Learned the hard way that welding rods need dry storage on the boat

I used to keep my 7018 rods loose in a milk crate on the deck of my boat out of Pensacola. After about a week of humid salt air, I noticed my welds on a salvage job were starting to pop and crack, nothing like the smooth beads I laid the week before. The difference was night and day once I switched to a sealed rod oven and started running a fresh pack every dive. That cracked repair cost me an extra afternoon of grinding and redoing the bracket on a piling. I now check the date stamp on every box and never take more rods than I need for the day. Anyone else dealt with moisture wrecking their work before they figured out the storage angle? What do you use for a compact oven on a small boat?

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jake6383d ago

Salt air and 7018s are a match made in heck, that's for sure. Sounds like your rod oven earned its keep faster than a good anchor. Now you just gotta remember to close the lid before you get distracted by the next wave.