Welding Rods: Common Types and Usages
**DETAILS about electrodes are in my ebook!**
Note that the first 2 digits on welding rods indicate the tensile strength in PSI (Times 1000). The next digit expresses the welding position(s), & the last digit is the type of flux coating.
Below you'll see various common types of welding rods & other information:
ROD/TYPE/STRENGTH/USES/COMMENTS/MACHINE SETTINGS:
1) Aluminum 4043: common aluminum rod / 25,000 PSI / for all weldable aluminum / use a short arc, rod near vertical / 1/8" 90-140 AMPS
2) 6011: mild steel / 60,000 PSI / for mild steels / all position, deep penetration, plus cutting / 1/8" 80-130 AMPS
3) 6013.
4) 7018.
5) 7024.
6) Stainless 308.
Below are pictures of the above stated rod types. Colors may vary depending on manufacturer, age, & condition.
These are all fairly new rods.
You need to keep your rods out of the weather & humidity. Keep as warm & dry as practical for your situation. Then they will last longer & perform better.
Above are electrodes in this order (top to bottom):
1) Stainless 308's
2) 7024 Carbon Electrodes
3) 7018 Carbon Electrodes
4) 6011 Mild Steel
5) 6013 Mild Steel
5) 4043 Aluminum
Weyerheauser Timber Company uses a variety of hard surfacing electrodes. One example is for the big "hog" teeth which chews up large chucks of scrap wood in the sawmills.
Each "tooth" of this hog weighs over 100 pounds!! The cutting edge is built up first, then hard surfaced, & then weighed to help with balancing.
There are so many types & uses for electrodes that there's no need to get into all those!
Click below to go to my page about electrode control:
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Want to know MORE DETAILS about electrodes? Find out in my ebook, "The Arc And Beyond"!