7018 Rod Storage

[LG63]

This topic has been beat to death on internet forums since the days of dialup but a Google search didn’t turn up a clear answer to my question.

When 7018 rod is stored in an air tight plastic rod tube, in a climate controlled area will it eventually deteriorate to the point where it doesn’t run well? For example if I opened and closed the container a dozen times over the course of a year, could I expect the rod to still be usable one year out? After 2 years?

I understand all of the implications of not storing 7018 in an oven but I don’t use it for its low hydrogen properties. I just like the way it produces a clean weld and I can run a decent vertical weld with it. None of my fabrications are mission critical so if one of my welds were to fail it would be an inconvenience at worst.

 

[joe49]

Real life ''NOT CODE'' stick the rod for a few seconds it will heat up and drive the moisture out and will produce good results.

 

[rustyjames]

I've run many pounds of 7018 that was improperly stored and have never had any weld failures.

 

[Farrier]

I've run many pounds of 7018 that was improperly stored and have never had any weld failures.

I agree. My entire cache of 7018 and 6011 has never seen a controlled environment and it has never let me done.

 

[LG63]

stick the rod for a few seconds it will heat up

Good to know, I have lots of practice at this.....

 

[LG63]

So is it accurate to say that the shelf life of 7018 stored at room temperature is indefinite? I thought the flux would eventually degrade to the point it wouldn’t run properly even after drying.

 

[rustyjames]

I've used them out of an open container that sat around many months and they worked fine. Now if you're welding a pressure vessel, or something critical that's another story. The 7018 rod exposed to moisture can be restored by baking at the correct temperature for a certain length of time. These rods are even used to weld underwater so don't be too concerned about a little moisture.

 

[rockinacummins]

Since you said your projects will not be “mission critical” (which I assume means nobody’s life will depend on it), if the flux isn’t deteriorated to the point it’s crumbling off then there’s no reason you can’t burn them.

You asked about the lifespan of the rods when stored in a plastic rod tube; I have several of those containing 7018’s which are over 10 years old and still look new. Most of those tubes have only been opened 10 or 12 times per year for each of those 10 years, and I live in Oklahoma where the humidity in the summer is very high.

As a certified structural and pipe welder, anything I weld that needs to meet code or at the very least pass a visual inspection will get a new box of rods. For the greatest majority of stuff I weld - fencing and farm equipment repairs - if I can keep the rod lit, I’ll burn it.

 

[jsaw]

Biggest thing I notice is that it is a little more difficult to start an arc. And the slag does not chip off as well.
35 years ago, Grandpa bought a pallet of old rods at a surplus auction. He sold most of it to neighbors and local farmers. Within the last year opened the last 50 pound can of 7018 that was left.

 

[LG63]

You asked about the lifespan of the rods when stored in a plastic rod tube; I have several of those containing 7018’s which are over 10 years old and still look new. Most of those tubes have only been opened 10 or 12 times per year for each of those 10 years, and I live in Oklahoma where the humidity in the summer is very high.

Thanks this is exactly the kind of real world experience I was looking for. I bought 10 lbs. last year which will likely be a 5 year supply.

 

[txvwnut]

I had some old 7018 that the flux actually flaked off of. Of the rods that still had flux on them I did the stick and heat trick and that made the flux fall off while running a bead. I do not know where these rods had lived before I got them as they were handed down to me to try as I had never run 7018. I plan on dropping a couple packets of silica beads on my rod storage containers and see if that will make things better or worse.

 

[joe49]

TO ADD; stick the rod trick works for most any rod. Now let's speak to the you stored your rod under water. Same trick works with the exception of don't try to get it dry in one sticking do it in about three sticks or the cooking will delaminate the rods coating.

 

[joe49]

How I know is I worked in mining that's as close as you get to being under water as it get's with out welding under water. Welding under water is also very doable.

 

[GaryM909]

I have come across some brands of 7018 that binds the flux on better than others. I don't bother heating mine at home and mine just sit in cardboard sleeves.

 

[welder4956]

E7018 tends to absorb moisture from the atmosphere. If they pick up too much moisture they start popping, or the flux starts flaking off, or you notice pinholes in the weld. If you aren't seeing these problems, they are fine for home projects.

