How Much Does Weather Effect Welding?

admin

The past 2 days here in Buffalo have been VERY humid.  In class the last two days, most everyones weld have been coming out pretty bad (electrodes sticking, crazy arc-blow, ect,ect).  Last week it was cooler, and  less humid, everything went fine.  We are SMAW, with E7018 and E6010 rods.  I even tried putting my 6010 on the rod oven, but no difference.  So, i wonder if it just the weather, or what???Thanks
Reply:All I have heard and read says that 70xx rods are very moisture-intollerant, but it never has seemed to have an effect on the welding characteristics of a fresh rod for me.  But, I have started up with an old 7018 rod left in the stinger from a few days earlier and noticed how bad it did and changed it out.  I tend not to keep these rods on hand because of what I have read.  I try to buy them only when I need them, fresh.  I have welded in the midst of a 3-day downpour with 6011.  Never noticed any difference.  Maybe it's because welding in GA always is with a relative humidity between 95 and 365%, so it's just degrees of crappie-ness.  I wonder if you could use a vaccum chamber to dehumidify rods the same way you use an oven.Last edited by smithboy; 08-03-2005 at 04:31 PM.Reason: clarify a bad sentenceSmithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:It is a bad thing to put cellulose rod in an oven... Makes things worse.  Humidity drastically affects welding of aluminum but I never heard it affecting steel.  It might be the human factor.  When you feel like something that the cat dragged in you are not going to perform as well.
Reply:Are the 7018 rod's stored in a oven? They should be comimg straight out of a hot box.If 6010 are running bad sometimes I'll dunk them in a bucket of water  in and out and your away. If it still happens try moving the earth including the cable a different way onto the job.Stephen
Reply:Yeah, all the 7018 rods are in an oven.  The humidity has lifted the last 2 days, and all is ok now, still alot of arc-blow with the E7018 and a bit even with the E6010, but i just welded some tabs on my test peices, and ran the bead up onto those, so the arc-blow happens there, instead on my test peice.