# Arc welder Rods/Sticks storage



## quintain (19 Apr 2022)

How long can I keep any arc welder rods/sticks in storage.
What storage method do you find suitable.
I Have a 20yr old Power Craft 40-160amp Arc Welder which still starts and seems to be OK but I have only tried to use it twice in the 20yrs.

When researching on Youtube I am told I can only keep rods such as 6011 - 7018 (foreign lanquage to me as a wood butcher) for a short number of weeks or days AND I should consider an arc rod oven to store them for a little longer!!!!...Is there any more practical thoughts on how long or how to store them for a much longer time.


----------



## Spectric (19 Apr 2022)

They must be kept dry, once damp they tend to cut more than weld. Best option is to keep them indoors, low hydrogen rods are even worse if they get damp.

You can put them in the oven and dry them out but make sure the coating is intact and not cracked.


----------



## quintain (19 Apr 2022)

Spectric said:


> They must be kept dry, once damp they tend to cut more than weld. Best option is to keep them indoors, low hydrogen rods are even worse if they get damp.
> 
> You can put them in the oven and dry them out but make sure the coating is intact and not cracked.


Thanks Roy
If I store them next to the Rayburn, warm & dry location should I be able to use them after months or ??years BTW I am rubbish at welding.
Regards
Richard...(mid) West cumbria


----------



## quintain (19 Apr 2022)

Spectric said:


> They must be kept dry, once damp they tend to cut more than weld. Best option is to keep them indoors, low hydrogen rods are even worse if they get damp.
> 
> You can put them in the oven and dry them out but make sure the coating is intact and not cracked.


Is 7018 or 6010 low hydrogen rod.

Richard


----------



## Ttrees (19 Apr 2022)

Chances are if you bought some, say cheaply in the local agri place they would be general purpose 6013.
Some of those super penetrating or other application rods are ten times the price.

6013's still work if damp but not very nicely, not something I'd want to do for just a wee tack 
on a finished thing, but alright for something which doesn't matter so much and grind any bad weld away and try again.
On the bright side, damp rods don't really spatter so much, if you can manage without losing the plot!


Steve Bleile has some of the best videos I've watched and is on youtube, (popular old video fro VHS)
although no mention of some problems one might have along the way.
i.e He's just too good to be using picks and whatnot to get rid of any slag which might be present.
a masonry nail and little Warrington hammer, does most of that,
(goggles on as hot slag will pop off, and mouth closed as masonary nail can ricochet, could easily hit a tooth)

but a sharpened nail/awl for further work, as you can't weld on top of slag, the sharp nail will make an audible scratchy sound when slag is present, and is the only tool which can do the job, wire brush wont do that and is for afterwards.
Any sound whatsoever of grit means its still there.

Tom


----------



## sometimewoodworker (19 Apr 2022)

I’ve had welding rods for years, mostly 6013 with a few 7018s the humidity here is usually in the 60% to 80% range. They still work OK, I keep them in their original packing with the ends of the pack cut off.

try them on something non critical they will probably be OK


----------



## clogs (19 Apr 2022)

dont worry as long as they are kept dry....I have some that are at least 2 years old (due to the move)
mine are stored in the airing cupboard....
Her indoors dosent mind as they cost money to replace thru neglect....hahaha...


----------



## Old.bodger (19 Apr 2022)

I store mine in a (obviously empty and well dried) 2.5 ltr fizzy drink bottle. Keeps them perfectly dry!


----------



## dickm (19 Apr 2022)

Suspect some of mine are at least 20 years old, kept in a dry drawer in the workshop. Seem to work fine within the limits of my welding skills. And if the results aren't good, you can always blame the rods!


----------



## Tris (19 Apr 2022)

I've used some that were at least 10 years old and got a reasonable result. Mind you my welding can look like the bottom of a budgies cage


----------



## --Tom-- (19 Apr 2022)

6013 are less fussy, 7018 does like to be stored in a heated quiver, but if you’re just fabricobbling stuff that won’t be structural, load bearing or critical then just use them. I find 7018 more finicky so only use them if I need to, but my welding is something I’m very much still amateur at


----------



## Terrytpot (20 Apr 2022)

Old.bodger said:


> I store mine in a (obviously empty and well dried) 2.5 ltr fizzy drink bottle…


Thanks for the tip…I’ve spent a fair chunk of time trying to find a nice plastic tubular box that was at the budget that seemed reasonable to me and failed completely when all along the solution was within reach.


----------



## jetsetwilly (20 Apr 2022)

As others have said, for 6013 is not worth worrying about. And unless you have an inverter welder, I don’t think you’ll even be able to strike an arc with 7018…


----------



## Digger58 (20 Apr 2022)

In the airing cupboard, never a problem.


