Welding Tips and Tricks

I still do a fair bit of stick welding with 7018 but I must admit to not using proper rod storage. I only buy small packs at a time but a rod oven that uses no electricity would be nice. Has anyone ever thought of or done this? I see solar cookers all the time so the heat is there. Someone more clever than I no doubt knows just how to do this.

I have been thinking about building a homemade one but I have never heard of or thought of a solar one. Sounds interesting might have to look into the technology of it.

Solar ovens are easy to build, but are not going to deliver consistent heat on cloudy days.
Night time heat storage becomes and issue as well.

Figure roughly 1,000 watts of power per square meter of sun collected.

They are fun to use with students and heat lunch very nicely.
The use for them around the world, and why they have to use them, is a good research topic for students as well.

If I were forced to do it, I would make a hybrid that has a thermostat to control the electric side for when the sun isn't getting it done.

Oven collectors outside a south wall that funnel the heat inside are a nice way to go - this is how restaurants get the heat for their ovens when using industrial versions.

Thanks MinnesotaDave. I hadn't considered the hybrid solution. I think I shall commence sketching

You might want to consider an old dry heat sterilizer. You can buy used ones online.

As an alternative, electrodes can be reconditioned in an oven:
http://www.hobartbrothers.com/downloads ... _D7GOo.pdf
I've learned it's best to wait until my wife is out of the house before I start this.

There is another line of thought that suggests if you're not doing code work, or if you're practicing or just fixing a lawn mower, a low-hy electrode will work just fine even if it's been exposed to humidity.

I like the idea of using a solar collector.

I'm not sure you'd need to maintain the heat 7x24... If the goal is to remove moisture, get it up to temp for the required duration, then seal it from moisture (e.g., a large Baggie, maybe with some desiccant thrown in). Stuff in the carton is still good when the seal hasn't been broken, right?

I.e., it'd seem to be a one-time process if you can seal them up afterwards. But if you're constantly opening the door to pull out rod, I can see where it'd need to be more constant.

I used to have a cage around the exhaust pipe of the old Lincoln on my service truck. On large repairs I'd put several handfuls of rod in there and it would stay nice and toasty. Not sure it actually helped but it "seemed" to weld more crisply with less rod stickage. Then I got a new machine and just used em out of the box after that. It welded pretty good too so i dunno. I did notice a couple things while welding in the rain. First, it's a bad idea. It can shock the crap out of you once your gloves and gear get wet. Second, if you're using low-hy rod, the second half welds a lot better. I assume the intense heat dries it out.
Cheers.
-Eldon

Regarding the last post, the shock you get from welding may not be enough to shock you to death, but it can be enough to upset your heart rhythm and cause a cardiac arrest. FYI of course.

Mick

I'd advise against welding in the rain just from the sheer unpleasantness, but the risk of cardiac arrest is, of course, an even better reason.

I too have been looking at the idea of a rod oven and have come up with the same idea as RichardH. I did not hear any replies from the pro's regarding getting the rods up to temp and for a preset duration then letting them cool and bagging them. I was kind of thinking about bagging them in a few different amounts per bag, some 10's some 20's and some bulk bags. That may be a bit overboard but I'll find that out soon enough.

I would be interested in any other rod oven ideas. What does a small rod oven cost?

I would think, if one were to vacuum-bag (a-la "seal-a-meal") rods fresh from a sealed can or the oven after cooling, they'd keep better.

Steve S