Fincord rods and moisture

[sardine]

I used some Vodex today, nice but expensive, Fincord M are my current 2.5 the two are about the same, smooth arc, and don't absorb moisture.

The latter come in 2 mm, which is a handy little electrode for sheet metal.

 

[Liquid Metal]

In my opinion Fincord m and vodex are the mutts when 6013 rods are ok, for lo hi rods, my favourites are ESAB OK 48.00s

Personally if i had to choose one or the other though it probably would be Fincords. Nothing wrong with either one of them. There seems to be a whole lot of people online slagging off the use of rutile rods, both 6013 and 7024 rutile iron powder rods. Ususal is "6013 no good for anything but a gate".

But what these people (usually americans) maybe dont realise is that for decades, ocean going ships have had their hulls welded with 6013s, and what probelms has it caused?? From what I remember from studying at college, is that vodex were developed in the shipyards as a rod to weld Vertical Overhead and Downhand with the same amperage. If they are good enough for Oil tankers and Container ships, then for the majority of jobs, they are good enough in my book.

Also a lot of process pipework on oil refineries in this country is welded with 6013. Not as much as is welded with lo hi's, but 6013s are still used a lot. Also in the same environment process and storage vessels.

Ok granted that high pressure vessels and pipework, High Load Structural steelwork, low hydrogens are specified as necessary, as well as lots of other instances but.......

6013s are far far from the useless crap that a lot of people call them.

 

[norlander]

+1 for ESAB OK I used em with Oxford oil cooled plant when Pontious Pilate was a ration storeman, I run 6013s on my MMA set which oddly is DCEP for MMA and I can only find DCEN 6013s but they don't mind.
Ran Esabs on same amps for fillet/vertical up/horizontal etc .Brilliant rods and really nice welds.
DC sets, arc force, anti stick,heated electrode quivers, reactive masks -some of these new breed of welders want get some real old school welding in before they rubbish 6013s.

 

[PTvor]

I was given a load of old rods, mainly 2.5mm, which had been knocking about in a commercial garage for about 15 years, judging by the date on a packet some of them were posted in. The packaging had obviously suffered from damp and in one case the ends had got rust on - they were WeldRo WRX21. I dried them all in the electric oven, 100C for an hour and then put them in the airing cupboard. They've fine. I cleaned up the rust on the WRX21s with a bit of sandpaper.

They were all quality rods in the first place, Elga, Vodex, etc.

The only ones which had really suffered were WRX30s where the flux was cracking in places, but they're not unusable.

For the effort it takes, I'd always redry a load of old 6013s and then store them somewhere dry.

 

[norlander]

[quote="PTvor, post: 525264, member: 11659"
For the effort it takes, I'd always redry a load of old 6013s and then store them somewhere dry.[/quote]

If you find any old 6013s they are mine-I used to leave them all over the place when I was an apprentice.

 

[rich r]

I found one of the Fincords in the box that had a rusty 'tide mark' on it - it had obviously been left out (maybe on the ground?) then put back in the box. It struck up instantly at 55A and I could lay down a stringer easily. I used about 6cm of it, then let it cool and put it back in the box. I'll use the rest of it at some point (probably on the same sodding gate, as I need to grind off the bolt that I put on and refit it a couple of cm higher. Or I might just pack the hinges with washers

 

[Liquid Metal]

+1 for ESAB OK I used em with Oxford oil cooled plant when Pontious Pilate was a ration storeman, I run 6013s on my MMA set which oddly is DCEP for MMA and I can only find DCEN 6013s but they don't mind.
Ran Esabs on same amps for fillet/vertical up/horizontal etc .Brilliant rods and really nice welds.
DC sets, arc force, anti stick,heated electrode quivers, reactive masks -some of these new breed of welders want get some real old school welding in before they rubbish 6013s.

My point exactly. So many people rubbish rutile rods, I just cannot understand why. I know 7 series low hi rods such as 7016 or 7018 will give a stronger weld due to the steel in the rod itself having tensile strength of 70,000psi, but it doesnt make 6013 rutiles useless at 60,000. Horses for courses i think lol.

 

[Bill Edwards]

I've been welding for years with perfectly ordinary 6013's only (not counting cast, dissimilar etc as they're not relevant). I've just bought some 7018s as I feel I should use them for some brackets I need to weld onto some buckets/other machinery, but if they were not available I'd go for the 6013's as I always have done until now.
Yes they may not be as strong, but for general farm welding they seem to be the main choice and they do work well.