How old is too old

admin

I just purchased an older used 230 amp AC stick welder. It came with about 40 Lbs of 1/8” 6013 electrodes, that based on a date on the box, are at least 30 years old. They were stored in an opened cardboard box. With these, I can create and hold and arc without any problems, but the results are less than perfect. Since I have no welding experience, I cannot tell if this is due to the old electrodes or my inexperience. Are these too old to use as is? Can they be dried in an oven, or is it too late for that?   Thanks
Reply:post a foto  of the beads you are making...you aren't doing code or xray work, break a few joints with the bfh  to see if they are strong enough for what you want todo. i know some rods dont need to be dry-    6010 you sometimes dampen to get it to burn right..
Reply:If they are that old and were laying around exposed to air they are junk. Things like excessive humidity, rust, oxidation and god knows what else can happen to that flux over time can have serious effects on the way an electrode welds.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.