7014 Welding Rods: everything you need to know

The 7014 electrode is considered to be one of the most popular electrodes out there, this is due to its ease of use and its excellent weld characteristics. There are a lot of finer points to the 7014-electrode ranging from its properties to the proper way of using it. Let’s take a deeper look into everything there is to know about the electrode.

E7014 is Iron Powder and Titania rod that can be used on AC, DCEP, and DCEN currents. The rod has medium penetration, a stable arc can be used in all positions while it works best in a flat position. The 7014 is a fill-freeze, drag electrode that produces smooth beads and thick, easy-to-remove slag.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 7014 ELECTRODES

The 7014 electrode is considered to be one of the easiest electrodes to use even for beginners. They have an iron powder titania flux coating which leads to a higher deposition rate. It is very versatile in terms of the polarity with which they can be used ranging from AC to DC+ and DC-. It is also an all-position electrode but it is not recommended that you use it for out-of-position welds.

One of the reasons why the 7014 is preferred by farmers is that the rods can be used by most of the equipment and people don’t need to be as careful while storing them in contrast to the excessive storage needs of the 7018. The iron powder coating is not sensitive to water and moisture which makes this a better electrode to be used by beginners who might not have a robust storage system.

The 7014 also produces a very strong weld that is also aesthetically pleasing. It is also considered a decent choice for working on thin metals. This is due to its ease of use and lower penetration levels.

The slag formation is thick, but it can easily be removed post-weld. The best metals to use this electrode on are low or mild alloy steel.

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS ON THE ELECTRODE INDICATE?

What a lot of beginners don’t know is that the numbering of a particular electrode can give away a lot of the information. The first thing to get out of the way is that the letter ‘E’ simply means an electrode. So, whenever you see an ‘E’ as a prefix don’t read too much into it.

• The first two digits of the electrode are meant to represent the final tensile strength of the weld. In this case, the ‘70’ indicates that the final weld strength would be around 70,000 psi.

• The third digit of the electrode will indicate the position in which you can use it in. In this case the ‘1’ means that the 7014 is an all-position electrode. You should be able to use this rod in any of the positions, but welding in the vertical up position can be a little challenging.

• The last digit of the electrode indicates quite a few things, including the polarity on which it can be used, the flux composition which in turn indicates the deposition rate and many other properties including the penetration level. In the 7014 electrodes, the last digit ‘4’ indicates that the flux coating is composed of iron powder and titania, this is what contributes to the high deposition rate of this electrode. The 7014 electrodes can also be used with any polarity including AC, DC + and DC-.

Welding rod	Polarity	Penetration	Flux coating	Movement type	Position	Tensile Strength
7014	All (AC, DC+, DC-)	Medium	Iron powder, titania	Drag	All but not recommended for vertical down	70,000psi

HOW TO STORE THE 7014 ELECTRODES?

Even though the iron powder titania coating of the 7014 electrodes is not as sensitive to contaminants and moisture as the low hydrogen coating of the 7018, it does not mean that you can be careless while storing them. The 7014 should still be stored in an airtight container which will keep the electrodes away from moisture. This will not only extend the life of the electrodes but also keep the weld integrity intact.

read more: 7018 vs 7014 electrodes

SOME OF THE STORAGE OPTIONS YOU CAN GO FOR

You don’t need to shell out a lot of money for expensive rod ovens if you only need to store the 7014 electrodes. For these electrodes, your job can be done with simple Hobart’s hermetically sealed containers (Affiliate link to Amazon here). These are perfect for keeping the electrode safe from the contaminants.

WHAT ARE THE 7014 ELECTRODE APPLICATIONS?

The 7014 electrode is one of the most versatile welding rods out there. They are used in a wide range of applications ranging from home use to industrial. Let’s take a look at some of the most common applications of this electrode.

Contrary to the 7018, the 7014 is preferred for projects which might require working near damp conditions. One of the best things about the 7014 is that you can keep using them in moist conditions over a period of time and there won’t be much change in the weld quality. This is due to the presence of iron powder in the flux rather than the low hydrogen in 7018.

In applications where a faster travel speed is required, the 7014 is perfect. This is due to the iron powder rutile type flux which leads to an increased deposition rate. The 7014 has a very stable arc, which in turn, also leads to beautiful welds.

The most common industrial uses of the 7014 are welding ship constructions, bridges, ornamental iron, fenders, storage tanks, machine parts etc. One place where the 7014 shines through is welding sheet metals and autobody parts. Compared to the 7018, the 7014 is much easier to re-strike which comes in handy when dealing with thinner metal sheets. The higher deposition rate also plays a role here as you need to move a bit faster on sheet metal.

One of the most common uses of the 7014 is among the farming community. There are multiple reasons for this.

