Rod ovens and all the varied opinions

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I've done a lot of research on this subject and find there's many varied opinions. It seems many say if you're not welding code, don't worry about it. But I figure it this way, if you want the strongest weld possible, and if you spent hours building something structural you don't want to break, why not impose code on yourself? I'm just a hobby welder and even though I don't do code work, I find it very important to follow what the pro's are doing. It's very difficult to find good stick welders in my area. I recently re-welded a dock anchor connection that a so called local professional welder had fixed. His weld tore right off the tubing from the strong winds. I welded it backed together using 7018's and reinforcing gussets. These 7018's were dry. I have a Phoenix Rod Oven I use to store my 7018 rods. Folks say they take too much energy, but the label says it only takes 70 watts. Cheap insurance for strong welds.Miller Bobcat 250Syncrowave  200Millermatic 252Spoolmatic 30ASpectrum 625 X-TremeMaxstar 150SVictor O/A torchesDewalt angle grindersWelded on/off for over 40 years.
Reply:Rods defiantly burn better out of a rod box or oven for sure.
Reply:On mild steel it's really not to big of a problem. I did an experiment awhile back. I filled a can with water, stuck some 7018 in it. Ground each rod to my welding table to dry them out. Welded up a V-butt plate and did two side bends. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPOn mild steel it's really not to big of a problem. I did an experiment awhile back. I filled a can with water, stuck some 7018 in it. Ground each rod to my welding table to dry them out. Welded up a V-butt plate and did two side bends.
Reply:I have and still use an old 1950's refrigerator with a 60 watt led bulb in it and it stays around 75 degree's in there. I have some rod that is over 20 years old and welds great. probably not X-ray capable but for my home projects it works. Also dont use much power as well with the LED bulb. Bulb is rated for 50,000 hrs and only pulls 10.5 watts.GalenMiller TrailBlazer 302 EFIThermal Dynamics 252i w/WeldCraft WP 9F tig torch and foot controlThermal Dynamics Pak 52Millermatic 250 w/Spoolmate 30aLincoln SA-200 gas driven welder from grandfatherBlacksmith shop
Reply:Lo hy rods are required to kept at 250f minimum to ensure no moisture pickup. The refrigerator with a light bulb really does nothing to ensure no moisture pickup.  It doesn't get up to stabilization temp for low hy electrodes. Sent from my iPad using TapatalkJasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:For general messing around with 7018, a rod oven is NOT needed.My 2 cents.Only difference I notice is that warm rods chip easier, run smoother, start easier, have less of a tendency to stick, and make a smoother weld....Other than that, a good weldor can turn any 7018 into a good weld.~JohnJust 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:snoe pro- Correct by Book standards. But as I had said for what I use the refrig for it keeps them drier than leaving them out. and its cheap. As for most welding as home projects they dont need to follow book standards. Just my opinion though.GalenMiller TrailBlazer 302 EFIThermal Dynamics 252i w/WeldCraft WP 9F tig torch and foot controlThermal Dynamics Pak 52Millermatic 250 w/Spoolmate 30aLincoln SA-200 gas driven welder from grandfatherBlacksmith shop
Reply:From a very good Lincoln article: http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...al-detail.aspxCan Hydrogen Affect Mechanical Properties?The influence of hydrogen can be observed in mechanical testing; however, its effects on the test results are limited. A high hydrogen content in a tensile specimen can produce "fish-eyes" on the fracture surface as seen in Figure 1.Additionally, the presence of hydrogen can reduce ductility (as expressed by elongation and reduction in area). Hydrogen, however, does not typically influence the impact toughness, ultimate tensile strength or yield strength results. It is only in severe cases that it can influence the ultimate tensile strength.Since low hydrogen SMAW electrodes like E7018 are also required to have a minimum specified level of Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact energy, low hydrogen is sometimes equated with a minimum CVN level. This has led some people to specify low hydrogen when the real desire is for notch toughness. The better approach is to specify notch toughness requirements since there is no automatic link between low diffusible hydrogen content in the weld and CVN values. Actually, some deposits with high hydrogen levels can deliver relatively high levels of notch toughness. For example, the E6010 classification (non-low hydrogen, 30-50 mL/100g) has a minimum CVN requirement of 20 ft-lbs at minus 20°F.
Reply:Just buy a brand new can when the application is critical.  Much cheaper and easier.
