What Is The 7018 Welding Rod Used For? Meaning and Settings

Choosing the right electrodes is one of the most important factors that a welder must consider before welding something. Among different electrode types, the 7018 is one that you can successfully use in several applications. Because of its versatility, it gained a lot of praise.

It is necessary to know about everything about different welding rods to become a pro at welding. In this article, we talked in-depth about the 7018 electrodes. We also added its applications, details, and how much one can cost.

What Does E7018 Mean?

Like any other AWS-designed electrodes, the E7018 basically tells its details by its title. The four numbers after the letter indicate some quality or specification of the welding rod. Some AWS-designed rods can have five digits instead of four.

The first two digits (or three, if there are five digits) indicate the required tensile strength of the workpiece that you will weld. For 7018, it is 70-kilo pounds per square inch. That makes it 70 thousand PSI.

The second digit from the right represents the angle or position of welding. In this case, the 1 means you can weld it from all angles.

The last digit can mean a lot of things. It indicates the penetration ability and the type of coating. So, here the 8 represents the ability of medium penetration and the low-hydrogen flux.

The last digit also represents the suitable polarity of the electrode. We will get to it later.

Specifications

If you weld with a 7018 electrode, you will find an excellent result with a smooth finish. This welding rod is also known as the low-hydrogen rod. Meanwhile, the flux is also mixed with an iron powder to increase efficiency.

As you weld with this rod, the low number of hydrogen flux will make sure to provide a ductile welding outcome. The weld won’t crack easily and will survive a very high amount of weight. On the other hand, the iron powder makes sure to provide shielding to the weld from all sorts of foreign particles and moistures.

It is easy to weld with this welding rod as the welding makes a decent and steady arc. Meanwhile, you will not have to deal with much splatter and noise. According to the experts, the 7018 is suitable for even beginners, as you can weld from all positions.

Applications and Uses

One of the reasons that 7018 is so popular is its flexibility to be suitable for many applications. Wherever there is carbon steel too hard to weld with other welding rods, the 7018 comes in handy. Precisely because of its low-hydrogen flux, the welding happens more effectively.

People use this welding rod on carbon steel with pretty high tensile strength. Its medium penetration capability makes that possible. Not to mention, the stags are so easy to clear out. You can use the E7018 electrode on the following applications-

• Marine vehicle welding.
• Pipeline welding.
• Bridges and Buildings.
• Boilers.

Repairing and Constructing heavy-duty steel parts.

What Is the Suitable Polarity for 7018 Welding Rod?

We will say, E7018 is suitable for both AC and DC connections. To connect the welding machine with DC, you will need to use a reverse polarity instead of the straight one. The AC connection is possible because of its coating of low quantity hydrogen.

You can also use the DCEP connection with the 7018. As you can see, this electrode has little restriction when it comes to the polarity and hooking-up process. You can understand all these from the last digit of 7018, which is 8.

Price

E7018 welding rods are not overpriced. While the price will vary from different manufacturers, you can find one within a price range of $17 to $35. If you want to buy one, make sure to check all the factors.

Amperage Settings

According to the rule people follow, for every 1/32-inch diameter of the rod, the amp can be 30 units higher. Well, you mostly won’t need to worry about these, as the manual with the electrode will provide a recommended amp for every situation. If you don’t get one, you can follow this-

For 3/32-inch diameter electrodes- Set the amp to 50 for 1/16-inch steel and 90 for double that size.

For 5/32-inch diameter electrodes- Use 120 amp for ¼-inch steel and 180 on 3/8-inch ones.

For 3/16-inch diameter electrodes- The suitable amp will be 150 on 3/8-inch steel.

Conclusion

One thing you must remember that the amperage setting can be different depending on the manufacturers. So, if there is a manual, make sure to follow that. You cannot set the amp over 225 while using E7018.

You should make sure that the coating on the electrode is okay before every usage. The flux-coating can get damaged over time. So, repair it before reusing.