[rake]

Flux coatings are proprietary to the manufacturer and can vary greatly from one another.
That's why 7018's like the Lincoln Excalibur run smoother than some other 7018's. Fluxes also
vary with the makeup of the filler wires themselves. Why? Because the manufacturer wants
you the consumer to love their product over the competition. Brand loyalty translates into increased
sales and profits.

[Stirmind]

I suppose maybe I was unclear in what I was intending to convey, and maybe that's why I'm not getting the answer I was after. I've welding literally tons of 7018 and was inquiring as to how the view of the puddle compares when welding with one of the higher tensile strength rods as opposed to that of a 7018.

While I understand that there are certainly differences in each manufacturers flux composition and thus differences in the slag pool's properties and puddle's visibility, there are certainly some comparable factors with each type of rod, being the flux either cellulose based like a 5P, or an Fe powder based flux like on 7018s and 7024s.

I've already figured it out by directly contacting manufactures, so my question's been answered...Aloha