• Firstly, with the 70,000-psi tensile strength, the final weld is really strong which comes in handy in farming equipment.
• Second, the 7014 is really easy to use, even by beginners. Even if a farmer only has rudimentary knowledge of welding, they can weld using this electrode.
• Third, most of the farmers don’t have fancy storage equipment so they are not able to use electrodes such as 7018 but the 7014 fits perfectly here.

Although the 7014 is an all-position electrode, using it on the vertical turns out to be a little tricky so I would not recommend this rod for vertical welds. The E7014 is also a fill freeze electrode so it’s not that suitable for welding out of positions as you can with rods such as 6011 and 6010 as they are fast freeze.

A lot of people who are involved in artistic welding prefer this electrode as it offers a lower penetration and produces some beautiful ripple effects.

The 7014 is most commonly used in the sheet metal industry, the farming industry, and even in the welding art industry along with the usual structural welding jobs.

HOW TO USE THE 7014 ELECTRODES?

The 7014 is considered to be a drag electrode, similar to the 7018. Because of the higher deposition rate, you can travel a bit faster. One thing to be careful about is that you should take the electrode away from the molten pool as it can create a lot more spatter and slag. This can also lead to porosity and a bad appearance of your weld.

The 7014 electrode is perfect to be used on sheet metals while you are in the horizontal and slight downhill positions. Although this electrode is considered to be an all-position type, you are better off using it in a flat position The fill freeze electrode is a compromise between the fast freeze and fast fill electrode that’s why although it is possible to weld in all positions it is not the best experience while welding in horizontal, vertical-up or downhill

Whenever you are about to weld in the overhead position then start with a lower range of the amperage specified for that particular size of the electrode. So, for example for the 1/8”, start with about 110 amps if using on DCEN and 120 amps if using on AC. If the current is a bit on the lower side then increase the current as little as possible until you reach the comfortable range.

While welding in the overhead position use a triangular weave (if you are getting good results with your own technique then go for it!). If you do decide to give the triangular weave a shot, then start off by welding a shelf at the bottom of the joint and then add a layer on top of it. While weaving, try not to go beyond 3 times the diameter of the electrode. The more you practice this the better you will get and surely you will get the hang of it.

AMPERAGE FOR THE 7014 ELECTRODE?

Selecting the right amperage for your welding job can make all the difference between a great weld and a shoddy job. Welding using the wrong amperage can lead to an increase in slag and spatter formation and a very poor quality weld. There are a lot of factors involved in selecting the correct amperage. They range from the type of the electrode, the thickness of the base metal, the position you are going to be welding in and even the temperature of the base metal.

As a general rule of thumb as the size or diameter of the welding electrodes increase so does the amperage requirement. This is because as the rods are getting thicker, it will take more heat to melt the flux and the metal.

Getting the amperage right is something which you will be able to figure out through practice and experience. Sometimes even I make mistakes while selecting the right amperage.

I have compiled a table that showcases the amperage range you can stick to with different sizes of electrodes. Remember that there are a lot of factors that come into play here so these are just a rough estimate, you might have to go up or down a little depending on the situation.

E7014	Size	Amperage range
	1/4″ or 6.4 mm	330 – 415 amps
	1/8” or 3.2 mm	110 – 165 amps
	3/16” or 4.8 mm	200 – 275 amps
	3/32” or 2.4 mm	80 – 125 amps
	5/32” or 4.0 mm	150 – 210 amps
	7/32” or 5.6 mm	225 – 340 amps

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WELDING POSITION, AMPERAGE AND ROD SIZE SELECTION

Once you know the size of the electrode you are going to be using then the amperage selection process gets a bit easier. Selecting the rod size depends on a couple of factors like the thickness of the base metal (I will address this in the next section) and the position you are going to be welding in. The latter will further impact the amperage selection.

Usually, when you are going to be welding in an overhead position you want a more controlled puddle. This can be achieved by selecting a lower-sized electrode. Although this is not compulsory and a lot of people get excellent results through using the same sized electrode in any position. But welding in the vertical and uphill position is anyways a bit more tricky so switching to a smaller electrode might make things a bit easier.

Now, in case you have decided to use the same sized electrode for all the positions then you will have to play around with the amperage settings a little. You might need to turn the amperage down if you are welding in the overhead or vertical position. There is very logical reasoning behind this – in the vertical position the heat from the electrode will rise up and the metal piece will receive more heat when compared to the flat position. To compensate for this you will have to lower the amperage by roughly 5%. The aim here is to create the same amount of heat in all positions.

