Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

hello i use to years back get a arc welding rod and could cover the piece up weld the hole up drill and tap new threads. every thing get now welds way to hard to drill and tap. does anyone know what kind they where.

So what are you welding?? Or what part of the engine are you repairing??
Can't you use a time sert to fix a oversize hole??

It was probably a brazing rod.

Regular old 6011 shouldn't be too bad "as deposited" on mild steel.
https://selectrode.com/datasheets/6011.pdf

Consumer grade drills and taps still might squeak and dull quickly.
Good drills and taps that have rolled around a tool box togethe are probably already too dull.

If a cast iron part was being welded the diluted metal and especially the original "heat affected" iron might be between HRC40 and " file hard."

Not what you asked but would a Time-Sert work?

You don't specify what material you are welding so I'm assuming it's steel. 7018 would work well. Just a general purpose mild steel rod. I've repaired plenty of farm equipment with those rods and drilled and tapped holes afterward. Stuff was always breaking.

Don't quench anything post welding. quenching hardens steel. Also you can temper a hard weld simply by re-heating the area to at least straw (color) blue would be better, and letting it cool slowly. If it's outside and windy you could cool it gradually by using a torch and simply moving the torch progressively away from the work. And again if you have been quenching post weld, don't quench.