What Is a 7024 Welding Rod Used For?

Welding rods create the circuit between your welding machine and the metal you are working with. Consumable welding rods also create the filler material to fill in the gap between the two metals you are trying to weld together. For all of those reasons, choosing the right welding rod is really important. 

The 7024 welding rods are useful for laying down a lot of metal at once, as they create a large welding pool. Many welders who have to get through large projects rely on the 7024 welding rods. However, they are less popular than other welding rods, like the 7010 welding rods, due to their lack of versatility.

Here is your guide to help you understand when you should use a 7024 welding rod and its properties.

Properties of the 7024 Welding Rod

The 7024 welding rods are made out of iron oxide with an additional iron powder and titania flux coating. They have a few properties that make them different from other welding rods, which we will get into below.

Polarity

The 7024 welding rods can be used with straight or reverse polarity, which means they work with AC and DC currents. While most modern welding machines run on DC currents, it’s helpful to have a welding rod that can work with an AC current lying around in case you need to switch up your work setup.

Tensile Strength

It’s easy to tell the tensile strength of a 7024 welding rod because it’s right in the welding number. The first two digits of the welding rod number stand for the tensile strength. The “70” means that the 7024 welding rod has a tensile strength of 70,000 psi (pounds per square inch). These tough electrodes can withstand some pretty high-pressure situations. 

Penetration

Although a 7024 has a high tensile strength, it is only a low penetration rod. That means it cannot burn far below the surface of the metal you are working with. When welding with the 7024 rods, you need to be careful that the technique requires only shallow cuts.

Positionality

One important feature that distinguishes the 7024 welding rod from other, more common rods is the positionality for which you can use it. 

The third digit in every welding rod number stands for the position. The “2” means that you can only use this welding rod for flat-horizontal welds. While welding rods such as 7010 welding rods, which were developed specifically for pipeline welding, can weld vertically or in almost any position, you’re far more limited when working with the 7024 welding rod.

The main reason why you don’t want to use the 7024 for vertical welding is safety. This welding rod produces a lot of molten metal due to the iron powder and low hydrogen material. You don’t want to be welding vertically and then have some balls of molten metal falling down and burning you.

What Is a 7024 Welding Rod Used For?

The properties of the 7024 welding rod mean that it has some very specific uses. It may not be the most versatile welding rod in the world, but it is perfect for welding together big pieces of metal lying flat on the floor. The 7024 welding rod works quickly and produces a lot of filler material, so you can get big projects done in no time as long as the positionality is right.

The 7024 welding rods are helpful mostly when you are working with steel. Besides laying down a lot of material, getting rid of the slag or waste that occurs after a weld, leading to a smooth finish is easy. Plus, you don’t need a rod oven for 7024 welding rods, and they are relatively affordable, making them easy to have on hand in a workshop. 

All of these properties mean that welds with 7024 welding rods are strong, durable, and smooth. They can withstand the pressure of structural welding and other high-risk situations.

Using 7024 welding rods is common in a few different industries, including:

• Construction
• Structural welding
• Manufacturing

What Types of Welding Are 7024 Welding Rods Suited For?

The 7024 welding rods are used in stick welding. They have low penetration, which means they only work for types of welding where you only need to make a shallow weld. These types of welding include: 

1. Fillet joint welding
2. Lap joint welding
3. General purpose repairs
4. High deposition welds

You can perform these types of welding with a 7024 welding electrode as long as you are in a flat position.

Final Thoughts

If you’ll be working with big steel projects, 7024 welding electrodes are good to have on hand for high deposition and fillet welding. However, they have limits and are not safe to use in some positions.