I finally switched from a standard 6010 rod to a 7018 for a root pass on some 3/4 inch plate last week.
I was working on a repair for a feedwater heater in Toledo and figured the extra penetration control would be worth the slower pace. The arc was way smoother, but I ended up with some serious undercut on the toes that I didn't expect at all. For you guys who run 7018 on the root, do you crank the amps up more than the book says to avoid that?
Depends what they mean by serious though. A little undercut happens to everyone starting out, especially with 7018. Unless it's a huge gap or going halfway up the bead, calling it "serious" seems like a stretch. Seen way worse get called "not bad for a first try" honestly.