Stick welding with 7018 vs 6010 on a rainy job site last month

I had this job patching up a boiler at an old paper mill outside of Richmond. The steel was wet and greasy no matter how much I preheated or ground it down, and I was stuck choosing between 7018 rods for strength or 6010 rods for that deep penetration on dirty metal. I went with 6010 because I needed to burn through the crap on the surface and get a real root in there. Ended up running the whole six passes with 6010 at around 90 amps, and the welds held up after the hydro test. The spatter was a nightmare though, I spent an extra hour chipping and grinding compared to using 7018. Has anyone else had to swap rods mid-job because of wet conditions or rust?

2 comments

2 Comments

carr.daniel4d ago

Man, 6010 in the rain is a lifesaver but the cleanup is brutal.

barbara_butler3d ago

Did you end up with a 6010 slag beard too? I swear I looked like I stuck my face in a bag of angry popcorn by the time I was done chipping. I had a similar situation once on a bridge job where I started with 7018 but switched to 6010 after the first two rods stuck and sizzled like bacon in a rain puddle. Yeah the spatter was a total mess, but you know what they say - ugly welds that hold are better than pretty ones that crack. I ended up burning through a whole extra grinding wheel just to make it look presentable for the inspector.