Does anyone have some suggestions on make an adequate storage box for welding rods to keep them dry and at optimum usability? I have an old refrigerator I'm using now, with good sealing action, what else could I do?
Thanks for any suggestion!
Drill a 1/2 hole thru the back of it near the top of lower(frig) section and mount a porcelain bulb base w/ a 100w bulb.Run the wire out the hole in the back.
Mike
My grandfather, a professional pipefitter for over 40 years, kept welding robs in open ended tubes on a shelf in his open-air workshop.
I don't think you need to get too fancy with storage, unless the quality of rods has significantly declined in the last 20 years.
pendragon, it would make a diff as to where you are.
Moisture is the devil when dealing with welding rods. If you are in Arizona, I doubt you would have a problem with your storage method. I live in southern Mi and moisture is always a problem with long term storage of rod.
Not only does the moisture damage the flux, it makes welding more difficult with the addition of all that hydrogen and oxygen. Bad welds can result.
mla2ofus' suggestion is what I typically see that seems to be quite effective to warm the interior enough to stave off the moisture issue.
Florida, probably isn't a state in the union with a higher average humidity than us. I guess rod quality has went down, or maybe he really was just that good.
the temp fluctuations aren;t as extreme in Florida. Maybe that makes a difference but even if you can well with the thing, there is the possibility of additional H and O2 that could cause inclusions or gas pocketing. The flux and metals are designed for specific reasons. The additional elements can cause a problem.
Take a peak at this site. It speaks to 7018 (low hydrogen rod), moisture and the problems involved.
http://www.keenovens.com/articles/7018-storage.htm
I've become convinced by this thread and the Keen oven sales guy that moisture is a bad thing, expecially for the 7018 rod I use a lot of. I don't, however, believe that the guy is right about needing a commercially produced oven for keeping my rods dry. Even the ovens that are touted on the Keen site have a temperature range of 100F - 250F. That means to me that 100F or even more degrees, if warmer than the outside air, will dispell all moisture issues. Why would their ovens go that low, anyway, if that wouldn'd work? My experience is that anything toasted to 150 degree F dries stuff out, (Saved my cell phone this way after a dunking in a urinal!) so with a 100 watt bulb in a frigerator, 150F should be easy to obtain. The result, if I'm thinking right, should be dry rods.
I never totally trust the advise of people who have a product to sell me, the necessity of which is created by their own advise.
I'm thinking I will try 2 100 watt or 150 watt halogen bulbs - They last a long time and put out a lot of heat - and see what kind of temp I can get - I will need to put in a switch on the outside of the frig so the damn thing won't blind me when I open the door!
Anyone know which kind of bulb heats the most for the amount of electricity? (I already know not to use flourescent!)
The Keen site info made mention of 7018 rods that have already become moisture affected and needing heated to 500 degrees F. Personally I think that is more sales BS, what do you'all think of that?
If you have an electric oven, you can bake the rods in there. Gas ovens produce moisture (a byproduct of the gas burning) so they are not as effective although it would be better than nothing. As far as 500 degrees? I would have to research that but they may have some reasoning I am not aware of.
Halogen lamps produce more heat per watt (I believe). If the light does not produce enough heat (which everybody I have ever known has done it that way) you could always install a small electric heater and thermostat.
I would imagine a lower temp would produce the same results but slower if there is a moisture issue already. If you start out with fresh dry rods, I would think 150 would do just fine.
Originally Posted by pelican43015
Does anyone have some suggestions on make an adequate storage box for welding rods to keep them dry and at optimum usability? I have an old refrigerator I'm using now, with good sealing action, what else could I do?
Thanks for any suggestion!
An old fridge is the best rod box you can have, period. However, if you're in the field frequently you need a good electric or propane box. You will never make one for as cheap as you can buy one. That's a fact!
A 100 watt bulb in an old fridge will be just fine for you.Halogen lights can get expensive to keep on 24/7. Look folks, as soon as you open a box of rod it wiil start to attract moisture. Moisture is a VERY bad thing when it comes to welding rods.If you don't have a rod oven, homemade or otherwise, at least seal the remaining rods in the box they came in with duct tape or purchase the airtight containers that hold five pounds of rod at the welding supply store.The 60 series rods (6010, 6011, 6013,etc) are a little more moisture tolerant then the 70 series. It will take awhile to ruin a 60 series rod whereas a 70 series rod can be ruined in a matter of hours. Same with the 80 and 90 series which are very moisture intolerant. Keep'em dry people....Sid
I used an old mini fridge I got from a buddy for free - he was throwing it away. I fixed the broken door and got it seal up good. I replaced the plastic door inner as it was cracked an broken and wasn't allowing the magnetic rubber strip to seal up good. In lieu of the plastic door inner I used a piece of hi spangle steel to help reflect light from my light bulb. I rigged up a 100watt light with a small LED on the door to let me know when the bulb is burned out inside; as I only need 70 series rods from time to time. Yes, it is very important to keep your rods mositure free and is more of a problem in certain areas say the Houston metro area or anywhere near the ocean for that matter. In addition, in certain cernarios such as being a code welder, rods have to come from a rod box at a certain temp and a QC inspector will be there to check. If you weld often you know that nice dry rods burn cleaner, draw an arc easier and result in a much prettier an stronger weld. My little rod box maintains a temp between 140-160degreesF, respective of outside weather conditions.
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