Hi weldman,
If you do any work to meet the Strctural steel code D1.1, you need to purchase a rod oven to store your low-hydrogen rods/wire in after they are remove from their factory packaging and stored at a min. of 250F.
I'll supply the paragraph for you: AWS D1.1:2002 Structural Steel Code paragraph 5.3.2.1 Low-Hydrogen Electrode Storage Conditions. "All electrodes having low hydrogen coverings conforming to AWS A5.1 and AWS A5.5 shall be purchased in hermetically sealed containers or shall be baked by the user in conformance with 5.3.2.4 prior to use. Immediately after opening the hermetically sealed container, electrodes shall be stored in ovens held at a temperature of at least 250F or 120C. Electrodes shall be re-baked no more than once. Electrodes that have been wet shall not be used."
There are other charts to go by for atmostpheric exposure and the limits allowed. if you need to know all of those, I can post them for you. ASTM A 514 or A517 steels have different criteria to be used. At the least I would purchase a rod oven and keep all of your low -hy rods/wire stored in there to keep them dry enough to prevent porosity, if for no other reason. Most codes will require the use of an oven, I just quoted the D1.1 code.
Hope this helps, if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask.
John Wright