312 Electrode cost

[premmington]

Just ordered couple 3kg packs of Elga 3.2mm 312's £116.94 each box (Rapid).

Last 3kg tubes I had were £66 - ish - maybe? Two years ago?

 

[Brad93]

nickel price is high

 

[premmington]

nickel price is high

Yeah they are 9% Nickel.

Been using them for bolt extraction - @Brad93 - what else could I use which is cheaper?

 

[Brad93]

Yeah they are 9% Nickel.

Been using them for bolt extraction - @Brad93 - what else could I use which is cheaper?

Well 312 is high strength, low chance of cracking. 309 has better ductility.

 

[premmington]

Well 312 is high strength, low chance of cracking. 309 has better ductility.

312:
Mechanical properties Specified Typical Yield strength, Rp0.2%: ≥ Tensile Strength, Rm: ≥ 660 N/mm² Typical 760 N/mm² Elongation, A5 ≥ 25%

309:
Mechanical properties Specified Typical Yield strength, Rp0.2%: ≥ Tensile Strength, Rm: ≥ 520 N/mm² Typical 560 N/mm² Elongation, A5 ≥ 30%

-------------

309's are only about £6 a kg cheaper - you are right @Brad93 - 309's are more ductile - which mean welds would deform more - before they snapped - when bolt extracting.

312's are well up on 6013's for tensile strength - I have used 7018's for this job - but they are so difficult to restart - you end up throwing more part used rods away than you use. Only problem with 312's is self releasing slag - pinging off at you when you least expect it.

6013 60.000psi
7018 70.000psi
I thought 312's were 90/100.000psi ?????????????

 

[Richiew]

NTDWM, but there is a bloke on Facebook not a million miles away from me selling 9018's. 90,000psi presumably.

Can you get hold of anything similar locally? Would they be any good? Just a suggestion, not a recommendation.

Forgot the link, nearly.

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[mtt.tr]

What's your method out of interest?

 

[premmington]

NTDWM, but there is a bloke on Facebook not a million miles away from me selling 9018's. 90,000psi presumably.

Can you get hold of anything similar locally? Would they be any good? Just a suggestion, not a recommendation.

Forgot the link, nearly.

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These 9018's are lo/hi's - they are pig to restart.

But to be honest they are cheap enough.

Problem with bolt extraction - it is a lot of repositioning and restarting the rod.

 

[Richiew]

yeah. 7018s are bad enough. We get spoiled with the restart qualities of 6013. Possibly the only thing going for them.

 

[premmington]

What's your method out of interest?

Weld some thing to bolt that needs to come out - allow to cool - weld over top of weld - beat with 4lb hammer - then extract - never fails!

yeah. 7018s are bad enough. We get spoiled with the restart qualities of 6013. Possibly the only thing going for them.

Yeah 6013's do restart very well - I struggle with most/any 6013's - slag running everywhere.

 

[Erie Fred]

When running 7018, do you not rub your thumb over the end to crack off the hardened flux ?

 

[Richiew]

Yes. 6013, just guess what the weld pool is doing and hope for the best. Not sure if practice breeds experience or indifference, but it does tend to improve the more rods I burn.

 

[premmington]

When running 7018, do you not rub your thumb over the end to crack off the hardened flux ?

I sort of flick the last bit away when I stop welding - or just pick up a new rod

 

[premmington]

Yes. 6013, just guess what the weld pool is doing and hope for the best. Not sure if practice breeds experience or indifference, but it does tend to improve the more rods I burn.

Only thing I like 6013's for is building things up with before machining - it tends to cut well on a lathe. (Buttery! is a poor description).

I don't really do much fabrication with new stuff - new nice metal - mine is all repair welding.

 

[Richiew]

I crack the end off and am usually left with 1/8" (for Fred!) of bare rod which is still a bugger to restart. I've used my thumb, a file, twatted the end on hardened steel. Always a pain in the rear. They run nicely, to be fair, from fresh.

 

[premmington]

I crack the end off and am usually left with 1/8" (for Fred!) of bare rod which is still a bugger to restart. I've used my thumb, a file, twatted the end on hardened steel. Always a pain in the rear. They run nicely, to be fair, from fresh.

I have tried a file - this just breaks off big lumps of flux exposing rod as you described.

 

[premmington]

Yes. 6013, just guess what the weld pool is doing and hope for the best. Not sure if practice breeds experience or indifference, but it does tend to improve the more rods I burn.

I been buying these of late for 6013's

Esab Goldrox Electrodes 3.2mm 2.3kg Packet

Esab Goldrox Electrodes 3.2mm 2.3kg Packet. OK GoldRox is a true all-round and all-position rutile electrode.

engweld.co.uk

 

[Richiew]

Cheers Peter. I'll bear them in mind. The nice thing about 6013 is that they do store well.

Got a few Vodex that are nearly as old as I am I reckon and they are bloody lovely. Previous owner died at nearly 90.

 

[premmington]

Cheers Peter. I'll bear them in mind. The nice thing about 6013 is that they do store well.

Got a few Vodex that are nearly as old as I am I reckon and they are bloody lovely. Previous owner died at nearly 90.

This is the thing about MMA welding rods - I reckon I have thrown more out over the years than I have used.

I been buying smaller vac pacs of late - plus I got a load of these https://www.rodguard.net/

I got a drying oven - but the steam that comes off - is impressive - but old rods just crumble away.

 

[Richiew]

Yeah, I've got a lifetime supply of 7018 paint stirrers. 6013's store OK I find. Depends on where you are working. My garage is pretty new and airtight. I'm only messing about. Unlike you, I don't have to guarantee the quality of anything I do. Just as well, really. I didn't realise 6013 vac packs were a thing. That's my lesson for today.