The same thing happens while welding in the vertical up or uphill position but in this case, the top part of the base metal will end up getting much more heat compared to the rest. In the case of vertical welds, you should reduce the amperage by about 10%.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THICKNESS OF THE BASE METAL, SIZE OF THE ELECTRODE AND THE AMPERAGE

Your electrode size selection depends on the thickness of the base metal. The thicker the metal the bigger electrode you will need. The reason behind this is that you will need more heat, more flux, and an increased deposition to perform the weld on thicker metal. The size of the electrode will naturally lead to an increase in the amperage as well.

The exact opposite applies to thinner sheet metals that cannot tolerate a lot of heat. Excess heat leads to warping and electrodes will just blow holes through the base metal. Due to this the amperage for a thinner piece has to be kept on the lower side.

You should never go for an electrode that is thicker than the base metal. One rule to keep in mind is that for metals up to 3/16” thick, you should ideally go for an electrode that is a step thinner. This is just indicative and it is very much possible to perform an excellent weld with a smaller electrode. This rule will also not be applied while dealing with sheet metals and very thin autobody parts.

For example, if the metal you are dealing with is 1/8” thick then you can go for a 3/32” electrode. I have compiled a table that will give you a good idea about which electrode to go for with different metal thicknesses.

Electrode diameter	Metal thickness
1/16”	Up to 3/16”
3/32”	Up to 1/4″
1/8”	Over 1/8”
5/32”	Over 1/4″
5/16”	Over 1/2″
3/32”	Up to 1/8”

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE OF THE BASE METAL & AMPERAGE

You need to take into account the temperature of the base metal as well, before deciding the amperage you are going to be using. For example, you are working on an extremely cold piece of metal then it will be a little difficult to strike the arc at the beginning and the welding rod might keep sticking to the metal. In this case, you need need to turn the amperage up by a little. One thing which you can do, to counter this issue is to pre-heat the base metal to a normal temperature before starting the weld.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE WELDING WITH THE WRONG AMPERAGE?

Even if you know all of this information, you won’t be able to tell if you are welding with a low amperage or a high amperage if you don’t know how to recognize the signs. Some of these signs include changes in the properties of the slag and the spatter, the arc, the weld quality, and the welding pool.

Even if you think you have figured out the right amperage based on a chart, there are welding machines out there, especially the cheaper ones, whose actual output is actually different than the one you selected. For example, there is a possibility that you set the welder on 200 amps but the actual output is 190 amps.

SIGNS THAT YOU ARE WELDING WITH A LOW AMPERAGE

Some of the signs of a low amperage weld can be:

1. The beautiful beads and ripples of the 7014 will not come forth and you will be left with an uneven and ugly bead.
2. Striking an arc with the 7014 is pretty easy but this process will become much more cumbersome.
3. The deposition rate will be reduced. This will be even more apparent with the naturally high deposition rate of the 7014.
4. Because of the reduced deposition rate your travelling rate might become slower.
5. The arc will start sounding erratic and look dim.

SIGNS THAT YOU ARE WELDING WITH A HIGH AMPERAGE

Some of the most common signs of a high amperage setting can be:

1. The amount of spatter and slag formation will increase a lot.
2. The arc will sound erratic here as well but at the same time it will appear much brighter.
3. The weld puddle might become harder to control
4. The weld bead becomes wider
5. The travelling speed also increases but at the same time you won’t get the same weld output.

HOW MUCH DO 7014 ELECTRODES COST

If you are looking to buy a small packet of 7014 rods, you can get your hands on them for less than 10 bucks. Depending on the manufacturer, for a 5 lbs package, you can expect to spend around 30 bucks.

You can easily find the 7014 electrodes of different brands on sites like Amazon and the good thing is that you can also easily find 7014 in the 1 lbs packaging – This can be a bit difficult for some of the other rods.

Some of the most popular brands like Forney offer its 32101 E7014 Welding Rod, 1/8” 1lbs package at about 7$. The 3/32” 5lbs package comes for about 19$. As you can see the 5lbs packaging is a much better deal in terms of cost. And considering that the 7014 does not need expensive storage equipment, you can stock up on them.

The Hobart 1/16” 5 lbs package comes at about 19$, while the Forney 7014 1/8” 10lbs package comes at about 27$.

I have noticed that compared to the 7018, the 7014 is a little bit more expensive. I don’t know the reason behind this, but these prices might change a bit depending on the location you are in. The big brand physical stores also have some slightly different prices.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

After going through all of this information it is natural to have some doubts regarding the use of this electrode. I am going to be addressing some of the most common queries that people have regarding this topic, I hope it helps clear things up.

CONCLUSION

The 7014 is considered to be one of the most versatile electrodes out there which is partly due to its ease of use and its excellent weld characteristics. Although the 7014 is considered to be an all-position electrode you should not use it for out-of-position welds.