Hobart Brothers Co. of Troy, Ohio, US has introduced its Hobart Boilermaker family of low alloy stick electrodes. The family, which includes Boilermaker 18 (AWS E7018, E7018-1), Boilermaker 18A1 (E7018-A1), Boilermaker B2 (E8018-B2) and Boilermaker B3 (E9018-B3) stick electrodes, has been specially formulated to provide X-ray quality welds with no starting or stopping porosity. With the help of Boilermaker journeymen, Hobart Brothers designed the Boilermaker stick electrodes to accommodate a variety of welding styles and also to provide several distinct characteristics. Low spatter levels and an easily removed slag both lessen downtime for post-weld cleaning and minimize the need for rework. The electrodes burn evenly, especially when welding pick-ups on the tube sides. Because they operate at an amperage spread of 75 to 90amps, they can be used to weld on both thin- and heavy walled boiler tubes without burn-through. Boilermaker B2 electrodes are available in 3/32in diameter 12in lengths. This 12in length allows welding operators to bend the electrode to fit in tight spaces common to boiler tube repairs and also allows for non-stop welding, again lessening the chance of starting and stopping porosity. All of the other Boilermaker products are available in 3/32in and 1/8in diameters in 14in industry standard lengths.