When the Tig was new, and I had never used one, my snowplow mount on my UTV showed some issues... multiple welds cracked and broken.
I decided that I would use the TIG instead of a stick welder, just as a learning tool. I ran out of rod before I was finished, and was really mad as I was almost done, but 7:00 at night. I called one of the old miners to see if he had any rod- then went and got it.
He gave me a few pounds of 7018 that had gotten wet. I took each rod and tapped it with a hammer to remove all the flux, then wire brushed it for a final cleaning. That snow plow mount has not shown one issue since!!!
Sometimes we get ourselves wrapped around an axle trying to get the 'right' stuff, when what we need is just stuff.;-)
Mind you, if the UTV plow mount broke, no idiots will be harmed in the repairing it a second time; I am a bit more particular for my plane... don't want an AD for cracks coming out on the Maule!:lol: