Welding on Sucker Rod

[garybdavis]

I built a pipe fence a few years back with some sucker rod horizontals. I remember I couldn't weld it with DC due to it being magnetized. I set my welder to AC and got it glued together, but some of the welds weren't very strong.

Anyway, I'm comtemplating using some sucker rod for my upcoming corral project. I plan on unsing AC/6011 for the sucker rod with my TB302. Is this the typical practice for working with sucker rod or is there something else I should know?

Thanks

[HMW]

Dumb question?? Whats "sucker rod"

[kcir]

A rod that goes down the middle of oil well drill stem pipe.

Rick

[fun4now]

why is it magnitized ?? done on purpose or just ends up that way?? can you de-magnatize it ???

[calweld]

I believe anytime you move a piece of metal back-and-forth thousands of times in close proximity to another piece of metal, you will end up with magentism.

[Anti-GMAW]

Pre-heat might eliminate the magnetism, no garuntee though. Another tecnique is to wrap your ground cable around the pipe in close proximity to the weld. It creates an induction magnet that will eliminate the opposing magnetic force. Once again no garuntees it will work. It's used quite a bit by pile drivers since the tops of the piles often build up magnitism. I'd say try it, if it doesn't work keep using AC. It may be a pain in the but to do but it sure beats using an AC arc if it works.

[Iron man]

If it is short lengths you can wrap some copper wire around it and use a
12v battery hold one end of wire to - post and just ark other end to + post
you can mag and demag small objects like this. But try at own risk I have never had a problem but anything can happen. Or if you have a local tool or die shop around they all have demags.

[Fat-Fab.com]

I have used the ground induction coil to good success 5-7 wraps trick is to wrap in the correct direction.

TJ

[phila.renewal]

Well I have to admit it's been a long time since I stick welded stuff but my recollection is 6011 on AC should do a fine job on a fence project. Save you a lot of time not having to mess with demagnetizing all of it.

Another choice would be 7014 on AC if the metal is not too rusty/dirty.

[LarryM]

Here's link that was shared on another web site, you might find interesting. Spec's on sucker rod most is chome moly So low hydrogen rod might work better. Just a thought.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/smithing/suckerrodspecs.jpg

Larry

[JTMcC]

I believe anytime you move a piece of metal back-and-forth thousands of times in close proximity to another piece of metal, you will end up with magentism.

Wow, this is an old thread, but it got brought up so here goes....

Oil field tubular goods don't become magnetic due to motion, they become magnetic by being in the earth for a period of time.
Bury any large, long metallic object in the earth (and pipelines are both large and very, very long. Drilling tubulars are lesser so but still qualify) for a period of time and they become magnetized by the earths magnetic field.

It's that simple.
Even severely magnetized pipe can be welded successfully to code standards.


JTMcC.

[Jim-TX]

For welding sucker rod use 7018 or 8018. Trust me.

[hogan]

If it is short lengths you can wrap some copper wire around it and use a
12v battery hold one end of wire to - post and just ark other end to + post
you can mag and demag small objects like this. But try at own risk I have never had a problem but anything can happen. Or if you have a local tool or die shop around they all have demags.

This is not a very productive method. Nothing personal. If your going to use sucker rod on a continual basis then I would suggest the following method. It's cheap and not that difficult.
First you will need a gauss meter either build your own ($6 and a interesting project) http://web-ee.com/schematics/instrum...ld-gaussmeter/
or buy one http://www.amazon.com/E-L-F-Zone-E-L.../dp/B000519WXA

You can check the field strength of the pipe by placing the meter at one end of the pipe. It will tell you if it's + or -. Next take your welding machine and hook up the + cable to the - side of the pipe and the - cable to the + side of the pipe. What you will want to do now is set the machine to the lowest setting energize it and slowly turn it up with the gauss meter at one end ( it helps to have someone to help you ). You will reach a point that the charge in the opposite direction will create a field that will overcome the existing field and reverse it. Stop at this point. After the reading on the meter is reversed it should be reading a lower intensity level, but in the opposite direction ( from + to -). Now you switch the cables on the machine or pipe tot he opposite side. Lower the energy level and repeat the sequence, stepping down every time.
It may take a little practice, and you can over compensate strengthening the field in the opposite direction. Just start over. A pipe should only take about 5 minutes to demag, tops.

[Sberry]

I have welded some of it and never had an issue, just weld it up and we use 7018 on the rods.

[projectwelder]

7018 seems to be the rod of choice. The easiest way to demagnetize ferrous metals is to pass an AC current through it.