Swapped out my old stick electrodes for some 7018s on a pressure vessel job last week

I've been running 6010s for years on structural stuff, but I had a pressure vessel repair come up at a chemical plant near Houston. The foreman handed me some 7018 rods and told me to try them instead. The bead came out way smoother with less spatter and the weld passed X-ray on the first try. Has anyone else made the switch for critical work and noticed a big difference in cleanup time?

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1 Comment

karen_sanchez101h ago

Those 7018s definitely run smoother than 6010s but you gotta watch the storage on them. 7018 rods are low hydrogen so they need to be kept in a rod oven or at least a dry place. Had a buddy on a pipeline job grab some 7018s that had been sitting out overnight and his welds were full of porosity. Your weld passed X-ray first try so you probably handled them right but for anyone trying it, keep those rods bone dry. The slag peels right off with 7018 compared to the 6010 chipping hammer workout huh?