7014 rod

[rmully]

Anyone using 7014 rod? I am thinking of using it over the top of an ugly 6011 weld. Seems like it would make a pretty bead and already have the strength of the 6011. Tried 7018 at 90 amps but it is difficult to use and I need more practice. Welder is an Everlast 200ST

 

[Furu]

Anyone using 7014 rod? I am thinking of using it over the top of an ugly 6011 weld. Seems like it would make a pretty bead and already have the strength of the 6011. Tried 7018 at 90 amps but it is difficult to use and I need more practice. Welder is an Everlast 200ST

I find 7018 a great rod to use. Not a great fan of 7014 but it does lay a pretty nice bead.

6011 has less "strength" than the 70XX rods. With that machine why not use 6010 instead?

Of course that assumes that you have proper penetration and a good weld and are comparing good welds to good welds.
A good weld with 60xx is stronger than a junk weld with 70xx rods.

What diameter 7018 were you running at 90 amps? If using 1/8" that is way low on amps.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Furu, I have the 200ST as well and it runs WAY hot as well. 1/8 rod I run between 60 and 80 amps depending on the steel. You have that 300, right?

 

[bigdeano]

I've used 7014 for 95% of my welding for the past 30+ years. Someone will have to pry it out of my hands when I'm dead. Never had a failure with it. Not good for welding high carbon or alloy steels though. Not the best for vertical welds, I use 6011 for that.

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

7014's are great, drag the flux right on the plate and take a nap

The flux makes a cup that sets the arc gap for you - if you have to run a gap, then the amps are too low.

 

[Arc weld]

Don't know what size of rod you were using but even still, you can't go by what the dial on the machine says. Your machine should burn 7018 fine.

 

[rmully]

I was using 3/32 7018 rod. I am building a wood stove so there is no a lot of stress on the joints. I just got back from Northern Tools and bought a box of 7014 so I will try it out tomorrow. My problem with 7018 is getting it to flow right... I need to practice more. What amp setting would be good for 7018. I was so interested in the 7018 because the rods need an oven to keep, at least that is what I read.

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

I was using 3/32 7018 rod. I am building a wood stove so there is no a lot of stress on the joints. I just got back from Northern Tools and bought a box of 7014 so I will try it out tomorrow. My problem with 7018 is getting it to flow right... I need to practice more. What amp setting would be good for 7018. I was so interested in the 7018 because the rods need an oven to keep, at least that is what I read.

For mild steel welding, 7018 do not need an oven. Mild steel is not susceptible to hydrogen assisted cracking (there are other names for it too).

However, they do run really nice just out of the oven

Personal preference for 7018
3/32" 100 amps (plus or minus 5)
1/8" 110 to 135 amps depending on thickness, postion, and weld type

 

[Furu]

I was using 3/32 7018 rod. I am building a wood stove so there is no a lot of stress on the joints. I just got back from Northern Tools and bought a box of 7014 so I will try it out tomorrow. My problem with 7018 is getting it to flow right... I need to practice more. What amp setting would be good for 7018. I was so interested in the 7018 because the rods need an oven to keep, at least that is what I read.

I think your 90 amps is pretty darn close for 3/32 7018. I have been down as low as 80 and end up a bit cold and as high as 95-100 amps. I prefer it out of the oven as I like how it flows and the slag just curls off but can be used just fine having never seen an oven. Not doing code work, no requirement, just technique and individual taste.

I am still in my infancy as to welding

 

[Furu]

Furu, I have the 200ST as well and it runs WAY hot as well. 1/8 rod I run between 60 and 80 amps depending on the steel. You have that 300, right?

Wow 1/8" 7018 between 60-80.
I have run 1/8 6010 at 85 and very rarely 75 but not 7018 1/8 inch. If it works and your are getting a good weld then it is what it is.

I have a Longevity 250 and the Everlast 300. I had to have my Longevity replaced at the 1 year point as it was having major problems. It seemed that it was starting to go down the same road again so when the 300 deal popped up I chose to get one at that price as I did not know if the Longevity would hold on without failing again. Really like the Everlast 300.

 

[woodlandfarms]

for reference furu, I wouldn't know a good weld if it was explained to me by Arc. If it stays together I tend to get a big smile. but yeah, my neighbor came up and was punching holes all over the place at a "normal" amp setting. We had to dial it way down.

 

[Ken45101]

I have used 7014 and it's fine but I mostly stick to 6011 and 7018.

BTW, TSC carries Hobart 7014. I would trust that before I would use HF.