Reply:i worked in a fabrication shop for 4 years and don't remember ever seeing a rod oven. in the field on high-rise construction we always had one and guy's were putting cans of food in there and the rods stank of pork and beans after one exploded. now that i'm a  maintenance welder an open can of  7018 can sit around a long time so i have a barrel type oven. i also keep stainless,aluminum and cast iron rods in there as well. before i had the oven i built a steel box and used floodlights but it only kept the rods warm at best.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Before I found good deals on Craigs list for rod ovens. I used an old smoker that was given to me. Mounted a heat lamp in the roof. Worked great. My shop is on it's own meter. I keep the 300-pound oven on 24 / 7. I didn't see any increase in the electrical bill. But there is no rhyme or reason to how much I play in my shop, so it's hard to track the cost of electricity. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by OUTBACK FORGEsnoe pro- Correct by Book standards. But as I had said for what I use the refrig for it keeps them drier than leaving them out. and its cheap. As for most welding as home projects they dont need to follow book standards. Just my opinion though.
Reply:I have seen many times electrodes stored in ovens for months. This is not proper procedure. Once dried the electrodes should be maintained at 120C - 200C for no more that 10-30days (depending on the electrode and oven type).Not all basic electrodes have the same sensitivity to moisture absorption. According to various manufacturers electrodes, after having being dried or taken from a hermetically sealed box (eg vacpac) may remain outside for 10 hours to only 30min in some cases (certain 11018 and 12018 electrodes).Now if you only weld mild steel for home projects buying an oven is kinda extreme.Remember low hydrogen content is mainly required to prevent cold cracking. For cold cracking to happen 3 conditions must  exist simultaneously:1. Presence of hydrogen2. High stress.3. Hard structure in the material/weldConsidering in most hobby applications usually no3 (and some times no2) is non-existent (mild steel used in most occasions) I would say you are ok.Coded work on the other hand is another matter and if I even see a welder without a portable oven (or the oven not plugged in ) on a job I am inspecting then I stop him immediately and his company gets and NCR.However as already mentioned dry basic electrodes weld smoother and easier. So either find a small oven or just buy a new pack if the application is critical. Otherwise you are good to go.I went the former route and got mine for around 200$, it (supposedly) has a capacity of 10kg, an adjustable thermostat and it is capable of up to 350C so it can be used both for drying and storing.
Reply:If you want to know the chemistry of 7018, this is a good link from the AWShttp://aws.org/wj/supplement/wj0907-273.pdfHeres part of that link:QUOTE:Dissociation of CaCO3 also introduceshigher levels of oxygen into the arc atmos-phere that contribute toward the observedlower hydrogen levels. The influence ofoxygen on hydrogen absorption duringwelding can be explained on the basis ofthe decomposition of moisture in the arcatmosphere, represented by Equation 3.H2O (g)↔2H + O equation(3)According to Le Chatelier’s principle,an increase in the oxygen content of the arc atmosphere encourages Equation 3 toproceed to the left. This removesmonatomic hydrogen from the arc atmos-phere, effectively reducing the partialpressure of hydrogen in contact with theliquid weld metal. At the low hydrogenlevels normally present in the arc atmos-phere during SMAW with basic elec-trodes, Sieverts’ law predicts a corre-sponding decrease in the absorbedhydrogen content of the weld metal. End QUOTE:Another xample using Flouride:QUOTE:The Addition of Fluoride-ContainingIngredients to the Flux FormulationIt is widely recognized that the additionof fluoride-containing compounds to theflux formulation reduces the diffusibleweld metal hydrogen content. Fluoridepresent in the flux coating is reported toreact with hydrogen to form reactionproducts that are insoluble in liquid iron(Ref. 2). As shown in Equation 6, an in-crease in fluoride content reduces the dif-fusible weld metal hydrogen content bypromoting the formation of insoluble HF.F2 + H2 ↔ 2HF (6)Fluorspar (CaF2) is widely used as aflux constituent in basic-type electrodes.The fluoride in fluorspar reacts with hy-drogen to form insoluble products, asdemonstrated by Equation 6. In the pres-ence of silica, fluorspar also reacts withSiO2in the flux to form SiF4, which func-tions as a shielding gas and reduces thepartial pressure of hydrogen in the arcplasma (Ref. 14). This reaction is shown inEquation 7. The CaO formed as a productof reaction 7 is also expected to increasethe basicity of the slag. All these mecha-nisms act in combination to reduce the dif-fusible weld metal hydrogen content.2CaF2 + SiO2→SiF4(g) + 2CaO (7) End QUOTE:I only know of water existing in three states of matter: liquid, solid and gas. Solid is ice and gas is steam.  Some believe that water and not hydrogen are trapped in the flux like a sponge. A sponge dries out easily but 7018 doesnt in their opinion. I have never heard of dehydrated water but I have heard its possible to de hydrate Hydrogen.Brake fluid is hygroscopic(hydro) meaning it absorbs water but it is in liquid form and can absorb water where as 7018 ADSORBS hydrogen. Adsorbs is different than absorbs in that molecules or atoms join valence bands in solids.  When steam is released from 7018, the water is being made from the oxygen in the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) flux and adsorbed hydrogen on the flux surface.  See equation 3. This arrow ↔ shows the direction of chemical change and in equation 3 it moves to the left to make water from hydrogen and dissasociated oxygen atoms from the CaCO3 in the flux.As far as an oven goes, mine uses 6.5 amps or $3/day. Its supposed to shut down at 300 F but not very often. Its not practical unless you make a living using 7018 daily IMO.Anybody can believe what they want and so I believe the AWS.   Last edited by Insaneride; 05-10-2014 at 12:50 PM.
