Heads up on a bad batch of 7018 rods from that new supplier in Toledo

We had a job last month where every third weld on a 3/4 inch plate was popping and leaving porosity, even with perfect prep. My foreman insisted it was our technique, but after burning through a whole 10lb can, I grabbed some old rods from my personal stash. The difference was night and day. Turns out the whole shipment had moisture issues straight from the factory. Has anyone else run into this with that supplier, or know a good way to test rods on-site before you commit to a big run?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora_coleman691mo ago

Actually had the opposite experience last spring. We got a Toledo shipment that welded out perfectly on some bridge repair work. Our crew uses a simple moisture test, just a few rods in the oven at 250 for an hour. If they stop sputtering, you know it was wet.

grayjohnson1mo ago

That's a solid test, @nora_coleman69, and good to hear your Toledo batch worked out.