When to know what rod to use

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Im in school right now and all we have been burning is 6010 and we should start 7018 sometime soon. How do you know when to use what rod?
Reply:It depends on what your welding on and what your weldin with.  If your welding on pipe it will have a code and weld procedure. The weld procedure will specify what rod to use in what order. Structure also will have a weld procedure. If your building stuff outta your garage or shop and using an a.c. machine you will have to use an ac rod such as 6011,6013 or 7018 ac.  If yor using a dc machine you will use a dc rod like 6010,7010,7018, and 7024.
Reply:Also the numbers on the rod also provide information. For example the first 2 numbers in 6010 mean tensile strenght. It has a tensile strenght of 60000 lbs. The 3rd # is 1. It stands for weld positions. A 1 means all postions like flat,vertical up ,down etc. The last number is rod and flux composition and electric current info. 0 is a cellulose rod used with dcep current aka dc straight polarityLast edited by slim83; 10-01-2010 at 11:11 PM.Reason: typo
Reply:Hope that's clear as mud
Reply:I knew about the first two numbers with the tensile strength but not the others. thanks for the information.
Reply:DCEP is Reverse Polarity.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:All I can say is the level of instruction in your school is "amazing".  There is a lot more to welding than just burning rod.
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33DCEP is Reverse Polarity.
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33DCEP is Reverse Polarity.
Reply:Originally Posted by slim83Sorry. I had a brain fart while typing all that. I usually don't say much here on WW. Maybe I should keep it that way I guess
Reply:Wouldnt that be a good question for your instructor?Have we all gone mad?
Reply:This is a generalization, but...........When welding most mild steels any 60xx rod will do.When welding higher tensile strength steels 70xx , and stronger tensile strength rod is used.Also, when you're not sure what the type of steel is (possibly mild to higher tensile strength joints), you should use 70xx.Other considerations are penetration, welding position, and the type of current available in your machine."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Rod type is called out in welding procedures, if available. 6010 is better/easier for roots, filling large gaps, and dirty or unprepared joints. It has a deeper penetration and it's harder to trap slag inside the weld. There is more spatter than 7018 and it can make a mess on the opposite side of a open root. IMO the beads do not have nice visual appearance, even under the best hand. 6010 does not generally get put into a rod oven. The cellulose flux will break down. 7018 is stronger than 7018 and the finished beads look better than 6010. 7018 has way less spatter than 6010. 7018 can do a nice job on full penetration open roots but in my opinion it takes more skill than 6010. 7018 should be maintained in a rod oven after the can is opened.
Reply:Originally Posted by lotechmanAll I can say is the level of instruction in your school is "amazing".  There is a lot more to welding than just burning rod.
Reply:Originally Posted by jonston18I knew about the first two numbers with the tensile strength but not the others. thanks for the information.