Reply:Insaneride - are you back to saying flux can't absorb water again?How many people told you that you were wrong in this other thread? http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...7018-vs-7018ACDave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Last fall I bought a 20 pound box of Hobart 7014 and they ran perfectly last fall. This spring I had a job to do so decided to use the same 7014 rods that ran perfectly last year. To make a long story short they didn't run worth the damn, had worm holes everywhere and the flux was hard as hell to get off. I ended up using 7018 to finish the job.After some thinking about the 7014 I decided to put a hand full in my grill and toast them for a few hours, after they cooled the first rod ran better than when they were new. The rods were kept in the original Hobart box over the winter. The 7018 I used was also Hobart and it was purchased at the same time as the 7014 and kept in the Hobart box also.From my experience I will have to respectively disagree with those that say using some sort of drying technique isn't necessary. I now have a little propane table top grill that runs on 1 pound or 20 pound cylinders for drying my rods before I start a job. It sure has made a huge difference for me.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveInsaneride - are you back to saying flux can't absorb water again?How many people told you that you were wrong in this other thread? http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...7018-vs-7018AC
Reply:All 7018, my favorite rod."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I've been reading this thread and decided to look into a rod oven and found one on craigslist, it's a Phoenix rod oven like the one above( holds 300lbs of electrode and he wants 100 bucks). My question is will this help with other electrodes as well, will it help with better restrikes/startups. What do you guys think? I'm a hobbyist, but I feel like this is to good a deal to pass up. Thanks SteveOh, and gobysky, sorry to hijack your thread.Last edited by Basicwelder54; 05-10-2014 at 09:22 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Basicwelder54I've been reading this thread and decided to look into a rod oven and found one on craigslist, it's a Phoenix rod oven like the one above( holds 300lbs of electrode and he wants 100 bucks). My question is will this help with other electrodes as well, will it help with better restrikes/startups. What do you guys think? I'm a hobbyist, but I feel like this is to good a deal to pass up. Thanks SteveOh, and gobysky, sorry to hijack your thread.
Reply:I mostly use 7018ac anyway for welding mild steel, is there any other rod I could store in the oven?
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideYep and two people including you. The rest didnt say and are probly skeptics. Did you even read or understand what the Scientist's from the American Welding Society from the United States of America published?MDave, dont let your ego hold you down. You think I mis quoted AWS but in the other thread, I copied and pasted verbatim.Again, read equation 3 and also; pay attention to " monatomic".Its all in the chemistry.Think about it: water absorbed would make the 7018 soggy brother. Ok, your rite and in Minnesota and water probably sticks to snot and Im sorry for you. Im sorry for you brother because in my atmosphere: we get a good arc and thats a fact.
Reply:Originally Posted by Basicwelder54I mostly use 7018ac anyway for welding mild steel, is there any other rod I could store in the oven?
