How to stop the wire going rusty?

[reggieroo]

I bought a second hand Clarke 150TE but both spools of wire that came with it are rusty. How do people deal with this issue, any tips in keeping the wire from going rusty?

I'm new to welding but have read that you shouldn't use rusty wire so I guess I'll need some new wire now. Do people just end up throwing away the wire if it gets rusty & buying new all the time?

 

[shenion]

Keep the wire indoors.

Or buy good wire. My Lincoln and Hobart rolls are 2 years old in my wet garage and have no rust.

 

[Robotstar5]

I'm new to welding but have read that you shouldn't use rusty wire so I guess I'll need some new wire now.

Have you stripped off a few layers to see if it's all rusty? sometimes it's clean underneath.

 

[reggieroo]

I'll take a closer look again tomorrow & strip it back.

 

[troppo]

I always keep those little sachets of dehumidifying gel you get in things and throw them in the bottom of the welder, they seem to help some in extending the life of your wire before it goes rusty in your welder. It might not be much but every little thing helps

 

[Wedg1e]

I always keep those little sachets of dehumidifying gel you get in things and throw them in the bottom of the welder, they seem to help some in extending the life of your wire before it goes rusty in your welder. It might not be much but every little thing helps

Good old silica gel. You can dry it out in a hot oven (not sure if microwaves work!) and re-use. I got several kilos a few years back from a place near me that packaged it in industrial quantities, it cost next to nothing... used it to keep the inside of my TVR dry.