It is highly unlikely that you are welding critical material that requires E
7018 if you are buying rod from Home Depot. If you are welding low alloy
steel over quarter inch thick it then becomes important. Just store your
rod dry and you are fine for most applications.
Once the electrode is damp the flux will flake off with simple handling.
If it is that moist then the rod is often thrown away rather than salvaged.
Welding codes often require heating in an oven before the electrode is
used fresh out of the sealed container. Some shops I have worked in require
that you do not take out more than one hour's worth at a time. Other shops
just require fresh rod before and after lunch.
My guess is that ninety percent of e 7018 is used in non critical
applications. all that is needed is dry rod rather than fresh out of the
oven.
Randy


"Pete Keillor" wrote in message
...
I read here that 7018 must be kept dry to be effective. I do have a
Phoenix dry rod oven off ebay.

I was at Home Depot this weekend, and read on a box of Lincoln 7018
that Lincoln recommends redrying before use at 650 - 750 deg F for an
hour. I thought I read you could redry the stuff in a household oven.
Mine won't go that high.

Is this temperature required, or will lower work for redrying the rod?
If the rod is dry, is the flux less prone to flaking?

Thanks.

Pete Keillor