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveBefore more technical hard stuff gets posted and rehashed - answer a simple question for me just cause I'm a simple guy.A statement from lincoln:"Moisture content after this exposure cannot be more than 0.4 weight percent. Even a small amount of moisture over this level can cause weld porosity and other defects." - Lincoln Electrichttp://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...lectrodes.aspxThe question: When discussing moisture in the flux by weight, one can infer this is liquid moisture.Do you refute this?Basicwelder54, you should buy that oven for $100 but be prepaired to pay for the electricity .
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideI dont know what refute means, it sounds like dispute so I say no I dont refute. If I soak 7018 in a bucket of water then yes it will aBsorb some water and become soggy and useless and have at least more than 0.4%.The climate I live in near Central California is arid and aids in arc. Static discharge is a common nuisance. In a humid area like the 10,000 lakes region they probly have more humidity and 7018 probly aBsorbs more than 0.4% moisture and probly no atmospheric static. My last college chemistry course was in 1991 and Im rusty but the American Welding Society equations where so simple a High School student could understand it if they read it. Chemical changes happen and Hydrogen is a donor for many changes based on the single electron. My understanding of low hydrogen meant that the 7018 aDsorbed the hydrogen onto the surface and oxygen is released into the air. If you dont understand chemistry then that may sound crazy but its true.  Ive been hearing about catalytic converters being stolen all over the country for the Zinc, or Platinum used in them. Those metals are being used to generate hydrogen gas. Its really that simple if you know how.Without boring you any farther: I will continue to subsribe to the findings from the AWS of the United States of America. The simple answer to your question:  I beleive the AWS supersedes all others including weldingweb warriors.  If you dont understand the AWS chemistry, find someone who does and have them xplain it. Maybe you will then know that 7018 is low hydrogen as compared to hygroscopic brake fluid .Hope that answers your question
Reply:Your just contrary Mdave. I said it will aBsorb if you leave it in a bucket of water but it will be soggy. Dont let your  ego get to you :wave:You accused me of a play on words and misquote the AWS but look whos misquoting. Beleive whatever you want.
Reply:Absorb. Read this - first paragraph.http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...es-detail.aspxDave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Again : the American Welding Society of the United States of America supersedes all others or do you refute?Try reading eqaution 3 and monatomic means one atom.  Or at least read the findings from the AWS scientists.
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideAgain : the American Welding Society of the United States of America supersedes all others or do you refute?Try reading eqaution 3 and monatomic means one atom.  Or at least read the findings from the AWS scientists.
Reply:Actually the AWS article and in particular equation 3 is about modification of the covering ingredients and the effects in the hydrogen content on the weld. These ingredients apart from making the covering more or less hygroscopic also have an effect in the arc atmosphere and thus the hydrogen content in the finished weld.FACT:Moisture is absorbed in the covering of basic electrodes and this is why AWS has a whole procedure for measuring this.The following is an abstract from AWS A.5.116. Moisture Test16.1 The moisture content of the covering of the electrode,when required by Table 4, shall be determined by anysuitable method. In case of dispute, the method described inAWS A4.4M, Standard Procedure for Determination ofMoisture Content of Welding Fluxes and Welding ElectrodeFlux Coverings, shall be the referee method.
Reply:Thank you taz00  I have another one to back up what you posted:http://www.jflf.org/pdfs/papers/fabguide.pdfFrom page 2:Last edited by MinnesotaDave; 05-11-2014 at 12:15 PM.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Well, I've generally tried to stay out of discussions on low hydrogen rods, because there is so much information and misinformation out there. And when I say "out there" I mean online and among engineers who specify electrodes. But flux chemistry is a subject that is near and dear to my heart and I can't resist at the moment.I am going to try to keep this as brief as possible, but it's not a simple subject, so forgive me for the long post. I am also going to put the references to where I am getting this information from. Also, let's be clear here. What I'm saying here is geared towards the hobbyist. If you are working to code, you need to comply with that code. Period. So, with that being said, let's talk about gasses in welding.The first thing that I want to say is that while there is a lot said about hydrogen, it's not always the biggest problem gas in welding. But let's talk about it for a moment. Point #1: For hydrogen cracking to occur in steels you need four conditions simultaneously. (From Welding Metallurgy, Sindo Kou, 2nd Edition, 2003.)1. Relatively low temperature (less than about 400°F)2. Susceptible microstructure3. Hydrogen in the weld metal4. High stressesLet's look at #2 from the hobbyist perspective. Most hobbyists buy hot