Heard a foreman compare welding rod storage to keeping bread fresh

I was on a job site last Tuesday and this old foreman, Jimmy, said storing 7018 rods wrong is like leaving a loaf of bread open on the counter. It just clicked for me. I always kept my rods in a tube but never thought about the moisture getting in overnight. Now I'm checking my rod oven temps every morning before I start. Any of you guys got a trick for keeping rods dry when you're working outside in the rain?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_nelson1d ago

Moisture in rods matters way more than old timers make it out to be. I've seen guys leave rods out in the dew all night and still weld fine the next day. Unless you're doing critical code work on a bridge or pressure vessel, a little humidity isn't going to ruin your weld. Half the time these guys are just repeating stuff they heard without testing it themselves.

rowan2621d ago

Slow down there, you're telling me you've left rods out in the dew overnight and still got a decent weld? That goes against everything I was taught back in the day.