Have you ever asked yourself which electrode is the best one to use for the project you taking on?

This issue can be quite confusing with the many different manufacturers, coatings, types of fill metal deposited and those little numbers printed on each one, what do they mean?

I know when I started welding I had not idea what the numbers on each electrode meant but as I learned more about this field I became more aware of the importance of these numbers to the success of my project and eventually my products.

So, let me break down the meaning of these numbers for you...we will start with E7018 which is a very common electrode for structural welding.

The first two numbers when multiplied by 1000 will give you the minimum tensile strength of the metal at the core of this electrode.

The third number denotes the position that the electrode is designed to be used in. In this case it is a 1 which indicates the electrode can be used for all positions. If the electrode has a 2 or 3 then the electrode  should only be used in the flat position.

The fourth number indicates the type of flux that the electrode is coated with, in this case the flux coating contains very little hydrogen and should be stored in a rod oven after the seal on the package has been broken. There are other kinds of fluxes that are commonly used such as iron powder or cellulitic fluxes that impart other properties to the finished weld.

I hope this information has been useful to you!

If you have any other questions about the certification process or other welding related issues please feel free to ask me by contacting me at my ebay user name crestontrailindustries.