7018 stick

[flange jockey]

i had a chance a few months ago to run a box of 7018 rods,i got good enough results with them but found them hard work.i wonder if they were the right rod for the job. ;) f,j.

[jerryo]

Welds look great! What rod would you have used for this if not the 7018? The 7018 is my favorite rod.

[Blacksmith]

i had a chance a few months ago to run a box of 7018 rods,i got good enough results with them but found them hard work.i wonder if they were the right rod for the job. ;) f,j.

If those results are "good enought", I'd love to see what you think are "great!"

[flange jockey]

yes jerryo, and mines 6013.its just that every time i post a 6013 pic someone comes back with a why didn,t you use a 7018,its properties are bla bla,straight out of a textbook.thanks for sparing me that.i take my hat off to a lot of you guys who have mastered this pig of a rod,it does give a nice finish but as i say they are hard work,for me anyhow.its just my opinion which i feel i must air ,in my defense not 6013 rods.now im talking general purpose not codes and spec you know,nuclear ,high pressure steam work,the kind of thing a lot of lads on this site do on a daily basis :rolleyes: thanks for your time,you too blacksmith. there are no bones in liver, fact. flange j.

[jerryo]

I use 6013 rods for GP work on occasion, they do make nice looking welds in flat, horiz ond OH positions, but I do not like to use them vertical. Maybe I just need to get a 10 lb. box and do nothing but vertical until I master them. When compared to 7018 in vertical, to me the 6013 puddle seems stiff and doesn't flow out to the toes as well as does the 7018. I've tried vertical t-joints and lap joints numerous times at varying amperages and speeds, etc., but just can't make my vertical 6013 welds look anywhere as nice as the 7018 vertical welds! What's the secret to 6013 vertical?

[air-sickness]

Those look great to me!! If I could get at least those results I would consider myself proficient.:p I've burned about 20 rods of 6013 on vertical but the results leave me wanting to burn more rod!!:D
Kenny

[Mr Meck]

I used 7018 a lot. Lincoln Excalibur stuff. Expensive? I suppose. Used other brands but we stick with the Lincoln. If you don't keep your rods dry, have you noticed the last half welds better than the first half of the rod? On those frosty mornings when field work is order, have you ever flamed them with a torch to dry them out? They strike and burn better when dried per de book. On a flat weld you can start the weld and then set the rod coating on the metal and let it burn using the angle to control the weld puddle. Need more? Increase the angle, need less decrease the angle. And hold it real close. Its a close in rod as the 6010, 11,13 are not. But I have used them also but in the 7010 class. Every rod has a place, if they didn't they would not make them anymore. :D

[hankj]

You pick a stick depending on what the job is. EXX18 is a low hydrogen rod.
EXX13 is a high-titania and potasium rod. EXX10 is high celulose and sodium.

It depends on what needs to be done!

Hank

[Pumpkinhead]

Mr. Jockey,
i am not trying to be a "richard", but maybe, perhaps, you'd have better luck with fresh rod, it appears the can you were using was punctured leading to moisture contamination.

[mooseye]

i had a chance a few months ago to run a box of 7018 rods,i got good enough results with them but found them hard work.i wonder if they were the right rod for the job. ;) f,j.

Am I remembering wrong?, or isn't that H designation for AC 7018?

[jerryo]

H4 I believe is the designation for more moisture resistant rods. Ac rods will say AC 7018, they do seem to weld differently, and should be welded only on AC.

[enlpck]

H4 is 4ml diffusable hydrogen per 100g of metal deposited

an 'R' suffix is moisture resistant

[Battery89]

ya that the right job just put it more together ill get some pic to show u after my overhead cert with 7018.The only one i got now is the Vertical cert.
ill look for the pla8 to show.

[flange jockey]

battery good luck with your certs,enlpck , jerryo, mooseeye,none of that info really matters to me,but these sites are for learning and im sure the info will be useful to someone,im really ignorant as to theory etc in welding.mr pumpkin head that box got the hole in it after it was empty,the rods were kept in a rod oven,so no luck there.hankj again i dont pick the rod someone else makes those decisions i just plod away with 6013 until im told not to.mr mack if its what you are used to use it.air sickness , jerryo you have probably burnt 1000 s of 18s as i have with 6013 there is no secret just practice mr jockey :)6013 practice pieces.

[flange jockey]

this practice fillet was my first try with 7018,same box of rods,as you can see i was having trouble with my pickups,well warts and all.i am much more practiced with 7016 l/h rods,though as i got through that box i could see that 18 could for me ,with practice, give neater results.f/j

[Sberry]

This is the girls second electrode.

[Sberry]

Here is where I was giving instruction on wire.

[flange jockey]

heres my apprentices haircut.:)

[thingy]

Shes got a touch,,looks pretty good to me,,she needs to practice and than go to school and become a welding engineer,than she can boss us dummys around,thingy

[Sberry]

Here is mines haircut.