 

[flusher]

I use 7014 (1/8" rod, 80-90 amps, DC+) to cap 6011 beads. Works fine.

I use a pneumatic needle scaler on the 6011 beads to remove flux before capping.

Also helps to remove any mill scale on the base metal with a grinder before running 7014.

Good luck

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

I use 7014 (1/8" rod, 80-90 amps, DC+) to cap 6011 beads. Works fine.

I use a pneumatic needle scaler on the 6011 beads to remove flux before capping.

Also helps to remove any mill scale on the base metal with a grinder before running 7014.

Good luck

Just curious, is that a typo on rod size?
80 amps is about the bottom of the 3/32" 7014 range.
1/8" 7014 range is typically about 110-150 amps.
I'm generally in the 125-140 range (AC or DC+)

 

[rmully]

Well I ran some 7014 this morning and it works very nice ....1/8 rod 130 amps. The stated range was 120-145 so i stuck with the middle welding 3/16 steel. Thanks for all the tips, just need more practice. The hardest part is seeing the weld puddle even with 1500watt work light as this rod smokes so I need to use a fan. So far so good.

 

[mikehaugen]

1/8" rod seems a little big for 3/16" steel to me, no?

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

1/8" rod seems a little big for 3/16" steel to me, no?

Not really, good rule of thumb: As long as the rod is smaller than the thickness of the metal being welded, you're good to go

Or put another way, never weld something thinner than the rod unless you like living on the edge

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Well I ran some 7014 this morning and it works very nice ....1/8 rod 130 amps. The stated range was 120-145 so i stuck with the middle welding 3/16 steel. Thanks for all the tips, just need more practice. The hardest part is seeing the weld puddle even with 1500watt work light as this rod smokes so I need to use a fan. So far so good.

Glad to hear it's working out for you - I like using them
The run smoooth and pretty in my opinion.
Yeah, fans and ventilation are a must for all stick welding in my opinion - I'm only 44 and now have COPD so I ventilate the heck out of my shop!

 

[flusher]

Just curious, is that a typo on rod size?
80 amps is about the bottom of the 3/32" 7014 range.
1/8" 7014 range is typically about 110-150 amps.
I'm generally in the 125-140 range (AC or DC+)

I run the current lower than recommended but not so low that the arc is hard to strike or runs unstably. That works better for me since I force myself to slow down when using a drag rod like 7014 to get better tie in at the edge of the weld puddle.

 

[Gary Fowler]

For mild steel welding, 7018 do not need an oven. Mild steel is not susceptible to hydrogen assisted cracking (there are other names for it too).

However, they do run really nice just out of the oven

Personal preference for 7018
3/32" 100 amps (plus or minus 5)
1/8" 110 to 135 amps depending on thickness, postion, and weld type

This statement is mostly untrue. While the lower grades of 36Kps are LESS SUSCEPTIBLE to hydrogen embrittlement cracking, it can still happen. LH rods or any rod with a coating that contributes to the weld metal pool needs to be stored dry and preferably heated to above 250F. They absorb large quantities of water if exposed to ambient air which can make the rod almost unusable when the water causes the wire electrode to rust. When this happens no amount of drying will make the rod burn without large amounts of porosity caused by the rust. Your weld may still be strong enough for your application when it is 40% or more holes but then again it may not be. Rods today are just too expensive to have to throw them away from bad storage practices.
Amperage settings depend entirely on your machine as no two dials give the same actual amperage as they indicate. I have seen 3/32" 7018 run perfectly at a setting of 60 amps on one machine and 130 on another. You want to run it as hot as you can handle the molten puddle without it drooping or undercutting the sides. A good indication of TOO HOT is if the rod starts to glow red before you get more than 2/3 of it consumed. TOO COLD and you will be hard to start the arc and keep it going, have large spaces between the ripples with very rough surface and likely lack of fusion to the base metal at the sides (cold lap). You would want to set your machine somewhere in between these two conditions. TOO Low amperage would require you to hold a very short arc which would cause the rod to stick very easily while too high would cause some arc blow like conditions were it would cause lots of sparks and buckshot coming off the rod and puddle with likely badly undercut at the edges of the weld.

So set your machine so the characteristic are somewhere less than too hot and higher than too cold and it should weld fine.

One other note, welding overhead requires about 15 more amps than welding vertical regardless of rod used.
NOTE: Not all rods are all position, some can only be ran flat or horizontal so note the specifications for any rod you are using.