Electrode Storage

In stick welding we use a rod (welding electrode rod) covered with flux. It was discovered in WWII that coatings on the filler rod made it weld better. On ships and other production sites, bare metal rods were used usually in the flat position. Rods were stored out in the open and not much care was taken with them.

One day some guy in a hurry grabs a rod that's been left out and is covered with rust. Next thing he knows, it is welding better than a brand new clean one. After experimenting with various coatings of silica, cellulose, sodium and other elements it was found that putting a flux coating on the filler rod produced a very sound weld.

Flux burns and turns into a shielding gas that protects the weld pool from atmospheric contaminants such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and others. These contaminants get into the weld pool and cause defects such as cracking, and porosity (worm holes.) These defects create a weak point where the weld can fail under stress or load. To keep that from happening, rods should always be stored properly.