[flange jockey]

got me there. s berry, hair like flax, beautiful. paul on the other hand, well... 2g 6013 pipe reducer,the rain over the weekend involved, beat me to the second pic. fj:)

[prowess]

Interesting guys.

Side Bar comment:

Best investment I ever made in welding was my night school stick welding course.
Thought I was "pretty good" until I took that course. Vertical UP, Overhead, Vertical Pass joining with a following "bend test". Whew.

The instructor was teriffic. Nothing like a good mentor! IMHO.

-prowess

[Sully2]

.....
Best investment I ever made in welding was my night school stick welding course......



Boy! Aint that the truth for sure...

[txfireguy2003]

Well, sorry guys, but I want to get back to the topic of this thread. I ran my first beads with 7018 AC electrodes today....I'm sold! My uncle told me to try them so I did. My 6011 beads look like CRAP, and my 6013's are decent but nothing to brag about. (notice I don't post pics of my work) My first bead with a 7018 rod looked better than my brother's beads and he's a former US Navy welder, I think they called him a hull tech because he welded on the ships hull a lot or something like that. I'm thinking that I may never buy anything other than 7018 again, I don't mind cleaning the metal around the joints before welding if it makes welds look like that!

[thingy]

You see how this gets carried on? you are supposed to clean haz before you weld with every rod,with every process,,people saying other wise have just never taken a real test,,which would make them not,,here it comes,,"real welders",,,you always need to clean haz off before welding,,some rods processes will show you that you didn't clean it right,,right away,some,,you won't know,,unless you x-rayed it or bent it,,,,thingy

[hankj]

I ran my first beads with 7018 AC electrodes today....I'm sold!

I like "contact" rods, too. Much easier to weld with than 6010 or 11's, but do yourself a favor, and don't neglect the high sodium/potassium "deep digging" rods altogether.

A time will come where the relatively shallow penetration you get with a EXX18 rod won't do the trick! Then, you'll welcome a familiarity with a 6010 stick!

And, Thingy, I don't know your definition of a "real" weldor, but I'm a hobbyist. Never took a test or welded for a living. Still, I've been repairing local folks ag implements and whatever else comes up the driveway for the last four years with no failures. I can't agree that only "professional" weldors are capable of making a decent, full penetration weld.

Hank

[txfireguy2003]

You see how this gets carried on? you are supposed to clean haz before you weld with every rod,with every process,,people saying other wise have just never taken a real test,,which would make them not,,here it comes,,"real welders",,,you always need to clean haz off before welding,,some rods processes will show you that you didn't clean it right,,right away,some,,you won't know,,unless you x-rayed it or bent it,,,,thingy

I was under the impression that 6011 rods didn't require you to clean around the joint. It says right on the box that they are for dirty, rusty or painted metals...now I'm all confused! Still, even with brand new steel, cleaned up and shiney, my 6011 beads look terrible.

You're right, I'm not a "REAL WELDER," just a farm repair, hobby kind of guy but I haven't had any of my welds break yet, so...testing, who cares?

As far as penetration goes, I was using 1/8 7018 rods on 3/16 mild steel angle and had ALMOST complete penetration for the length of the bead (about 2 inches). Seems like any more penetration and I'd be blowing holes...so what am I doing wrong with the 6011's? Maybe I'll try practicing with them some more, I do have about 4 pounds of them left, I just hate using them because it looks so horrible when I do.

[Sberry]

I will get a couple pics tomorrow of a job that is a poster child for no pre-cleaning, here is one here too.

[txfireguy2003]

I will get a couple pics tomorrow of a job that is a poster child for no pre-cleaning, here is one here too.

Looks fine to me, d*mn good actually, so what's wrong with them?

[Sully2]

I like "contact" rods, too. Much easier to weld with than 6010 or 11's, but do yourself a favor, and don't neglect the high sodium/potassium "deep digging" rods altogether.

A time will come where the relatively shallow penetration you get with a EXX18 rod won't do the trick! Then, you'll welcome a familiarity with a 6010 stick!

And, Thingy, I don't know your definition of a "real" weldor, but I'm a hobbyist. Never took a test or welded for a living. Still, I've been repairing local folks ag implements and whatever else comes up the driveway for the last four years with no failures. I can't agree that only "professional" weldors are capable of making a decent, full penetration weld.

Hank

Explain to me if you will kind sir..."relatively shallow penetration"! How much "depth" of penetration can a person expect from say 3/32-7018 DC rods. ( Maybe using say a 150 amp DC welder) and welding material thicknesses of say 3/16 to 5/16th thick.

[Sully2]

Well, sorry guys, but I want to get back to the topic of this thread. I ran my first beads with 7018 AC electrodes today....I'm sold! My uncle told me to try them so I did. ...

No idea here if the 7018AC rods are as easy to use as the 7018 DC rods are..??...but had I known 20 years ago that it was as easy as it is to use a 7018 DC rod...Id have had a DC stick welder 20 years ago ( if they were even made back then??)

