# Pits in my welds :(



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I'm using a Lincon 220 welder, New, American made 7018 rods and they are kept dry. lately I've been getting these work wrecking pits even on highly polished and cleaned parts. any ideas on how to stop this crap? its costing me way too much extra work!


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

Yep, the answer to your question is easy......let someone else do the welding.:lolsmash:

Sorry Bro, I just couldn't help myself. All kidding aside, I have no clue but I betcha you will get a good answer from someone on here most riki-tik.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

More details might be required.

Are you running AC or DC-mode? 
What size of rod?
How old are the rods?
What kind of metal (thickness, etc) are you cooking up?
Have you checked your ground-cable (clamp, etc) to make sure that everything is tight, clean, etc?

Any good pictures of the porosity?


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

You're not the first one to run into this problem
http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/archive/index.php/t-8603.html

Make sure you're either using DC on the welder or AC rated rods.
The other thing is to up the amps a bit.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Here are K's guesses as a welder...

You are burning too cold and going too fast.

Also the 7018 is only good for 4 hours after it is open unless you keep it in a rod oven at 180 degrees minimum.

His personal recommendation is to use 7014 rod.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

Grimm said:


> Here are K's guesses as a welder...
> 
> You are burning too cold and going too fast.
> 
> ...


I'm not a welder by profession, but I can run stick, mig, and tig....and the stuff I melt together doesn't fall apart even with many, many tons of pressure on it.

7018 rod is _generally_ DC only. There are some that are supposed to work on AC, but I have heard they aren't all they should be. I've never used the AC type, so I can't help there. I have run 7018 DC rods, and talked to many professional welders that use them. It is not uncommon to have porosity at the beginning of a weld with 7018. They are more sensitive to moisture. If you have porosity throughout the weld, then something is definitely wrong. I'm guessing that you're running an AC only Lincoln crackerbox with DC rods. If that's not true, then you may be making a common mistake and letting your arc length run a little too long. I have been told, and verified myself, that 7018 needs to be run with an absolute minimum arc length. Basically, you should be just almost dragging the rod through the puddle. Any time I've allowed myself to extend the arc length to what I'd use with something like 6010/6010+/6011, the welds have gone from good to porous and then back to good when arc length was shortened. You may also have the polarity wrong if you do have a DC machine.

Not too long ago I ran some ancient(15-20 years old) 7018's that had been stored in their original(open) metal 50lb can. They welded just like brand new rods.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I weld hot, especially with 7018. I run at the top of the recommended amp range or slightly above 99% of the time.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Looks like my stinger might be screwed up from all the sparks its spitting out.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Magus said:


> Looks like my stinger might be screwed up from all the sparks its spitting out.


Stinger spitting sparks!?!

I don't wanna hear that ... :lalala:

I am now running away as quickly as possible :rofl:

Glad that you found the source of your grief.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Hope that's all it is.never noticed it with my hood down.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

If you live in a damp Climate, the rods need to be baked at 250 for a couple of hours and used hot, Porosity is caused by gas inclusion, which can come from many sources as mentioned above as well as cleaning fluid.

IF your machine is an A/C buzz box, make absolutely sure that the machine's ground wire from the plug in is connected, if not you can get all kinds of stray voltage peaks and valleys. A/C rods are critical to A/C machines. 
If you have a D/C machine you need the ground on the negative pole and the electrode positive. (called reverse polarity from the theory that electricity flows from negative to positive.)

Your poor connection at the stinger probably has a bunch to do with the problem too


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

ARGH!
Its rained 4 of the last 7 days. Just being in a bag must not cut it in super humidity.

Yup, could be cleaning fluid too.I use either.

Just replaced the ground though. fixed it for a while.
Guess I'd better get off my butt and tighten my ship up!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Magus said:


> ARGH!
> Its rained 4 of the last 7 days. Just being in a bag must not cut it in super humidity.
> 
> Yup, could be cleaning fluid too.I use either.
> ...


Take a peak at this link about storing and re-drying welding rods ..

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/pages/storing-electrodes-detail.aspx

There is some great details in there that might just help you out.

If you don't have a rod-drying oven ... check this link: http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?110281-how-to-dry-welding-rods-without-a-rod-oven

Check post #9 in particular on the weldingweb link ..


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Wow those links show seriously different opinion, Lincoln, who is in the business of selling equipment tells us to redry at 6-700 degrees, (buy our special redrying oven for a special introductory price of 9 billion dollars) 
And a bunch of guys on a forum give contra dictory advice on rod care. 

Low hydrogen rods were designed during WW2 to solve for hydrogen inclusion cracking (water in the welds).

A couple of hours in the kitchen oven at 250*f will de moisture most rods, 

Cellulose coated rods like 6010 need some moisture to work properly, most pressure pipeline welds are 6010 root pass, 7018 clean and cap, So take the panickstricken no moisture at all guys advice with a grain of salt, 

Most people are working with A36 mild steel anyway and a bit of dampness in the rod really won't hurt. higher tensile steel things get more picky, pre heat and dry rods count at higher carbon/alloy levels.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Magus, you don't say anywhere if your machine is AC only.



Tirediron said:


> most pressure pipeline welds are 6010 root pass, 7018 clean and cap.


Agreed, I have NEVER laid a good root/base pass with 7018. (was wondering myself what i was doing wrong?) Just like Tirediron says, talk to the pipeline guys and they'll all say the same thing.

Personally - I never use much of anything besides 6011 and 7014.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Dad made his own dry storage for his rod. He took an old fridge and put light bulb in the bottom. This is kept in the boat house with salt water under the building. It is in the dry area of the island so only about 150" of rain per year.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

LincTex said:


> Magus, you don't say anywhere if your machine is AC only.


Yup AC only. standard 200$ Lincoln buzz box.
Good ideas guys, I use a toaster oven to dry my rods, but of late I get in a hurry and don't. I think I'll make a rod box now.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Magus said:


> Yup AC only. standard 200$ Lincoln buzz box..


Then try to avoid using rods that don't play well with AC.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Normally do, but I got a "bargain" at home depot.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

It is kind of ironic that the cheapest welder (with any kind of reliability) needs the most expensive rods. 
Forney A/C 7018 seems to burn well (again subjective) with the Lincoln tombstone buzz boxes


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## Resto (Sep 7, 2012)

Not trying to bring back a "Thread From The Dead", but, this could be Hydrogen Bubbles from Cheap Chinese Steel. This has happened to me using a wire feed, with new wire.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

I was taught even numbered rods for DC and odd numbered rod for AC.
is the major issue.
I can honestly say I've burnt over 12 tons of rod. I would say contamination, like rust, is the major problem. With a buzz box I recommend 6013. 7,000 series rod has to be welded at higher settings.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Note: you also can run into a bubble problem with cast. I recommend a 308-16 rod for that. Pricey but will do the job. run on DC.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

oldasrocks said:


> I was taught even numbered rods for DC and odd numbered rod for AC.
> is the major issue.
> I can honestly say I've burnt over 12 tons of rod. I would say contamination, like rust, is the major problem. With a buzz box I recommend 6013. 7,000 series rod has to be welded at higher settings.


You can weld any rod with DC. Most (if not all) AC has a lighter flux coating. Of coarse this is for SMAW not GMAW.

The numbers of the rods only tell you about the rod such as; 6013 means 60,000 PSI tensile strength (first 2 numbers), the 1 means all position (flat, vertical, and overhead) and the 3 is the type of flux coating the rod.


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