Good or bad? E7018 from seller who does not know anything about them.

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Attachment 1739348Attachment 1739349Attachment 1739350Hello,I'm new to welding, so go easy on me when explaining.I purchased some US Forge E7018 welding rods off of ebay. After I made the purchase, I asked the seller whether or not they were stored in a rod oven. The answer was, "All of our listings are acquired from unclaimed freight auctions. Therefore, we cannot be sure they are 100% new or if they are missing any parts . We do not test them and do not have any technical knowledge of the items. Please know that if you have any issues with the items we offer free 30-day returns."I had not anticipated such a possibility. I reasoned that even a wife of a dead welder would probably have just left the rods in their welding oven until shipping.Knowing this, I'd like to ask, how would I go about determining if they are still any good?I've provided some large pictures so you can see them. The have a very slight "grain" to them up that close. They also have some "dust" coming off of them as you can see in the picture of the box opening.Thanks!PS: Yes, I've read up on how to purge them.Last edited by HotEnd; 1 Week Ago at 05:14 PM.
Reply:Argh! The website made the pictures smaller.I'll have to find a way to post them... give me a minute...
Reply:https://i2.paste.pics/71219ba0362ef6...93689919e2.png          Formatting mark.         https://i2.paste.pics/6ea4aa30eea96c...3a023ebb2c.png                     Formatting mark. https://i2.paste.pics/4fcd6faa2b178c...74cbd33fee.pngHere are the big pictures of the rods ^^^Last edited by HotEnd; 1 Week Ago at 05:14 PM.
Reply:Stick them into the electrode holder & burn them up! If you are not doing code welding don't worry about it.Seriously - they are fine to use.
Reply:they look like messer welding rods , US Forge. I use a lot of them, they run nice. The other thing about them is they don't get as crumbly when not kept in an oven like some major brand electrodes.good luckPS- couldn't open the link for pic'sLast edited by albrightree; 1 Week Ago at 06:11 PM.Airco 250 ac/dc Heliwelder Square waveMiller Synchrowave 180 sdMiller Econo Twin HFLincoln 210 MPDayton 225 ac/dcVictor torchesSnap-On YA-212Lotos Cut60DPrimeweld 225 ac/dcPrimeweld mig180Miller AEAD-200
Reply:First link didn't work for me, but the ones in post #3 do. Don't look bad to me. Try them out... if you can weld with them, give her pig. If not, send them back. Buying used is a pig in a poke at the best of times... sometimes you get a bargain, sometimes you get burned.... pardon the pun....thought I'd ham it up a little....The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
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Originally Posted by HotEnd

...Hello,I'm new to welding, so go easy on me when explaining.I purchased some US Forge E7018 welding rods ... how would I go about determining if they are still any good?
Reply:It depends on the work you are doing. Buildings I would want paper on rod.Ag repairs no problems. Dave

Originally Posted by HotEnd



Attachment 1739348Attachment 1739349Attachment 1739350Hello,I'm new to welding, so go easy on me when explaining.I purchased some US Forge E7018 welding rods off of ebay. After I made the purchase, I asked the seller whether or not they were stored in a rod oven. The answer was, "All of our listings are acquired from unclaimed freight auctions. Therefore, we cannot be sure they are 100% new or if they are missing any parts . We do not test them and do not have any technical knowledge of the items. Please know that if you have any issues with the items we offer free 30-day returns."I had not anticipated such a possibility. I reasoned that even a wife of a dead welder would probably have just left the rods in their welding oven until shipping.Knowing this, I'd like to ask, how would I go about determining if they are still any good?I've provided some large pictures so you can see them. The have a very slight "grain" to them up that close. They also have some "dust" coming off of them as you can see in the picture of the box opening.Thanks!PS: Yes, I've read up on how to purge them.
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Originally Posted by albrightree

PS- couldn't open the link for pic's
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Originally Posted by Oldiron2

