Welding Tips and Tricks

You experienced welders out there.........what are your thoghts on 7014 rods..........pluses and minuses???

Easy to use. Good restarts.

Not to be used on critical welds.

Plus:
-Super easy to strike, restrike, and maintain arc, unlike 7018
-70,000 PSI tensile strength, like 7018
-Hi deposit rate, quicker welds, more inches of weld per duty cycle
-Not near as sensitive to improper(unheated, dry) storage as 7018

Minus:
- Mid to low penetration compared to 7018 on thicker materials

<<<<<like a sponge soaking up all this info......

Ya' know,

I've work all up and down the eastern half of the U.S. I've worked in shops along the way.

I've built powerplants, ethanol plants, biodeisel, "landfill gas to energy", cryogenic work, and all the piss-ant jobs you have to work on your way to these.

I've been doing this for thirty years.

I've never once burned a 7014 rod.

Think about that for a minute.

Steve

But you are a pro, doing pro work-structural, code work using QWP's and having to prove your welds by DT and NDT....So of course you never had the need to use something as user friendly as 7014.

I'm glad the rod is out there for the hobbist and the artisan...The farmer....The kid wanting to fab up his first go cart....The guy looking to buy his first welder and keeping our LWS's in business.

I'm glad they discover it after first trying 7018 because then they better appreciate what you MUST work with everyday....yaknow?

Otto Nobedder wrote:Ya' know,

I've work all up and down the eastern half of the U.S. I've worked in shops along the way.

I've built powerplants, ethanol plants, biodeisel, "landfill gas to energy", cryogenic work, and all the piss-ant jobs you have to work on your way to these.

I've been doing this for thirty years.

I've never once burned a 7014 rod.

Think about that for a minute.

Steve

So......what are you saying Steve? You need to get out more often? LOL

You both have good points!

I was actually having thoughts about the fact that, in thirty years, I've never used that rod. One of my first serious fab-and-weld jobs used 6013 in the shop on old tombstones, and 7018 in the field on Miller Bobcats (or whatever the equivalent was back then) doing the exact same job.

With the descriptions you've given, these guys would have been all over 7014, especially if it costs less. Is it a newer alloy? How does it perform vertically and overhead?

As an aside, that was the most fun I ever had working. That job didn't pay but about $0.50 over minimum wage, but;

I spent about half my time in the field. We were building, installing, moving, and repairing boat docks on Lake of the Ozarks one of the best places to party, ever. I was in my early twenties, and in good shape. My work "uniform" was a pair of cut-offs, tennis shoes, gloves, and hood. I worked with the boss' son, who was my age, and in as good shape as I was, if not a bit better. If there had been four of us, we'd have looked like the Village People on Casual Friday. I met more girls that way!!!

There aren't many jobs where swimming at the party dock is required.

Steve

Although I have done stick welding off and on for 30 yrs. it has always been a hobbie. When I got my first TIG welder 2 years ago I asked the salesman at the LWS for a decent rod that was easy to use........this is where the 7014 came from. I have welded with 7018 rods on an AC buzzbox........very difficult to start/restart and get the slag off. With how hard the 7018's were I can see why someone would get discouraged in thebeginning......thnak for an easy rod like the 7014!!!

Well it has 70'000 lbs tensile strength. 4- position rod, and has a rutile and iron powder coating. And it has medium penetration capabilities.... The question is... what are you welding ?