Carbon Rods

[Sonny Jim]

They're just one of those things that everyone seems to have and take for granted, but I can't seem to find any helpful info about their aquisition. I've read through the chlorate making threads here, but can't find any info about getting the rods.

Google searches have been pretty shite frankly, ringing up a lot of dictionary definitions and big company names, who sell stuff way too big and expensive for me to bother with. I've heard that they have use in welding? Only after looking on ebay etc, all of the welding rods I've seen are metals of some sort.

Anyone care to enlighten me on this one? Any help is greatfully received.

[blindreeper]

They are used in welding, gouge rods IIRC. I have seen them. They were about 40cm long and were 6mm thick. They have a copper foil over them so you have to peel it off.

You can also get some 8mm x 7cm from Ever ready 6v batteries. The ones with they use in dolphin torches. They have 4 cells inside them. Carefully open the cells and you will have some black MnO2 paste and a central carbon rod.

The other place I get my carbon rods is from an art store, get the hardest kind possible. They are in the form of pencils. Solid carbon pencils. They are about 8mm round and 15cm long. Theya re not cheap about $3 a pencil, but maybe if you buy bulk it will be cheaper.

[Jacks Complete]

Shouldn't that be the other way around? The harder the pencil lead, the more clay in it, and the softer, the more charcoal/graphite.

Not that it will make much odds, as long as it conducts.

[YayItGoBoom!]

You should be able to get them anywhere they sell arc welding materials. There are literally thousands of them in the supply closet for my school's tech automotive program. Any kind of arc application would most likely use them, welders, carbon arc lamps (Haven't seen these much except in school gyms) maybe even bug zappers....

[megalomania]

i get mine at the local welding supply shop. $1 a pop.

[frogfot]

Heres my story, how I found them. I found adress of some welding corporation through telephone book. When I went there it showed to be a hangar in industrial area, so I went in, and asked first person who was there. He didn't knew what theese carbon rods were used for, but he pointed me to a store that selled lots of welding electrodes. Theese precious carbon rods were there waiting for me..