Every welder knows that the strength of the welding joint directly depends on the chemical reactions occurring in the molten metal. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor what does end up in the reaction zone.
One of these unfavorable substances is water. It dissociates at high temperatures into oxygen, which oxidizes the metal, and hydrogen, which causes the metal to boil and form pores.
All this crap gets into the welding zone from rust, wet coating of the electrode and air. And if you can easily fight rust with a brush, with air using the gas-forming components of the coating, then moisture from the coating can only be removed by annealing in an oven for several hours. Not everyone has such a stove. Therefore, electrodes must be stored in a dry place.
Now, with a clear understanding of the situation, let's begin making a sealed container for storing welding electrodes from what is left after the repair.
The manufacturing process takes (subject to the availability of materials) about fifteen minutes.
We will need:
- Sewer pipe Ø110 x 400mm (adjusted to the length of the electrode)
- Plug Ø110
- A piece of plastic
- Glue gun
We mark a circle of slightly larger diameter on a sheet of plastic.
Then we cut out our workpiece with a jigsaw.
Now use a glue gun to secure the circle, forming the bottom of the container.
The tightness is ensured by a rubber gasket inside the pipe.
We close the cap and take it to storage.
In total, in just fifteen minutes, we made a reliable sealed container from the remnants after the repair and protected our electrodes from moisture.
Source: mozgochiny.ru
Why is it needed?
The coating of the electrodes absorbs moisture during storage . Technologically, it is a flux that affects the creation of a weld pool, the continuity of the seam and the cooling rate of the welded metal. Raw electrodes during welding are immediately visible:
- a lot of splashes are generated;
- the arc constantly goes out;
- The slag layer covers the seam unevenly and does not come off well.
Additionally, air bubbles form inside the seam, and some of the flux remains that does not float to the top. All these defects impair the strength and quality of the seam and make it unusable.
During mandatory calcination, moisture is removed from the electrodes . Furnaces that heat up to 400⁰C are usually stationary and located away from the welding stations. They are not sealed and cool down after switching off; moist air from outside enters them.
To keep consumables dry, welders use a pencil case for electrodes. It provides several operational advantages:
- easy to carry and always at hand;
- When transported over any distance, the electrodes remain dry;
- heating from the network and welder up to 110⁰C and above;
- eliminates re-calcination of unused materials.
When working on the road, such as repair crews, the welder does not know exactly how many electrodes he will need. It may be away from the oven for several days. Consumables are kept dry and heated by connecting a thermal case for electrodes to a 220V network and current from the welding machine.
Design and functionality
The case for calcining electrodes has a rectangular shape. The dimensions depend on the volume of the electrodes to be accommodated; for household devices it is approximately 150x170x600 mm. The pencil case consists of:
- frame;
- camera;
- a heating element;
- electrical insulation;
- thermal insulation;
- front cover for loading the camera;
- back cover and heating control unit;
- wires.
Before drying the calcined electrodes, they are placed in the chamber and tightly closed with a lid. Then, on the reverse side, the wires are connected to the power source. The heating element is turned on - a spiral wrapping around the outside of the chamber.
The heating element raises the temperature inside the device to 110⁰C. This is enough for the moisture to evaporate. After 2 hours you can start working.
In a home workshop, with a small amount of welding work, they use covers for electrodes that have a plastic sealed housing . They retain the heat of hot objects placed inside and do not let air through. The coated rods cool for several hours, remaining hermetically sealed.
Exploitation
The instructions for proper operation of the equipment recommend taking out the electrodes while hot after calcination is completed and placing them inside the thermal case. Inside the chamber they will be inaccessible to moisture. They can be moved long distances and stored for a long time.
Before drying the welding electrodes, the device is installed on a special leg . Select the method of connecting to power. The plug is plugged into a power outlet. The two wires are connected to the cables going to the holder and clamp on the part.
The thermal pen is turned on in advance so that the camera has time to warm up. After about 30 minutes, you can open the front cover, take the electrode and start working. The pencil case should be kept closed to dry remaining materials.
Calcination and drying at home
Hobbyists are interested in how to dry electrodes at home if there are no special ovens. To do this, use conventional ovens in which pies are baked.
- Unpack the electrodes and take the amount needed for work.
- Place in the oven. It is advisable to use a lattice rather than a sheet.
- Turn on intense all-round heating.
- Set the temperature to more than 200⁰, which can be obtained in this oven model.
- Leave for 2 hours.
- Transfer to a thermal case.
The oven used is electric. When burning, a gas wick releases soot, moisture and other substances that settle on the coating and worsen its properties.
Drying electrodes at home can be done using a thermal pencil case. You need to take your passport and look at the maximum heating temperature. Then check the table on the electrode packaging. It depends on the material of the rod. Heat the chamber to maximum, after 2 hours switch to 110⁰. This temperature is enough to dry the electrodes.
