Larger rods in smaller quantities?

[FlyFishn]

Looks like going any bigger than 5/32" on stick electrodes 50lb tins is all I can find. Does anyone know where they might be available, say, in 10lb boxes?

I'd like to try 3/16" and/or 7/32" 7018, 6011, and 6010. 50lbs is a ton of rod, and even 10lb is for me. Depending on the results, I might get through a 10lb box of 7018 on a project coming up. If I can't find the larger rods I may just settle for what I can source here - 5lb boxes 3/32" to 5/32". I'm going to build up some thick fillets.

[M J D]

It's available. I have Lincoln Excalibur in 10 lb containers. Shipping is usually the killer with online purchases. I get mine thru my LWS which carries mainly Lincoln and Esab electrodes. Maybe a farm store but they tend to have 7018 in the AC configuration.

[BD1]

What are you welding for rods that thick.


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[cwby]

Yeah - that's my question - WHY? I weld a lot of thick (1" +) joints & very seldom do I even use 5/32. Mainly build it up with 3/32 & 1/8.

[MISSING LINK]

I guess one source you could try, is possibly ask your LWS what the price is for a 50lb box and then figure out what the prices per pound. Then perhaps call around at some road construction or heavy equipment shops and see if they have some. Perhaps a box of two dozen donuts and a little cash would get you some to try anyways.

If I'm doing a lot of welding liners down to excavator buckets or bigger items I will use 3/16 diameter rod. I tried using 1/4 diameter rod and it welded down just fine but had a tendency to crack later on. I'm guessing it was from putting too much weld down all at one time when welding hard wear material. With plain mild steel that would have been fine.
If you have something that is big enough to carry the heat, 5/32 is nice rod to use out of position as it still carries pretty flat vertical. I have done some welding vertical with 3/16 diameter rod but the base metal has always been at least 2 to 3 in thick to carry the heat. I have access to some 3/16 dia 6010, but never use it. Also some 3/16" 7024 Jetrod, for windy field days.

[albrightree]

With 7/32" E7018 5lbs would be about 8 sticks. How many amps does it take to light that up ??

You can always try Ebay, and craigslist.

[M J D]

With 7/32" E7018 5lbs would be about 8 sticks. How many amps does it take to light that up ??

You can always try Ebay, and craigslist.

375 amps or so. They make 1/4" and I believe they used to make 9/32".

[M J D]

The larger electrodes are longer so the amount per pound can be somewhat misleading.

[kize]

With 7/32" E7018 5lbs would be about 8 sticks. How many amps does it take to light that up ??

You can always try Ebay, and craigslist.

According to miller welds app- E7018 = amp range is 260-340.

[MinnesotaDave]

The larger electrodes are longer so the amount per pound can be somewhat misleading.

Yep, the large 7024 rods I used were 4 rods per pound if I remember right.

[G-ManBart]

What are you welding for rods that thick.

My guess:

[smithdoor]

Great job give driver protection for local
Will do a Great for street clean up.

Dave

My guess:

[cwby]

Thats the guy that built that cause he was tee'd off about something & destroyed half a city?

[G-ManBart]

Thats the guy that built that cause he was tee'd off about something & destroyed half a city?

Yes, Marvin Heemeyer....tore up a lot of Granby, Colorado. He was actually a welder and muffler repair shop owner.

[FlyFishn]

Looks like the amperage for 3/16-7/32 rods are between about 200-300a, 7018 7/32 goes up to about 330a though. Thats going off of the Lincoln rods for the amperage range for those sizes in 6010, 6011, 7018.

Might just stick with 5/32.

As to purpose - burly fillet welds on plate, namely for T joints but I have some large tube to plate fillets to do also.

[Popeye an old miner]

With 7/32" E7018 5lbs would be about 8 sticks. How many amps does it take to light that up ??

You can always try Ebay, and craigslist.

He was lookin for 5/32 not 7/32 rods. Ive run 7/64" and 1/4 inch rods at what Im thinkin was about 280 amps.

