[maker of things]

Over time the atoms in your filler rods will blend and become an unusable alloy. That is why we have to keep them separate. If you don't believe me ask Steve aka Ottonobedder.

That sounds like something to tell the new guy. I mean are we talking like sometime around the time the sun burns out? Or is that just the excuse to tell the wife why you need so many tubes?

[entity-unknown]

metals and matter do funny things over time. Kinda like that old car/truck someone's been planning a rebuild on for 5 years and when they fire it all they got all sorts of mysterious leaks. Personally if you had intention of storing them mixed I wouldn't go beyond a year but even then I'd probably be thinkin a few months at most.

[maker of things]

cars leaking after 5 years not running are usually due to gaskets getting dried out from not having liquid splashing against them, or moisture that was trapped rusting something out.
If Silicon bronze rod sitting next to steel rod (divided by plastic btw) in an air tight container is going to transmorgify into some bastard alloy, what the heck will happen if you try to use silicon bronze rod to join 2 pieces of steel via welding (brazing)? Using 309L to weld mild steel will result in unobtanium? I mean sure leave a pile of aluminum filler laying around with a bunch of mild you are bound to get galvanic corrosion that might effectively ruin both fillers . Similar metals inside an airtight container at nominal temperature with almost no moisture self alloying? I don't think my dog can run that distance.

[exnailpounder]

Just ask Otto Nobedder if you don't believe me.

[dirtmidget33]

Think you guys are way over thinking this pvc vs abs thing. Next you are all gonna be making stainless steel or titanium tig rod holders. One of the most reactive filler rods that will oxidize in storage that some of you will never use is magnesium. I store magnesium rods in pvc. This pic is of a tube that hasn't been opened for at least a year. Notice the filler is still shiny and have not turned gray.

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After making a storage container I leave it open for awile until the smell dissipates from the glues. When holder has no smell typically withing a week or 2 I put it to use. I prefer my storage cases to use the threaded fittings believe they seal better when tightened up instead of using the caps as a slip on cover. Plus I like more rod to be exposed easier to get it out with gloves and can put partial rod back into holder and retrive it still. I do have seperate storage for smaller rods. These are the 5 to 10lbs storage ones, open one is aluminium and notice they still shiny. Filler given enough time will oxidize and can become useless.

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[maker of things]

I hereby summon thee nobedder of Otto. Please light the path we are walking with your knowledge.

Dirtmidget, I think we have strayed as far from that part of the conversation as we have from the original post. As long as we stay away from politics and religion this is at least entertianing and possibly even somewhat informative.

[entity-unknown]

unobtanium. That is all I got from everything I just read :D:D:D:D Hilarious and JK. If you have your stuff separated and the rods aren't touching then really anything we've said is irrelevant to you.

My thoughts aren't intended as debate, just conscious sharing. I'm quite sure and obviously seen many people get away with PVC from everything I've watched but since I have a lot of knowledge in plastics, more so than TIG/welding, I will apply that knowledge when I can.

Regardless this is all for learning and sharing and just with welding, there isn't always a right or wrong way about doing things, there's just ways people get the job done, some with better quality than others.

[exnailpounder]

I guess it's time to admit I was just kidding. I can't grasp why people obsess over rod storage. If you're worried about your rods getting dirty or oxidized or something, well, you're not using them fast enough. Or buy smaller quantities so you do use them faster.The plastic tubes that they come in work really well. I understand the tig-hording disease as I stocked up when I got back into tig and after 3 years or so being back in the saddle: have only broken one cup, I contaminated 1 gas lens with spatter when I was welding some galvanized ferritic stainless(it still works ok but I swapped it out anyway), a single tungsten lasts me a long long time now because I don't dip very often anymore. In short, all the shit I stuffed my tig box with is still there and they make new tig stuff everyday if I do run out of something.
I also get the concept of wanting to have a clean and organised shop. I keep mine as clean as I can as I hate working in filth but the obsession over rod storage is strange. I also understand the OCD that comes with wanting to do precision welding, but did I mention the rod storage thingy being strange? Tig rods aren't precious metals. Hit em with a greenie pad for 10 seconds before you use them and they are as clean as the day they were made.
That's all I have for now....I have to go tend to my 37 cats

[Superiorwelding]

I can't believe I actually scrolled and skimed through all of this. Looks like we need a new section in the forum for plastics.

Seriously, you will NEVER notice the difference welding our of your garage as a hobbiest or doing small repairs/weldments. If you say off gassing or whatever, didn't read everything, effects the rod and puddle than I would like to see the documented weld tests and results from those findings. Not being smart just back up what your saying.
Jonathan

[maker of things]

I guess it's time to admit I was just kidding.....I have to go tend to my 37 cats

Darn and just had the machine dialed in to weld up some tinfoil hats. Hey, maybe that could be the next weld challenge. #tinfoilhatwelding

[exnailpounder]

There is a vid on youtube of a guy welding tinfoil. I'm too lazy to find the link but it's there somewhere.

