Not very good welding

[TOM REED]

If you have had the rods for a while which most hobbyists like myself do and then need to do a quick repair we just grab the rods and start welding. We usually miss one very important step, the rods must be dry, perfectly dry. That is the reason they make rod ovens to keep the rods perfectly dry. A rod oven or storage for rods can be convieniently made using an old bar fridge with a 40 watt bulb inside left on continuously, barring that a couple of hours baking in your wifes oven at 200 to 250F may make all the difference in your welds. This is especially important with 7018 but also with other rods. If you ever get a chance try some ARCTEC rods, they have the equivalent rods to everyone else but they just seem to weld smoother and better for me. tom