That weld on the Kansas City bridge job made me rethink my rod storage

I was up on a bridge repair job outside Kansas City last month and my 7018 rods kept picking up moisture even though I thought they were dry. The inspector flagged a few of my welds for porosity and I had to grind out three passes right there on the catwalk. Now I keep my rods in a heated quiver on my belt instead of just in the box. Anyone else had humidity mess with their welds on outdoor structural jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_king224d ago

Switching to the heated quiver saved me too on a bridge job in Texas humidity. Just make sure to keep your rods above 250 degrees and check them with a moisture gauge before you strike an arc.

ninab954d ago

Made the same mistake myself on a bridge job in St. Louis last summer... had to grind out a whole bead and it looked like Swiss cheese. Humidity just sneaks up on you when you're working over water. Now I keep a spare rod oven in my truck bed just in case.