[dirtmidget33]

Welding aluminum foil is what I consider a cheap parlor trick. Anyone can do it. I do it at 200amps, lay 2 pieces across each other turn amps up run torch over it fast. You can do it with oxy, tig, map, and propane.

One of my friends buddy's was yapping on facebook how great this one guy was the world's greatest weldor cause he could weld foil together. Told him in comments to hold that thought walked outside turned on welder. Then I took a piece of foil folded it in half layed piece of steel on it to keep it from being blown away ran torch over it with amps cranked to max. Ran some filler between the two pieces to open it up. Took pics of it and posted. He wanted to show his friend so later gave it to my friend for him to pass it on, so he now has a aluminum foil straw.
Here's pics.

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[Oscar]

I'd be impressed if you could stack dimes on aluminum foil

[exnailpounder]

I'd be impressed if you could stack dimes on aluminum foil

Very pretty towel too!

[dirtmidget33]

Very pretty towel too!

My wife has the brightest colored towels. She literally buys all the brightest colored towels the store has. Seen her fill a shopping cart up with the colors of rainbow. Up side is we got a closet full of towels

[Poland308]

Ditto on the towels! On the upside I haven't bought shop rags in years.

[maker of things]

I would just make sure that the towel isn't letting off too much chlorine!

No, but seriously, that's good info. I think I could even make a jig so I can start mass producing 100% guaranteed no leak tinfoil hats. Should I cut and etch to make sure the weld is penetrating the root though?

[dirtmidget33]

I would just make sure that the towel isn't letting off too much chlorine!

That's why it's not on a white towel sure she adds bleach to the whites wouldn't want it oxidizing the guys foil crack pipe

For all you guys welding SR71 blackbirds and nuclear reacters in their backyards that are concerned with your rods buy this or weld more so rods don't sit for 20yrs

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Made by http://www.keenovens.com

[entity-unknown]

Train wreck for sure! Just for the sake of clarification, Jody was the inspiration for ABS or something better for PVC. While he made his out of PVC in the video he explains some jobs with very strict codes such as Nuclear jobs as I mentioned will shun against this for said reason.
So when you make those tinfoil hats, I hope you plan to ship him one too and hopefully you've purchased something from his store so you'll have the return address. I'm sure he'd appreciate the enthusiasm and effort too

[dirtmidget33]

Just busting your balls some That oven I posted and others similar to it is what you will find in shops that have to meet very strict codes or meet some customers wps. Typically shops like that have glove boxes with o2 meters on them to try and get a complete inert atmosphere. I will give you some of advice I think is more important than pvc vs abs, if your concerned with keeping everything clean and neat avoiding contamination use several gloves. Get a few pairs and only use that glove for that type of material. Don't use your tig welding gloves when moving steel around getting them all full of oil and millscale or grinding then try and weld stainless. Get sets for each material you weld and label them, just like you should do with your stainless steel brushes, sanding discs, grinding wheels, etc. You will find that more helpful then avoiding storing rods in pvc. Several ways to skin a cat, some guys purge our 4130 chassis when welding some don't both have been successful in wrecks. I prefer purge others think extra cost not worth it. So it is what it is.

[entity-unknown]

Ha I know this is all in fun and everyone's degree of thought has merit. Just depends on the job you want to do and what requirements that job has for you

I am considering the 2nd set of gloves because after I started scotch brightening my steel rods, I think I've gotten some of that stuff on my aluminum pieces and I've gotten some contamination. I clean em up often but never had constant contaminates on my alum till after I started doing the scotch bright. There's definitely steel and aluminum powder on both gloves after all this too which is why I'm questioning this.... I'm using separate pads for each rod type but your point may have very good merit even for all of the backyard welders here.

I also use one side of grinder's arbor for tungsten sharpening after aluminum and the other for steel. If I'm swapping I sharpen till I get a shiny tungsten tip using say the steel side after I just finished with steel and then do a quick grind with the other side for aluminum since I'm now moving to aluminum. Who knows maybe I'll be forced to use a different arbor/grinder all together in time if I wanna be picky....

You might've just put the derailed train back on it's tracks

[maker of things]

I just got a pair of tig gloves just for aluminum too, and scotch brite hook and loop pads/backer for the grinder and wrote on the scratch brushes.
To bring even more of the train back on the track (maybe), the reason I got tig filler rod tubes was because I end up with a coating of metallic dust covering everything in my shop and I'm sure that on the aluminum filler was not helping. Some of the filler I bought was when crown was putting small qtys in bags instead of tubes so they were a pain to store and always falling apart and therefore getting dirtier than necessary.

[Poland308]

They have a clean room at our shop where they do high end critical SS. It has dedicated tools, welders, consumables, and even brooms and vacuums. It has separate air handlers and bringing in gloves from outside is bad practice. They still do SS work out in the regular shop but it's all relative to the expectations of the customer on the finished product.

[entity-unknown]

I was thinkin to myself a clean room sometimes almost sounds necessary with TIG just before you posted this

[Poland308]

If your carefull you can get away with a lot. I use sharpie on anything that's SS or aluminum only. Then I can cross it out and demote it to carbon use. I even store them separate.