drying welding rod

[xlr82v2]

More to it than I realized- I keep mine in some of those screw cap electrode tubes they sell, it gets very humid here in SC.
BTW What's wrong with using the oven in the house? I've used it for all sorts of things, drying paint and curing epoxy etc..the wife long ago gave up trying to reform me

Nothing at all that I can think of...

I usually wait until I'm at home and the wife is gone before I use any kitchen appliances though... It's always easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission!!!

 

[kossetx]

As Brain said, just use them. I've found that striking an arc briefly seems to dry them out pretty well. I'm not a pro welder but I live in damp old Houston and do weld some. Most of my rods are stored in the garage and weld good enough for me.

 

[California]

I bought a near-complete 50 lb box of 6011 from an elderly farmer that must have been 10-20 years old. I store them in the house to keep the moisture content down. They work fine.

After reading Lincoln's stuff it seems like only the low-hydrogen rods are ruined by moisture, while 6011 and 6013 just need ordinary low-humidity storage for farm-grade work.

 

[DieselPower]

More to it than I realized- I keep mine in some of those screw cap electrode tubes they sell, it gets very humid here in SC.
BTW What's wrong with using the oven in the house? I've used it for all sorts of things, drying paint and curing epoxy etc..the wife long ago gave up trying to reform me

Ovens used to cook food should be used for nothing but that purpose. If you use a oven to heat other things chemicals can be released and the next time you cook can be deposited in your food. I would rather not poison myself if I can avoid it. If you want a oven to use for "projects" do what I did. Go to the local auction house and buy a old beater electric oven and use it for non food projects.

 

[Shimon]

Great info here. Thanks for all the replies and thanks xlr82v2 for the good info from Lincoln.

My welding is pretty basic stuff around the house and property so I guess I won't worry too much about it. I'll hold off on getting an electrode dryer/oven until I find that I actually need one. Maybe I'll do as DieselPower suggests and buy a small used electric toaster oven.

 

[Soundguy]

Shimon,

Here's what Lincoln Electric has to say about drying electrodes. You'll get the gist of it here... [.

While it may not be great fro drying wet ones.. it may help to keep dry ones dry.. etc. especially in conjunction with something like a sealed storage tube.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[shaley]

I live in Tidewater, VA. The name gives some clue as to the amount of humidity. I've really noticed the difference in welding if I dry my 6013 rod for 30 minutes at 220 deg F.

 

[BigE_]

Go to Goodwill, etc., and pick up a toaster oven to dry them out in. Should only cost you $5 to $10. Won't work to store them in, but you can turn it down to around 225F and it should dry them out with no problems.

Barring that, go to Target / KMart / Walmart / etc. and get a toaster oven for $30.

 

[Shimon]

Well, I was doing some welding this weekend and I think all my 6011 rod is pretty damp because it wouldn't weld worth a darn. At first I thought I was out of practice or maybe I'm just not very good but then I was welding some stainless with brand new 316 rod and it welded perfectly. So, I'm off to get a small oven to see if I can dry out some of these rods. Thanks again for all the good advice.

 

[xlr82v2]

Well, I was doing some welding this weekend and I think all my 6011 rod is pretty damp because it wouldn't weld worth a darn. At first I thought I was out of practice or maybe I'm just not very good but then I was welding some stainless with brand new 316 rod and it welded perfectly. So, I'm off to get a small oven to see if I can dry out some of these rods. Thanks again for all the good advice.

Shimon,

Hold on a minute... Remember that 6010/6011 DOES NOT lay a pretty, smooth bead like 6013, 7014, 7018, 308L, etc. 6010/11 has a very aggressive, "digging" arc and leaves behind a lot of spatter, with light, rather difficult to remove slag. That's normal for this rod. I've heard of weldors actually soaking 6010/11 in water on purpose before using them (why, I don't know)... so I would really be suprised if they're too wet.

Also, 5lbs of new rod would be cheaper than buying an oven to try to dry them... plus, it's not recommended to re-bake 6011.