rolled mild steel for the majority their projects. Mild steel does not have enough carbon to form martensite, which is hard and brittle (especially if untempered) and therefore susceptible. So, if we take #2 out of the picture because we are welding on soft mild steel, hydrogen cracking is not a concern.Point #2. Hydrogen generally does not dramatically influence ultimate tensile or yield strength or impact toughness. It does influence ductility. (http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...al-detail.aspx)  But ductility is only important after the steel has yielded (bent permanently). That's not to say that ductility isn't an important design consideration, since you generally want something to fail by bending, rather than breaking, and higher ductility means that it can bend more before it breaks. But how much ductility do you need? That's a good question and something that should be left to engineers for critical applications. But just as a reference point Lincoln lists 6010 5P+ as 22-29% elongation typical (22% is minimum per AWS specification). A36 steel (a common hot rolled grade) is right in that same range at 20-23% (http://www.matweb.com/search/DataShe...8909c3a&ckck=1). Clearly, a non-low hydrogen electrode is not the worst thing in the world when welding on low strength steel.Point #3. Oxygen is one bad gas in welding steel. Oxygen almost always lowers strength, impact toughness, and ductility. In low concentrations, it can improve toughness (Welding Metallurgy, Kou.), but for our purposes we'll ignore that detail since maintaining those low levels is difficult and we should not count on it. Where I am going with the three points above is that sometimes oxygen is a bigger problem than hydrogen, yet hydrogen seems to get more attention. This might be because the typical low hydrogen rods could also be called low oxygen rods with their basic flux and the results of lowering oxygen are wrongly attributed to the low hydrogen aspect. I don't know. I do know that some engineers who specify electrodes don't really understand the metallurgy involved. Luckily, they often default to 7018.So here is my take on the matter:1. In some cases the only thing a rod oven does is make the rod run nicer. I have a small 50 lb Keen oven and when I have a big project, I'll buy a sealed can and put it in the oven. It's nice to have oven fresh rod, although it might not be absolutely necessary (sometimes it is, though).2. I somewhat disagree with 7014 being recommended over 7018 if a rod oven is not available. While 7014 is a fine rod and runs nicely on AC machines, it lacks the impact toughness of 7018. 7014 has less impact toughness because its slag has lower basicity than 7018's slag. Basicity was originally used in steelmaking to describe the ability of a slag to remove sulfur, but it also can be used to describe the flux oxidation capability. As the flux goes up in basicity, weld metal oxygen goes down, until it reaches somewhat of a minimum and it flat lines. So while 7014 and 7018 have the same nominal tensile strength, 7018 has better impact toughness as a result of its flux, even if that flux is not completely oven fresh. It shouldn't be dripping wet, obviously, but reasonably dry and you'll be fine for hobby work on mild steel.Now, you'll notice that I said I somewhat disagree with 7014 being recommended over 7018. That's because high impact toughness isn't always needed and 7014 really is a nice running rod. Furthermore, folks who live in humid climates may have troubles with 7018's flux absorbing moisture (7014 is less prone to moisture pickup). I'm fortunate to live in a dry area and a month or so back I welded up a couple of plates with 7018 that had been open to the atmosphere for over 2 years and they welded fine, not as well as fresh, but OK. I took it in to work and had it X-rayed. The level III said that the weld was clean. I have no idea if someone living in the south eastern US would have the same results.3. For the average hobbyist, some sealed rod tubes and desiccant would be more cost effective than an oven. Also, keeping the rods inside the house rather than in the garage or shed, may also help, especially if you have AC. Personally, I occasionally use my oven when I'm doing a big project or when I really need low hydrogen. Otherwise, most of the 7018 rod is in tubes and a small amount is sitting open on the shelf below my table. Like I said, the humidity in my area is low and honestly for what I do at home, it doesn't matter all that much. But then again, I also use lots of 6011, so I'm obviously not worried about hydrogen most of the time.4. If you come across an oven for cheap, buy it. It is handy to have the option sometimes and besides, you can never have too many tools. I dug mine out of a dumpster and had to replace 1 wire between the heating element and the thermostat. Pretty good deal, I thought.Anyway, those are my thoughts. Feel free to disagree. Like I said this is a subject that I've spent a considerable bit of time studying and I'm not really interested in arguing.  I did my best to present scientific facts, that are well proven, along with a few of my opinions, that I believe are backed up by the science (i.e. the 7014 vs 7018 thing). And as always, there is way more to the subject than what I've written here. Lots more.Regards,ESLast edited by Elektroschweisser; 05-11-2014 at 01:45 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveWelding 101 - 7018 flux absorbs moisture from the air. That is why there are time limits to atmospheric exposure.
