welds in the horizontal position, but these electrodes tend to produce a shallower penetration profile and dense slag that will require additional post-welding cleaning."Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:I think I remember reading that they are similar to 6010/6011 but are a flat position only rod. I think.Ranger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe
Reply:from ESAB  "The E6012  classification electrodes are largely used today in repair and welding of less critical structures.  Carbon steels with some rust present can be welded with this type of electrode.  It can be used to bridge or weld across wide gaps.  The use of this electrode, however, has diminished greatly in the past few years.  Before the advent of the low hydrogen electrodes and other welding processes, the E6012 electrode made up 60% of the total production of electrodes.  Today, it represents about 6% of the total production in the United States."Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Probably close to 0% nowadays. I don't know of any company that still makes them, at least not in the US. They are actually similar to a 6013 but made for DC- rather than AC. I also have some old ones, they burn rather nice but they have lousy mechanical properties and they're considered pretty much obsolete.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:The literature shows these XX12 rutile-based (TiO2), fill-freeze, electrodes result in heavy slag that is difficult to remove and tend to trap hydrogen and promote cracking.  An anti-7018 rod."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:So they are basically useless then ?
Reply:Yep. Use them for art sculpture projects. Probably not good for anything else.
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Reply:I found some 6012 rods in a store and decided to give em a try. They are very similar to 6013 only they burn alot faster. Personnaly I like em better for thinner stuff more than 6013 mainly cause of the speed. They are also an easy downhill rod. I have no idea why 6013 won out over them.NickESAB CaddyTig 2200iPowermax 45MM140 (Sold)
Reply:Probably because 6013s work better on AC buzzbox welders. Also, as stated above, because of poor mechanical properties.A few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps