Crack in water cart tank

[Welder Dave]

I wonder if you could order some 1/8" 6011 online? The flux on it won't break off like it would on other types of rods. I'd never order 7018/7016 or other rods with a thick flux online because the box is likely to get thrown around by the idiots handling it. I know a guy who ordered some 7018 and went to pick it up at his post office. The idiot there picks it and just drops it on the counter despite it having a large fragile handle with care sticker on it. Who knows how it was handled in transit. The other option is to use solid Mig wire with shielding gas. If you had to use what's readily available 3/32(2.5mm) 7016 would be my choice. To fill the crack use a bunch of tacks. Tack in a few different area's then clip the slag off and continue tacking chipping the slag off till the crack is filled. Maybe you could do a tack pull the rod away to let it solidify for half a second and then do another tack while it's still orange hot. Once you got the crack filled you could grind it flat and do a downhill weave pass to fill any pin holes. On the patch you could do it uphill even if you only did 2 or 3 inches at a time to avoid it getting too hot where it would burn through. You could alternate from 1 side to the other. It really sucks they don't have 6010/6011 at your welding supply. I'm not sure if you have farm stores or box stores that might have it? They would be the easiest rods to do the repair.

 

[Cliffy]

I think ill try that with the 7018.
To restrike the rod, Do you remove the glass slag off the end?

 

[Welder Dave]

Sorry, forgot you had 7018. It's similar to 7016. To restrike after you've partly used a rod it's best to tap the end on a chipping hammer/piece of steel or run a file across it to take the slag off the end. Just make sure the chipping hammer or file or what ever isn't grounded to what your welding.