red arc with stick?

[roverjohn]

I bought a nice AC/DC stick machine recently to do the heavy lifting that my 110VAC mig can't handle. I hav'nt stick welded in years and I'm not any sort of expert at all but I saw something today that I have not seen before and I'm curious. My new/old welder came with a box of odds and ends rods one of which had a black flux coating. When I tried laying a bead with it the arc was red when viewed through my helmet. What would cause this? The only other black fluxed rods in the box of odds and ends say "quenchweld" on them but no numbers and I honestly don't think they are the same rods as I remember the rod I used had thicker and rougher flux than these "quenchweld" rods. The bead I layed down was narrower than one placed with a 6013 rod and it looks like stainless. I was welding on to a A36 HR plate.
Thanks in advance for your time, John..

[zapster]

the only black rods i know of are used for hardfacing..
like the bottom of the trip-edge on a snowplow or excavator bucket teeth..

i have no idea what color they get when welding..
soooooo
i guess on wednesday when i go back to the shop i'll just have to burn one just to see what color it is..

...zap!

[tessdad]

I was thinking maybe cast iron rods? Does the rod arc out the side if the side of the rod is touched to the work (or ground)?
I was told that the black color and electric conductivity of the cast iron rod flux came from it's high carbon content. The shinny "stainless" look you describe could be cast iron rod with high nickle content, good for machinable welds, and joining dissimilar metals (cast iron to steel)
Additionally, often the type of filter plate affects the color of the arc.

[roverjohn]

Thanks for the help. I can't try to see if the rod will arc through the flux because it's now burned up. My helmet is just a stock Huntsman. The lens is green #11, I think, and looks perfectly normal when I weld anything else with it on. I wouldn't think a red arc color would even make it through the lens. I wish I had saved some of the rod to try welding with it at night. I'll try filing the bead to see how hard it feels.
John..

[TEK]

I think 7024 rod flux is black but it doesn't burn red that I can recall--Oh, welcome to the forum!

[roverjohn]

Originally Posted by TEK

I think 7024 rod flux is black but it doesn't burn red that I can recall--Oh, welcome to the forum!

Thanks.

[zapster]

7024 is really more brown than black..

and the flux is a pita to deal with..

i think there's too much on it..

...zap!

[TEK]

Originally Posted by zapster

7024 is really more brown than black..

and the flux is a pita to deal with..

i think there's too much on it..

...zap!

It has been a while since I used any and I'm thinkin' you are right. It is plenty dark but not black.