Tried a new welding rod on a crane repair yesterday

Grabbed some E7018-H4R rods I'd never used before for a 2-inch crack on a loader bucket in St. Louis. Welded nice at first but got a ton of porosity near the end, had to grind it all out. Anybody else have trouble with these rods or was it just my technique?

3 comments

3 Comments

sage_moore371mo ago

Yeah that "welded nice at first" bit makes me wonder if the rods picked up some moisture just from sitting in the shop. The H4R means low hydrogen but if they're not stored right they'll start off good then spit at you.

mark_ward1mo ago

That "welded nice at first" part is exactly how things go with so many products now... they work great until they don't, like the cheap extension cord that melts after a month.

karenb971mo ago

St Louis humidity gets into rods fast if they're not in a rod oven. That "welded nice at first" is the moisture burning off then the trouble starts halfway through. Keep a sealed container with desiccant packs in your truck if you're running rods there.