I've been cleaning out the shop - used to be my grandfathers, an autobody - and today I cleared out allllllll of the 30+ year old junk weld rod. Some of it looked ok still, I use it here and there (MIG is more convenient than stick, don't use the arc welder much). The grand majority of it, however - all 100 pounds of it - is sitting in a five gallon bucket. 7018, 6013, 6022 mostly, but if you name it it's probably there.

I was thinking of scrapping it, but scrap prices are so low right now. I read somewhere steel is down to $220 a ton or something, which is $0.11/pound. Last year I could sell for $0.30 around here. Good time to buy stock, anyway. 

Is the flux worth scraping off into a can, or something, to use for fire welding?

Is the rod worth trying to weld into bar?

Rivets??

It's no good for welding, and even if it were, I have another 50 pounds of still sealed rod. By the time I use it all.... 

Put them on Craigslist.

Scrap is down to $40 a ton , or 2¢ a pound here. All metals took a big hit. Copper is under $2 a pound.

I have run a bit of old nasty rod on various projects. Sometimes you don't need perfection. Sometimes all they need is a good baking in an oven to make them weld OK.

Yeah, some of it is alright. A lot of it, on the other hand, has turned brown and moldy. 

$40/ton is crazy. The $220 was an average. I got in an accident last November and still haven't scrapped the car because it's so low. 

if you have a high school welding shop to teach kids to weld give it to them !

thats what I do the kids don't need new rod all the time & this way they learn what old rod is & what its like to weld with

if they learn to run a bead with old tired & wet rod LOL -- the new stuff well just flow !!

I still have 70 + lb of 6010 I will never use & that is a GREAT rod to learn on makes you work for youre bead

then everything else is EASY

Steve's Welding

Unfortunately, no - and because of it I ended up having to teach myself. That's a good idea though. My younger brother needs to learn. 

throw it in a oven cook @ 350 deg for an hour that will dry it out. 

I have cheated on occasion and just upped the amps a little to dry on the go, hahahaha. 

 

Yep, sometimes all you need is any old rod to lay a textured surface down, or some other arty project-nothing structural.

I'm always happy to accept donations!  

 

Considering the quality of my welds, I dearly need to practice more!!!!

Practice with good rods !

If you use bad rods, then you might not be able to tell if it's your welding or the rods causing the problem(s).

We ALL need more practice.  Some days, I just rig up some scrap and burn a bunch of rods.  Surprising how the "groove" can get away from you.

NO Vaughn! Use good rod, trying to learn with old cruddy rod is just setting yourself up for failure.

Are there any welding supplies in your neighborhood? Ours hold pretty regular welding classes for beginners or are happy to take you back and give you a sample to try and show you how to set the machine and run beads. I can't think of a single welding supply up here that doesn't have a bench and welders set up in back for just that.

It can't hurt to ask. What can they say?

Frosty The Lucky.

Remove the flux and make basket twist Christmas ornaments. 1/8" 6011 works really good.

That's a good idea, Steve. I could have enough for the whole state if I go through the bucket I have. 

Take about 8 rods, break off the outer coating and bend them in half.  Put each one in a vice and twist them.  Sometimes they break and that is why you need about 8.  Take 4 twisted rods and join them together by welding them on the ends. Now heat them up in a forge and twist them all together and they make a nice handle.  

You could make them into key chains.

Rusty rods are useful for cutting up rusty old junk.

Just crank up the Amps, ... and burn through the piece.

It ain't pretty, ... but it's cheap and effective.

 

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NO Vaughn! Use good rod, trying to learn with old cruddy rod is just setting yourself up for failure.

Frosty The Lucky.

Concur.

Life's too short to plague yourself with unnecessary obstacles.

 

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I cleaned out a welding shop and have 20-50 lb boxes, yep 1000 lbs not counting what I have bought. Some that is unmarked is hardface rod, wonder what it is?

You could scrap them ... at least you guys get paid for scrap steel. Steel scrap is worth nothing here and we have to pay the scrappie to take it away.

Those de-fluxxed (?) welding rods are very handy for quick demos of S -hooks. Flatten the centre and twist them and they make respectable plant hangers. Kids like them and they take all of two minutes to make. A bit of brass on the twist adds colour. Easy freebies.

If you have long ones, they also make good wraps for punches. You can bunch four together and make basket twist handles for toasting forks etc.

Leave them in the five gallon bucket to be used as required... they are worth the space in your shop I reckon.

 

Remove the flux and make basket twist Christmas ornaments. 1/8" 6011 works really good.

Now THAT is a cool idea, Steve!!

For about a year I've been meaning to experiment at making a back scratcher by using up all the little ends of welding rods I'm leftover with. My plan is to purposely weld them into a bar to make something resembling a rigid toothbrush, with softened tips. You could snip some up and try that?

also if you have a high school near by that Still has a welding class ?? thats a good place to give rod to

if you learn to run old rods then when you get New roods the Light go's on

& if there 6010 Thats a real good rod to learn on there picky until you understand them !!

after you can run that rod its easy street