Strange welding rod

I had to replace a broken hinge on the ramp for my handicap scooter carrier. I have a small wire feed welder, but it si such a piece of cheap junk that I still use my old Lincoln when possible.. I was using some 3/32 rods (6011) from K&T, and stopped to do some alignment and put in a new rod, and could not strike an arc. No spark no nothing, just as if I had a stick in the older. Could not get anything striking the rod directly on the ground clamp. Checked the welder switch, and everything else I could think of, then finally tried another rod. All was ok. Thinking it might have the coating over the endI ground it off some on the end, but still no go. Looked it over real close, and no metal showing on the end. Finally ended up grinding off nearly half an inch to get to metal.

Could have been a rod with too much flux on the end
when they made it.

(quoted from post at 23:18:29 08/28/12) Could have been a rod with too much flux on the end
when they made it.

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hat is precisely what it was, but not just a little, the flux was nearly half an inch longer than the metal. The total length was the same as the rest of the rods, just the metal shorter. I assume it was the tail end of a batch and the metal was slightly short, but when it went in the mold to have the flux applied it came out looking normal. It did have me puzzled for a little bit due to how much there was of it. I first just hit it a little with the grinder, and when it still would not arc just continued on with different rods till I finished what I was doing, then checked it closer.

(quoted from post at 09:58:58 08/29/12)

(quoted from post at 23:18:29 08/28/12) Could have been a rod with too much flux on the end
when they made it.

Click to expand...

hat is precisely what it was, but not just a little, the flux was nearly half an inch longer than the metal. The total length was the same as the rest of the rods, just the metal shorter. I assume it was the tail end of a batch and the metal was slightly short, but when it went in the mold to have the flux applied it came out looking normal. It did have me puzzled for a little bit due to how much there was of it. I first just hit it a little with the grinder, and when it still would not arc just continued on with different rods till I finished what I was doing, then checked it closer.

Click to expand...

eminds of lyrics of old Captain & Teneel song, something about "a man with a soft hand & an easy touch".

which one is that? i'm familiar with a song written by bettis and clark for the pointer sisters, later recorded by others including conway twitty.. but it was a 'slow hand / easy touch'.

I'll admit to not being up 100% on 'the captain'.. but it eludes me at the moment what that song might be? have any other lyrics in the rest of the song to jar my memory?

(quoted from post at 15:31:26 08/29/12) which one is that? i'm familiar with a song written by bettis and clark for the pointer sisters, later recorded by others including conway twitty.. but it was a 'slow hand / easy touch'.

I'll admit to not being up 100% on 'the captain'.. but it eludes me at the moment what that song might be? have any other lyrics in the rest of the song to jar my memory?

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eah, that's it! What the H...they look alike!

Can't see or hear or remember or ???

Never saw one like that, but I can remember beating the end of the rods on the floor to chip off a bit of flux so they would strike an arc. Its been several years since I stick welded much.

Why did it take you so long to find the problem?

(quoted from post at 17:42:53 08/30/12) Why did it take you so long to find the problem?

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had shut down for a while, so first thought was my welder 50 year old Lincoln had a problem. After I tried another rod I used a grinder on the end of the faulty one. still no good, actually had to grind half an inch off to get it to work. there was that much flux on the end. I have had them with flux covering the end before, but it was such a little that just hitting them on the metal broke through.