Some craftsmen who do a lot of welding recommend simply placing the electrodes in a pack on a heating radiator. They claim that the coating completely dries within a few days. For simple structures that do not require particularly strong seams, this method may be suitable.
Proper heating is carried out at temperatures above 100⁰ so that the water evaporates . The amount of air should be small with a minimum moisture content.
Making a pencil case for electrodes with your own hands does not seem difficult. It looks like a small muffle furnace. Mineral wool or asbestos pipe is used as a heat insulator.
The chamber is made of a stainless steel sheet 2 mm thick. The top is covered with insulating fabric. Then the spiral is wound. A fire hose can be used as a material for the camera. It can withstand temperatures up to 200⁰C, is impervious to moisture and is made of electrically insulating fabric. The ends of the spiral are brought back and everything is covered with mineral wool.
The body can be made from a metal sheet, using the remains of a laminated roof and metal profiles. It is divided into 2 parts. The front one is large and accommodates a thermal chamber. There is a small space at the back for installing the switch and wiring. A handle is attached to the top for moving. A bracket is mounted in front - a stop.
The camera wrapped in mineral wool is placed in the housing and secured. The lid is double, inside there is a layer of heat insulation.
It is difficult to heat electrodes in a homemade chamber. It is used more like a dryer .
Video on making a tube
I also recommend watching a video on making a tube for electrodes.
The container turned out great! Everything is very durable and convenient and easy to use! I advise you to make the same one for yourself, especially since it’s very easy to do!
And that's all for me! Thank you all very much for your attention and see you next article!
Popular models
The main characteristics of the thermal pencil case are determined by the model designation. The first letters TP stand for thermal pencil case, PE stands for electric pencil case. The number behind them indicates the maximum load weight. The temperature that the equipment can reach is written through a fraction.
Hobbyists and welders in small workshops often use TP5/150. The chamber volume is enough to carry out repair work in the field and welding at home. A temperature of 150⁰ is suitable for drying electrodes stored for a long time . Connects to a 220V network and a welding machine.
The fully loaded weight of 10 kg makes it easy to carry in your hands. The reverse side of the rotary handle serves as stops in the working position.
Powered by a welding machine. The body can be metal or fiberglass. Designed for stationary posts. It has good thermal insulation. The electrodes remain hot for a long time when the heating elements are turned off.
The model has a round shape. Connects to the network and device. Often used by repair teams. The maximum weight of a loaded pencil case is 10 kg.
A chamber with 2 compartments is convenient for carrying out diverse work using materials of different brands. Easily transported from place to place.
Professional equipment with devices for automatically maintaining and adjusting temperature . It is mainly used in production with stationary welding stations. With the Thermopenal weighing 9 kg, it can be loaded with electrodes up to 10 kg.
A neighbor works as a welder, showed how easy it is to make a pencil case for electrodes
Do it yourself
Welding electrodes are sold in cardboard boxes, which is not always convenient to use. I forgot a pack of electrodes on the street and at that time it started to rain, the box got wet, and the electrodes became damp.
Carrying electrodes in a box from place to place is also a complete hassle and inconvenience. A neighbor made a pencil case for electrodes. And I borrowed his idea and made a similar pencil case for myself.
Case for welding electrodes
We will make the pencil case from a plastic pipe with a diameter of 40 mm. We cut a pipe blank 400 mm long.
Cut off the neck of a plastic bottle. The handle on the neck and the lid will also come in handy.
We also take two caps from five-liter plastic bottles (similar to the one on the prepared neck.
We drill two holes in the covers, 10 mm in the center, 8 mm on the side.
We glue the neck with hot glue to the end of the pipe (in my example, the neck fits tightly inside the pipe.
We tighten the covers with a bolt and nut.
Glue the caps on the opposite side of the pipe to the end part.
We remove the sealing ring from the neck and put a handle on the neck instead. In this case, the lid should screw on freely.
We place the electrodes in the finished pencil case.
To remove the electrode from the pencil case, you do not need to unscrew the lid, but simply align the holes in the lids on the opposite side, shake the pencil case and one electrode will come out.
It is convenient to carry the pencil case with electrodes by the handle. Using the handle, the pencil case can be hung on a hook or nail driven into the wall of the workshop.
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Comments 37
I have 2 pencil cases) one is from a container of polyurethane foam, in it I carry eyelets (for potholders) and a cleaver with a square, and the second for wands) is the plastic one in which they are sold)
wheels are missing
I cook a lot, but I haven’t even thought about such a coffin... A leather quiver for 1 kg of electrodes is enough for my eyes. And then for working at heights, so as not to jump after them. In all other situevins there is one in the holder and 2-3 pieces in the hand, the rest is nearby in a pack.
if you do, then use a sealed box (as much as possible). Otherwise, they get damp