Now...if I could just get over the "fear" of steadying the rod itself with my "free hand"...:eek:.....I might get a stick machine someday....

[hankj]

Explain to me if you will kind sir..."relatively shallow penetration"! How much "depth" of penetration can a person expect from say 3/32-7018 DC rods. ( Maybe using say a 150 amp DC welder) and welding material thicknesses of say 3/16 to 5/16th thick.

I don't use 3/32, but I'd guess on material that thin, you could expect full penetration with a little prep.

What I'm referring to is the thicker stuff that I see now and then - 1" to 1-1/4". An XX18 rod will do the job if you can get in there and do a full prep (bevel, etc.), but for those times where you can't disassemble the unit, and you can't really do a fully adequate weld prep, a deep pentrating rod like a 6010 is very nice to know how to run.

Hank

[Sully2]

I don't use 3/32, but I'd guess on material that thin, you could expect full penetration with a little prep.

What I'm referring to is the thicker stuff that I see now and then - 1" to 1-1/4". An XX18 rod will do the job if you can get in there and do a full prep (bevel, etc.), but for those times where you can't disassemble the unit, and you can't really do a fully adequate weld prep, a deep pentrating rod like a 6010 is very nice to know how to run.

Hank


OOOHHHH!! Okie doke. 1 1/4 thick...geeze....lol WAAAYYY out of range of anything I might ever even dream about..lol

Thanks!

[hankj]

OOOHHHH!! Okie doke. 1 1/4 thick...geeze....lol WAAAYYY out of range of anything I might ever even dream about..lol

Thanks!

That's what I thought, too! Some of these accoutrement's for agriculture machinery are big boned! How the heck they manage to break 'em is a mystery to me!

Hank

[flange jockey]

sorry lads but this ones gone the way of,benefits of stick.can you guys not see that you are being manipulated by the egos of one or two individuals.there are no bones in liver. f/j

[1998harleyrider]

The difference between 7018 and 6011 is like night and day. I've failed many welders on 7018 (3G and 4G positions) bend tests even though the profiles looked like text book welds. 6011 is more difficult to control, rougher in appearance and is welder skilled but there's alot less slag to remove and I've had more welders pass their tests. Please remember that 70XX is 70,000 lb tensil vrs 60,000 for 60XX so it really depends on what stress level it needs.

[atlantafab]

sorry lads but this ones gone the way of,benefits of stick.can you guys not see that you are being manipulated by the egos of one or two individuals.there are no bones in liver. f/j

I like how you laid-out the benefits of stick yourself...

Thanks for the pics/ego - is your boss as in-love with your welds as you are?

[flange jockey]

well done atlanta,you hit the mark. i just wont be able to keep more than one heckler at bay.i think ill just pop in once and a while and read.i belong to another site,and i do have some bad welds,these other boys had the courtesy to at least let me post and explain my methods.i have had to defend myself from day one, so obviously that isnt going to work here. i just might have had something to pass on f/j i didn,t post on the benefits of stick because it had all been said.

[thingy]

Flange man,,don't run off,,just use up them 6013[or 6012's or whatever kinda buzz box rod you been using] and stay on them 6010's and 7018,,,,


txfireman,,its just the basics,clean it off,[grind/brush],haz before welding,,you can weld on rust or oil with any rod if you want,,why would you want to make a less perfect weld than you could by not doing someting as simple as cleaning????? thingy

[flange jockey]

im not running anywhere,it took me to read a heartfelt message from sundowns widow,to realize what a jerk i am being.i wont be drawn in anymore,i should have been aware there are men here who are grieving the loss of a friend,and i,m a stranger,so im, sorry for that.f/j.

[.RC.]

I went into my local welding supplier today and asked for a packet of 3.2mm 4518's(the metric 7018 equivalent)..The saleman behind the counter looked at me with a vacant look on his face and said "what, never heard of them"

Yes he never knew what a 7018 was...but they did have them in stock when I gave him a brand name to check out...

[Critter]

I used 7018 a lot. Lincoln Excalibur stuff. Expensive? I suppose. Used other brands but we stick with the Lincoln. If you don't keep your rods dry, have you noticed the last half welds better than the first half of the rod? On those frosty mornings when field work is order, have you ever flamed them with a torch to dry them out? They strike and burn better when dried per de book. On a flat weld you can start the weld and then set the rod coating on the metal and let it burn using the angle to control the weld puddle. Need more? Increase the angle, need less decrease the angle. And hold it real close. Its a close in rod as the 6010, 11,13 are not. But I have used them also but in the 7010 class. Every rod has a place, if they didn't they would not make them anymore. :D
Good idea, I picked up a toaster oven for 1.50 and I heat my rods in that.

[rkjohnson]

I am a roustabout I do alot of repairs on pumping units injection lines you name it. I only carry 7018 and 6010 form 1/16" to 1/4" in 7018 and 1/16'' to 5/32'' in 6010'' Ive found that this is the rod to use. the more you use it the better you get!!!