Going to build a Rod Box Suggestions

[crash325]

Here is my thoughts, good or forget it??

Going to take a 15" long by 14 or 17" long hot water tank or simular weld ends on it, 1 with a water tight door. Put some dividers in it to keep the rod seperated. Then just let it sit in the sun.

7918 Needs to be hot to run on my old AC buzz box. 5/32 & 3/16,. Will run when hot at about 180 / 200 amps. When cold 225 amps will not run it. Hot metal seems to help as well.

What about 6011, 6013 & 7014, will heat help them??

Even on cold days, metal left out in the sun gets to hot to pick up bare handed.

Good idea, bad idea or just plain old forget it, a waste of time?? :confused2:

 

[travis potter]

I use a small frig like in hotel or dorm it is insulated, air tight and a small light bulb will keep it hot all the time, not just when the sun is shining. I got mine for free from a friend because it quit working. I think the heat then cold will cause moisture on the rods. Just what I think no proof.

 

[sandman2234]

I agree with Travis on the heat/cool causing humidity problems inside the flux on the rods. Continous dry is way better than hot rods, and they will work better too. Not sure if your seeing performance increases because of lessened humidity or less electrical iinput to run them, but I would bet on the hot rods running better due to less moisture in the flux. I have tossed cold and humid rods in the wife's oven forvimproved flow of the weld.
My welding box is a double wall sheet metal box with internal insulation between the walls. A bulb gets plugged in under the bottom shelf to elevate the temperature. One thing that I should have done was make a glass window so I could tell at a glance if the bulb had blown. Using extended life bulbs helps some. If I had not had access to the sheet metal, I would go with an old refriderator as was suggested, as they make the best cheap box and hold plenty of rods.
David from jax

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I've had an old upright freezer rod box for probably fifteen years or more. It works great.

I changed out the light socket, used one of those you can get at a box store that has the pigtails. I use forty watt appliance bulbs, they last the longest.

I built a heavy duty rod rack. It usually has about two hundred pounds of various rods in it. I've got rod that would have been scrapped many years ago without the box in it.

I put on a cam over latch to secure the door better.

 

[eastexan]

Here is my thoughts, good or forget it??

Going to take a 15" long by 14 or 17" long hot water tank or simular weld ends on it, 1 with a water tight door. Put some dividers in it to keep the rod seperated. Then just let it sit in the sun.

7918 Needs to be hot to run on my old AC buzz box. 5/32 & 3/16,. Will run when hot at about 180 / 200 amps. When cold 225 amps will not run it. Hot metal seems to help as well.

What about 6011, 6013 & 7014, will heat help them??

Even on cold days, metal left out in the sun gets to hot to pick up bare handed.

Good idea, bad idea or just plain old forget it, a waste of time?? :confused2:

7018 is the only rod that you really need an oven with, since it's a low hydrogen rod.
Anything short of a real rod oven won't get you X-Ray quality welds with 7018. But then we're not welding pipe line.

There is a lot of guys that use different makeshift ovens (e.g. refridgerators w/light bulbs, kitchen ovens, toaster ovens, etc.), and say it works out well for them.

I have an AC buzzbox, and the best welds I've made are with 7014. It flows like butter and the flux almost wants to peel off by itself.
Since it's a medium penetration rod, if I'm welding 1/4" or more of mild steel, I run a root pass of 6011 then cover it with 7014.
On most applications I do, I don't need the extra benefits of low hydrogen rod.

I agree that the heat/cool cycle of the water tank idea might cause problems with moisture. But if you could pull a vacuum on it, then the rod may stay dry between welding jobs without having to keep it hot IMHO. I could be wrong about this, though.

 

[crash325]

7018 is the only rod that you really need an oven with, since it's a low hydrogen rod.
Anything short of a real rod oven won't get you X-Ray quality welds with 7018. But then we're not welding pipe line.

There is a lot of guys that use different makeshift ovens (e.g. refridgerators w/light bulbs, kitchen ovens, toaster ovens, etc.), and say it works out well for them.

I have an AC buzzbox, and the best welds I've made are with 7014. It flows like butter and the flux almost wants to peel off by itself.
Since it's a medium penetration rod, if I'm welding 1/4" or more of mild steel, I run a root pass of 6011 then cover it with 7014.
On most applications I do, I don't need the extra benefits of low hydrogen rod.

I agree that the heat/cool cycle of the water tank idea might cause problems with moisture. But if you could pull a vacuum on it, then the rod may stay dry between welding jobs without having to keep it hot IMHO. I could be wrong about this, though.

Thank you for your informative and thoughtful reply. Didn't know if anything other than 7018 needed heat or not.

After using up my 50lb box of Murex 6011, my welding has gone to he!!. Not that it was the good before. Can't find a US supplier for Murex rod. Have switched to Black Stone 7014 could only get 1/8" now need something smaller. Lincoln 6011 sucks, 3/32 7 1/8 both. Lincoln 6013 3/32 works well but am out of it now. Will pick some up next trip to town.

Thanks Again

 

[Sandlot]

For you guys using 100 watt bulbs, stock up now before they become illegal. You will have a hard time trying to keep your rod box hot with a compact florescent bulb!

 

[Haywire]

I'm building one out of an 8 bottle wine chiller. It's exactly deep enough for a 14" stick. Instead of a bulb, I'm installing one of those "Golden Rod" dehumidifiers that are sold for gun safes. It's not an oven as such, more like humidity controlled storage. --Ian

 

[sandman2234]

I remember some 7024 rods that got left out of the box and they didn't run worth a darn after that. 7018 might be the only one that requires a rod box, but I know there are others that keeping dry helps.
David from jax

 

[Shield Arc]

Lincoln 6011 sucks

I have very good luck with Hobart's 335A 6011.