I use Zip Lock bags for long term storage. The large bag will hold a 10 # roll.

 

Throw a couple of those dessicant drying packs in the bag too.

 

Had a 5 or 6 year old roll of wire in my little wire welder, and started using it on a project made of thinner material, and it worked fine. We have pretty high humidity here too.

There was no visible rust on the wire, so I guess it held up ok. They do put some kind of stuff on it to lubricate it to some extent (it all winds up in the liner over time the more you run through it:laugh.

 

Flux core wire for code work has a finite life once opened like 7018 does. It absorbs moisture, and has to be stored just like rods do.

As others have said, a few basic precautions will help protect wire for non code work. Solid wire that rusts will cause issues. Either strip off the outer layers to clean wire or junk it if it's gotten badly rusted. Really old, open FC wire, I wouldn't trust for anything critical.


From Lincoln

Lincoln Electric flux-cored electrodes perform best when kept dry and stored properly. Electrode should be used directly from the original, undamaged package, and when stored in accordance to the conditions listed below. When proper procedures are not followed, consumables may show signs of moisture. These include porosity, a rough bead surface or slag that is unusually difficult to remove. The following minimum precautions should be taken to safeguard the electrode after opening the original package:

1. It is recommended to use electrodes within one week of opening the original package.
2. Open electrodes should not be exposed to damp moisture conditions or extremes in temperature and/or humidity where surface condensation can occur.
3. When not in use, electrodes should be placed in original packaging and sealed as best as possible.
4. If exposed to moisture conditions, discard any rusty electrode.
5. For applications in which the weld metal hydrogen must be controlled (usually 8 mL or lower), or where shipping and storage conditions are not controlled or known, only hermetically sealed packaging is recommended.
6. After exposure, hydrogen levels can be reduced by conditioning the electrode. Electrodes may be conditioned at a temperature of 100ºC ± 14ºC (250ºF ± 25ºF) for a period of 6 to 12 hours, cooled and then stored in seal poly bags (4 mL minimum thickness) or equivalent. Electrode on plastic spools should not be heated at temperatures in excess of 65ºC (150ºF).

http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/literature/c32000.pdf

 

Depends on what wires your talking about. I know that some flux core wires are low hydrogen and should be handled and maintained as such.

 

T-8 wires are considered low hy, not sure if T-11 is or not.

 

I don't know if nr211 is lo hy, but I think it's not charpy rated or seismic rated. like you guys say, I guess it depends on the wire.

 

Hey, I was on my way to bed and something occured to me

The nature of a low hydrogen SMAW electrode is pretty dependant on the flux, which is on the outside of the rod exposed to the atmoshpere. Hence the dry storage requirements.

Being that the flux is in the core of flux core wire, isolated from the atmosphere, is storage as critical? I have no idea what alloys are present in the filler material which might be exposed to the atmoshphere, and how they relate to the interaction between filler and flux in the plasma.

And I'm not entirely sure how flux core is made. Is the flux actually in the core of the wire, or dispersed throughout the entire body of the wire? I think it's confined to the core.

The shielding, which isolates the plasma, and cooling puddle, from the atmosphere depends on gasses. Either a seperate gas........MIG, or a self contained flux which generates a gas when heated......SMAW, FCAW.

I have a sneaking suspicion that cored wire is less susceptable to storage damage than solid wire.

 

Samm,

In this case common sense doesn't work...

FCAW filler metals, both gas and self shielded, can be sensitive to exposure. The time they can be exposed, and the effects of exposure, are dependent on the product and the environment. If you're doing code critical work, the wire needs to be removed from the feeder and wrapped up at the end of the shift. Even overnight exposure in a heated or airconditioned shop can affect some products; let alone storage outside...

Some users will store partially used spools in a conditioned space when not in use. Others just throw away partially used spools and start with fresh wire every shift. To them, it's just not worth the risk. Some manufacturers vacuum pack their spools to preserve the wire during warehouse storage. Others used sealed buckets/containers to keep moisture out.

For the hobbyist, doing non-critical work, FCAW fillers could be left out. They may run rougher, and produce more spatter than fresh filler metal; right from the package. That said, I've seen lightly rusted wire sometimes weld just fine. It just depends on the product. But I wouldn't use wire left out more than a day for anything that needs to meet a high standard of quality.

I'm not aware of any manufacturer that recommends baking wire, as you might with stick electrodes to 'recondition' the filler metal after exposure. But it might be worth checking their websites for recommendations before you through out a large spool. Or call their customer service people and see if they'll give advice on how to recondition a spool.

FCAW filler metals are made by one of two methods. The sheath is formed by either drawing a rod of metal into a U shape, filling with flux, and formed to close into a tube. Or the sheath starts as a thin strip of steel, which is formed into a tube and simultaneously filled with flux. Either way, there's a seam in the tube that is not hermeticly sealed. So moisture is easily absorbed into the wire. All fluxes are prone to absorbing moisture, either because of the ingredients or simply because they're made of powders with very high surface area.

 

FCAW is generally considered a low-hydrogen process, as per AWS A5.20 and/or AWS A5.29.

However, like any flux, there are atmospheric exposure limitations on FCAW wire. And certain code-level work has or may impose other exposure limitations as well.

Some FCAW wires may meet the more stringent "H" hydrogen limits as well (-H16, -H8, -H4). But those low(er) hydrogen limits also may impose further storage, packaging, and exposure limits too.

Pretty much all covered in the Lincoln c32000.pdf document that DSW posted the link to above.

Regarding solid MIG wires, they are low-hydrogen and do not have any flux or other powders that could absorb moisture. So in that regard they are more 'moisture resistant' than a cored or coated electrode.

 

Here's an excerpt from Lincoln publication C 3.2000 3/00 page 43

It's an interesting read.