 

[catalytic]

Master weldor who taught me used to put our old 7018 in our (kitchen) oven for an hour or so while we prepped everything else. He was also careful to store it in an airtight box and keep it dry. Not sure what difference it made, but he was extremely experienced at welding critical work.

 

[BD1]

The shop guy finally listened to us. He would buy 50 pound cans of 7018 because it was a few bucks cheaper.
We would open new can on jobsite , use maybe 10 to 15 pounds, then send open can back to shop. We could have six or more partial cans laying around. He would send out partial cans and most were still ok, only welding pipe, no big deal.
Now he buys 10 pound cans and very little waste. Plus the Lincoln 7018 has a nice red plastic cap on it.
Those plastic rod tubes with ''O'' rings seem too work well too.
As mentioned, for real critical work, always a new can.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I bought a rod oven a few months ago. I have noticed it's easier to restart a rod and I no longer have pin holes at the start of my welds. Pin holes didn't happen often before the oven but I did occasionally get them.

 

[brownbagg]

i have an old food vacuum sealer, the one with the bags, so when ever i buy a new supply of 7018 i will bag in smaller supplies

 

[MoonRise]

7018 is a low-hydrogen rod. You already know and acknowledged that.

For 'critical' welds, the low-hydrogen properties of the electrode are, well, critical. The hydrogen gets into the molten weld puddle and then as the metal solidifies, the hydrogen gets trapped in between the metal molecules. And can cause the steel to crack.

Even in non-critical welding situations, as the flux absorbs atmospheric moisture it can cause the rod to behave differently. Pinholes in the weld bead (externally visible or internally not visible), hard starting of the arc, hard restarting of the arc, flaking off of the flux coating, hard removal of the slag, excess slag fluidity (harder to get your vertical up welds done), poor bead appearance. The rod will no longer give you that 'clean' weld bead. If none of those things matter or concern you at all, go ahead as you are.

If any of those things matter to you, either store the rods properly, use a fresh unopened can, or use a different (non low-hydrogen) rod. 6010/6011 or 7014 maybe. Different from 7018, but not moisture sensitive. Don't store those rods in a bucket of water though.

Hermetically sealed cans (unopened) have a pretty much infinite life. Exposed to air (the moisture in the air actually), the rod and its behavior will change. In 4-8 hours or so.

Silica packets are an attempt to keep them dry. Might work OK (for a while maybe) or might not.

Maybe a bit better is the immediate transfer of the fresh 7018 rods into the vacuum-sealed plastic food-saver bags. No air + no water vapor = better storage than exposed to air.

The real answer for 7018 is to use a fresh unopened can, and then immediately store any rods in a rod oven at 250-300F. If exposed to the air for less than a week but no direct water (rain, dew, spilled liquids, etc), then the 7018 rods usually have to be baked at 650-750F for 1 hour and then immediately stored in the 250-300F rod oven. If the flux coating becomes fragile or breaks/flakes off while welding, discard the rods.

Storing and Re-drying Electrodes | Lincoln Electric

Stick electrodes must be properly stored in order to deposit quality welds. When stick electrodes absorb moisture from the atmosphere, they must be dried in order to restore their ability to deposit quality welds.

www.lincolnelectric.com

(I just got a rod oven. Storage only, not a rebake $$$ oven. Will see how the old 7018 behaves now, it was getting hard to start and the slag didn't do the scorpion-tail self-peeling action any more. If no real change, I'll see if I can do a rebake and then store them in the rod oven. Or just get a fresh can of Excalibur-MR and once I open that I'll put the rods into the rod oven right away. )

 

[nadogail]

I agree with those who use old electrode for "Good Enough" work and new box of rod for the important stuff,

 

[LG63]

Great explanation Moonrise- thanks. I tried 7014 one time on some vertical welds but came back to 7018 because it seemed easier to run. I may have had the amperage wrong on the 7014. Should 7014 and 7018 produce similar results on a vertical weld?

I know 6011 is the all purpose rod and I still use it on rusty material but just like the way 7018 produces a cleaner weld. 6010 is out because my invertor welder won’t run it.

Interestingly, none of the 7018 rod I have bought has been in what I would consider a hermetically package and who knows how long it sat on the shelf before I got it.

 

[corn chip]

unless your making a spaceship i wouldnt worry much about rod storage. just dont let the container fill with standing water. even a few rain drops wont bother it. we have some lincoln excaliber 7018 thats been open for a couple years and it still welds fine for general use