Reply:Thanks ES, very informative. I'm picking up a large rod oven this week( great deal), and will be keeping my 7018 in it. ES do you keep your rod oven on all the time or just when you need dry rods for a project? Thanks Steve
Reply:Originally Posted by Basicwelder54Thanks ES, very informative. I'm picking up a large rod oven this week( great deal), and will be keeping my 7018 in it. ES do you keep your rod oven on all the time or just when you need dry rods for a project? Thanks Steve
Reply:That is a good question. Personally, I only run my rod oven for maybe a week at a time at the most. If I feel the need for fresh rod, I'll crank it up, pop the can open and the rod goes in until that particular project is done. If there is any left, which is usually the case, I take it from the hot oven and put it in a sealed tube and use it later for general projects. I sometimes throw desiccant in, sometimes not. This keeps it fresh enough for most of my messing around.I've never bothered reheating it, although I might give it a try. One thing I can say about reheating at low temperatures (say 250 to 300°F) is that it probably won't meet code. Much higher temperatures are needed to fully dry the rod. Now that being said, the low temperature bake could very well remove enough moisture to make the rods run better and maybe lower the hydrogen content somewhat. I seem to recall reading a paper once about baking electrodes at various temperatures and while I don't remember all the details, I do remember that the higher temperatures were definitely needed for the full effect, but even moderate temps helped some on the hydrogen content. I don't recall any mention of operating characteristics. So there you have it, a fuzzy memory and I can't even find the paper at the moment.  Take that for what it's worth.One other thing. A few years back, I bought a bunch of rod at a surplus sale in 10 lb sealed cans. Much better than 50 pounders for me. The LWS here doesn't stock 10 lb cans, except for stainless and such, but they will order them in for a few extra bucks. It's worth it in my opinion. I can have fresh rod anytime I want and I don't have to run my oven 24/7.
Reply:Thank you again for more great info, looking forward to adding this rod oven to my handy bag of tools.steve
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749I have my electrodes in a rod oven.It's not plugged in, but it works. Does that count? If there ever happens to be a job I'm doing where code quality electrodes are required, I most likely won't be the one doing the welding on it I would just buy brand new sealed ones if I needed to do anything important. Most likely never will tho..Post 38 about says it perfect. At least for stuff I may need to do.IMHO of course
Reply:I have my little 10-pound rod box on a timer I bought from Wal-Mart. It goes on at 4:00 A.M. And off at 10:00 A.M. Just encase I may want to use some nice and toasty 7018. Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPI have my little 10-pound rod box on a timer I bought from Wal-Mart. It goes on at 4:00 A.M. And off at 10:00 A.M. Just encase I may want to use some nice and toasty 7018.
Reply:I think I'll just buy new rods when a new critical project comes along and store them in my rod oven until the project is complete. I believe Elektroschweisser in post #38 gives good advice. In the mean time I'll just unplug the rod oven. No sense in putting needless time on the element.Miller Bobcat 250Syncrowave  200Millermatic 252Spoolmatic 30ASpectrum 625 X-TremeMaxstar 150SVictor O/A torchesDewalt angle grindersWelded on/off for over 40 years.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveAh, rod ovens for storage Is that like exercise equipment used for hanging up clothes and drying towels?
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideWhat Ive learned in this thread is: if you leave a box of 7018 out in the rain and snow over the weekend, just bake them for a couple hours at 600F and they will be good for welding bridges, trailers and buses for Nuns, puppies and dwarfs.
Reply:Well,I picked up that rod oven today, got a great deal. These are some pics, it was rusty so I stripped it down and am going to paint it lincoln red like stick mans. He gave me lots of 7018 1/8 rod to go with it, I think I scored.
Reply:I bought mine at a garage Sale for $40.Looked about like the above pics.All dirty and faded.I sanded it down, and painted it Lincoln red.Very good rod oven.Congrats on the find.~JohnJust 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 Basicwelder54Well,I picked up that rod oven today, got a great deal. These are some pics, it was rusty so I stripped it down and am going to paint it lincoln red like stick mans. He gave me lots of 7018 1/8 rod to go with it, I think I scored.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveLooks like a score to me
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopYour turn Dave.