Just curious; what is your profession or  background, outside of welding? Do you know when Low Hydrogen rods are  needed, and why? Reading about such subjects (probably online even) will  make asking such questions here unnecessary, but since you already did,  I will agree with cwby about the rods being fine to use. Most situations we 'hobbyists' have don't require Low Hydrogen welds; if  so,  the rods can be used as is. If your project did requite LH, the  rods just need to be properly baked to drive off the adsorbed moisture  (which is what breaks down when welding to give the hydrogen molecules  which dissolve in the molten metal). Storing them in a vacuum chamber  rather than in an oven would also keep them dry, and when baking, doing  so at a reduced pressure would lower the needed temperature, although I  don't know by how much.FWIW, I pulled a metal #50 can of 1/8" 7018 from a dumpster once; it was  open and a pound- or two-worth of rods had been used, but the rest  looked new. They have performed well when I have chosen to use them, all  for non-critical (e.g. non-LH) jobs.
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Originally Posted by HotEnd

My background is computer science. I'm working to understanding more practical things (like welding). I know I'll use it, no doubt. It's a great skill to have!Regarding the need to use E7018, I've read online about them and, for my AC buzz box, the 2 different rods I'd typically use are E6011 and E7018. I've read that E7018 has less penetration and cleans up nicer than E6011. The articles didn't mention if the weld would just look better or is actually a better weld as a result of the lower hydrogen around the weld during the welding process.I'll be researching more about such things later. I'll probably start a thread if I can't find anything useful.
Reply:I wouldn't worry about whether your 7018 is still "low hydrogen" or not. (Unless it's in a sealed metal container, it's not.) The "low hydrogen" characteristic of 7018 doesn't matter when welding mild steel ... and for 99% of what a beginner would be doing, it doesn't matter at all.Even after it has absorbed water vapor and lost its "low hydrogen" characteristics, 7018 normally will still make welds that are a lot more ductile/"tough" than (for example) 6011.
Reply:They will weld fine just not acceptable for code welding. I have dried rod in a household oven again not for code welding but because they were damp in the garage for year and we're sputtery once they were dry you couldn't tell the difference. The small ten pound cans of 7018 are great you could dry them and build a backyard rod over which is just an insulated homemade box with a lightbulb. The is a 7018 AC version and I guess that's it AC isn't the best choice for welding especially out of position. In structural ironwork 7018 is a out the only stick welding rod we use and it will do damn near anything but there is a learning curve. Good luck.
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Originally Posted by Oldiron2

I don't understand the last sentence "I'll  probably start a thread if I can't find anything useful". Something  beyond what you asked about here?
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Originally Posted by HotEnd

It's worthy of another thread, yes.What? When did I ask for the Fibonacci numbers?
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Originally Posted by Oldiron2

What is?? You aren't explaining what "useful" things you "can't find" and which would justify another thread.You didn't ask for the numbers or about ancient computers, but your being in computer science and since you were talking about something you couldn't find, I was offering it just in case it would fill your cited need. Oh, well...
Reply:If you are just learning, start with fresh 7018 appropriate for your welder.  Then use those after you can weld and know how 7018 welds.  Could be frustrating trying to learn to weld with compromised rods.  Is it just one box? You could burn that in a day of practice if it is good condition.  If it is compromised it could be a bad day.Even if you condition it, I still suggest using new rod first.
Reply:About the only difference I see between fresh rod and rod that's been stored open air for a couple of years is that the fresh rods start a touch easier, and run just a touch smoother.  It will take some experience to see the second part.Check out my bench vise website:  http://mivise.comMiller Syncrowave 250DXMillermatic 350P with XR AlumaProMiller Regency 200 with 22A feeder and Spoolmatic 3Hobart Champion EliteEverlast PowerTig 210EXT
Reply:The can I been using 1/8 from is north of 20 yrs old, runs ok.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I prefer E7018 on DC but I can weld E7018 in any position in AC too. But other hand I learn on AC too.Dave

Originally Posted by Eelspike

They will weld fine just not acceptable for code welding. I have dried rod in a household oven again not for code welding but because they were damp in the garage for year and we're sputtery once they were dry you couldn't tell the difference. The small ten pound cans of 7018 are great you could dry them and build a backyard rod over which is just an insulated homemade box with a lightbulb. The is a 7018 AC version and I guess that's it AC isn't the best choice for welding especially out of position. In structural ironwork 7018 is a out the only stick welding rod we use and it will do damn near anything but there is a learning curve. Good luck.