----------



## Spectric (20 Apr 2022)

quintain said:


> Is 7018 or 6010 low hydrogen rod.


Cannot remember the rod numbers as it has been some years since stick welding, once I got a TIG setup that was it but I do remember that some of my favourite stick rods were made by Stubbs, and used just a nice basic oil filled Oxford welding set with no gizmo's or invertor technology. Even my TIG is just basic, just not portable although it has a lifting eye attachment!


----------



## Henniep (20 Apr 2022)

Spectric said:


> Cannot remember the rod numbers as it has been some years since stick welding, once I got a TIG setup that was it but I do remember that some of my favourite stick rods were made by Stubbs, and used just a nice basic oil filled Oxford welding set with no gizmo's or invertor technology. Even my TIG is just basic, just not portable although it has a lifting eye attachment!


I buy small quantities of welding rods as and when I need. Straight out of the packaging and into an air tight container when I get home. Made the air tight container out of 50mm PVC piping with end caps. Small, compact, easy to store and holds 1kg 2.5mm rods.


----------



## Lons (20 Apr 2022)

Crikey! My ancient SIP welder was inherited from my FiL who bought it when he retired so that would make it 38 years young. The rods came with it, a fair quantity of mixed sizes and I'm still using them, never noticed an issue but then my welding is pretty poor and only occasional.


----------



## Jester129 (21 Apr 2022)

Just yesterday I had my first 'play' with my new MIG/ARC welder. Got on quite well with the sticks but loads of 'spatter'(?) with the mig welds. Tried different amps but nothing really helped. Is it because of cheap/old wire from Amazon, or what am I doing wrong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
Jeff


----------



## Old.bodger (21 Apr 2022)

Is the gas feed working?


----------



## --Tom-- (21 Apr 2022)

Dirty material, wrong polarity, wrong wire feed, gas rate, arc length can all contribute

Mig-welding.Co.uk forum has a lot of helpful and knowledgable people that are good at trouble shooting


----------



## quintain (21 Apr 2022)

Thank you to everyone.
I can breath more easily knowing I do not need to buy new rods for every occasional and sometimes unexpected soldering (or trying to solder) job.
I will store some 6013 rods in a large empty & dry plastic bottle with cap close to the Rayburn.
Again, thank you for your assistance, which is always given and eminently practical.


----------



## Fergie 307 (21 Apr 2022)

Terrytpot said:


> Thanks for the tip…I’ve spent a fair chunk of time trying to find a nice plastic tubular box that was at the budget that seemed reasonable to me and failed completely when all along the solution was within reach.


Just get a length of 40mm waste pipe and put sovent weld plain cap on one end and screw acces cap on tother, simples. But I also keep them in the airing cupboard.


----------



## Droogs (21 Apr 2022)

Throw in a oxygen absorber and a silica gel pad to help with long term storage


----------



## Woody Alan (21 Apr 2022)

Am I the only ne who just deliberately shorts them out for a preheat before use? Never harmed my old welder.


----------



## quintain (21 Apr 2022)

Woody Alan said:


> Am I the only ne who just deliberately shorts them out for a preheat before use? Never harmed my old welder.


What is & how is it done and is it wise to do so "deliberately shorts them out"


----------



## Jester129 (22 Apr 2022)

It's gasless. Guess it could be wire feed too fast, having difficulty slowing it down. Wires are correct and it's new wire. I've got the welding forum as one of my (many) favourites, I'll have another good read on there. Thanks for the answers, much appreciated. I need to practice as I'm planning on building a wheeled frame for my planer/thicknesser.


----------



## Woody Alan (22 Apr 2022)

> Am I the only ne who just deliberately shorts them out for a preheat before use? Never harmed my old welder.


What is & how is it done and is it wise to do so "deliberately shorts them out"

Just tack the end of the rod to the work so it's in full contact and not arcing As if you were stiking the arc but don't pull away. This heats the rod and drives out moisture, flick of the wrist to break the minor spot weld.


----------



## bourbon (22 Apr 2022)

Like most on here. I don't do a lot of welding. I just got a pack of 6013 electrodes from Screwfix. They come in a plastic box. Kept in my dry garage, They always work when I need them to. No special precautions taken other than to put the lid back on. And join Mig-welding.co.uk. great people on there


----------



## Digger58 (24 Apr 2022)

Jester129 said:


> Just yesterday I had my first 'play' with my new MIG/ARC welder. Got on quite well with the sticks but loads of 'spatter'(?) with the mig welds. Tried different amps but nothing really helped. Is it because of cheap/old wire from Amazon, or what am I doing wrong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
> Jeff


Is it gasless? Found the cheap gasless MIGs to be pretty poor. Even with the proper coated wire I found that the feed mechanism gets clogged after a while leading to problems.


----------

