Arc welding rods

I know that arc welding rods used to absorb moisture and to remove/reduce it they were ‘baked’. I can’t remember (if I ever knew!) the temperature or time to soak. From what I do remember it was barely enough to warm a pie... Can anyone help?

Steve

Hi,

Heated quivers for welding rods normally run at 80-100 degrees C. Any increase above ambient and dew point, which ever is higher will help, but to activiely drive moisture out you need to be in the higher range. I bake mine in the oven and then store in a sealed metal container (old munition case).

Robert G8RPI.

I solved that problem many moons ago by keeping my welding rods in the hotpress.

S-W-M-B-O objects from time to time, but I suffer from deafness from time to time, as required, so it,s not really a problem.

The good news is that the rods remain dry and the flux never breaks away, so it,s worth a try.

Rods kept in a cold workshop seldom perform well

Wrap them up in a tee shirt and say nothing about them.

Selective amnesia on what SWMBO said helps too.

Depends on the rods, we used to bake Low Hydrogen rods in a rod oven for a certain period of time, can’t remember the temp, but once lost my eybrows and fringe by opening the door with my face too close. May have been 300 deg C

We used to cook pies, pasties and baked potatoes in it during cold winter shifs.

Rods would then ge transfered to heated quivers on the job.

Edited By Alan Waddington 2 on 28/05/2020 18:16:43

Thanks all for your help! I’ll take the pies out before I put the rods in!

Steve

I've not found moisture a problem for rods kept in house dry conditions. In shed workshop days they lived in the bottom of the airing cupboard. My current workshop is well insulated and built to "you could live in it standards" so the rods live out there, albeit wrapped when in the cart and boxed when in store under the office section desk.

Big Mac Pro tower lives under the desk too helping keep things a touch warmer.

Frankly its fluxed brazing rods that I find to suffer more.

Clive

Interesting. A friend had a bunch of rods which he kept in an old bucket. During a storm it filled with water and he didn't know it until the next time he wanted to do some welding which was a couple of weeks later. Took the rods out of the bucket, left them in the sun to dry (being in Queensland that didn't take too long) and just used them like normal. I used a few as well, never noticed any difference compared with new rods other than needing to clean the rust off the end before putting it in the handpiece.