Someone asked what you would use 5/32 for....rebuild a dragline bucket sometime with no wire feeder. I did it for years with my pipeliner. I resally coukdnt say anymore what the amps was but I know it was pegged and ran wide open with 1/4" 7018s. I was running them vertical too. Try that sometime for thrills, ****z, and giggles. If you can do that you got somethin goin on, not many men can do it.

I would run a root and a hot pass or 2 with 1/8" 7018, 6010 or 6011 if it was real crummy and then I would jump right up to 3/16" 7018 at about 200 amps, steadily increasing the heat with evry pass, once I got up too about 240 amps i would do a big weave and then jump up to 1/4" or 7/64" whatever was available and crank that ol girl up all the way. The whole truck would shake when I struck an arc with the ol girl...ya gotta listen to an F163 motor when she gets a good quick load like that. My wife asked what was goin on with the truck shakin one morning...I told her the ol girl is having an orgasm...Mrs K just shook her head and walked away

[FlyFishn]

He was lookin for 5/32 not 7/32 rods.

If you are referring to me, the OP - reread the original post.

Looks like going any bigger than 5/32" on stick electrodes 50lb tins is all I can find. Does anyone know where they might be available, say, in 10lb boxes?

I'd like to try 3/16" and/or 7/32" 7018, 6011, and 6010. 50lbs is a ton of rod, and even 10lb is for me. Depending on the results, I might get through a 10lb box of 7018 on a project coming up. If I can't find the larger rods I may just settle for what I can source here - 5lb boxes 3/32" to 5/32". I'm going to build up some thick fillets.

5/32 might be the route to go, though, as it is easy to source. The original question was in reference to 3/16 and 7/32 in smaller quantities than 50lb tins.

[CAVEMANN]

I rebuilt half the "plow"(cowcatcher) on a 125 ton mine locomotive in 1987, most everything was 3/4", and 1 1/2" inch plate, I welded all that back in with 1/8" 7018, it took out several more cows after that & never fell off, LOL & hadn't been touched when they shut the plant down in 1999.

[Freebirdwelds]

5/32 might be the route to go, though, as it is easy to source. The original question was in reference to 3/16 and 7/32 in smaller quantities than 50lb tins.

Swing by some welding shops, ask around local if you can you may get lucky. Hope you can find some and if you do have fun with it cause large rod is a blast to run.

[farmersammm]

My guess:

That was a terrible day. I lived in Colorado for a good part of my life, and was familiar with the town.

[Kelvin]

That was a terrible day. I lived in Colorado for a good part of my life, and was familiar with the town.

There's a pretty decent documentary about it available somewhere (Tubi TV maybe? Netflix?) with lots of actual footage from the event. That guy was PISSED.

[Oscar]

Yeah - that's my question - WHY? I weld a lot of thick (1" +) joints & very seldom do I even use 5/32. Mainly build it up with 3/32 & 1/8.

because not everyone wants to do things the way you/others do things. To quote someone else: We tend to judge the actions of others by what we think our own standards are, conveniently forgetting those times when we did what we wanted to do because we wanted to do it, even against our better judgement.

[Popeye an old miner]

[QUOTE=FlyFishn;8812516]If you are referring to me, the OP - reread the original post.


Ok I thought you were lookin for 5/32 rods now I think I see you were lookin for bigger rods in general including 3/16 and bigger.

Just disregard my post

[propanehotrod]

I run 5/32 7018 pretty often. Probably more often than 1/8. but then Im working on Ag and construction equipment most of the time. Any time I can run 5/32 or 3/16 in one pass instead of multiple 1/8 passes its a win.
I also have some 7/32 a buddy gave me. I also lucked out and found a box of 1/4 7018 on clearance sale at airgas. I turned out to have 4, 11#sealed boxes inside.

[lars66]

With 7/32" E7018 5lbs would be about 8 sticks. How many amps does it take to light that up ??

You can always try Ebay, and craigslist.

Takes about 380 amps to burn 7/32 7018 on heavy plate with my Hobart gas drive.