Amperage to stick weld 3/16" square tube to 3/16" plate

Well, my approach is simple. Start in the middle of the range listed on the box. If it sticks, turn it up. If it's too hot and burns too much, turn it down. Also, it helps to tell us what size electrode... :) --Glenn Lyford

150A-230A per the Miller Stick Amperage Calculator, one of the three cardboard "slide-rule" welding calculator set (MIG, TIG, Stick) available on the Miller site for a few $ that I've plugged many times. They are well worth the few minutes it takes to order them.

Pete C.

I suspect that amp range is gonna blow large gaping holes in both the tubing and the plate. With 1/8" rod..Id start off at about 75 amps and run a couple test beads, going up to about 125 amps max.

Though personally, Id burn 5/32 at about 80 amps max

Shrug..YMMV

Gunner

Don't know, I hardly ever do stick, almost all TIG so I haven't used that particular calculator much. Every time I've used the matching TIG calculator it's given me settings that were right on target.

Pete C.

One thing you're missing here is that with stick it's the electrode size that determines the amperage more than the size of the metal. The amperages you stated above are for 3/16" electrodes and I wouldn't even try them on metal thinner than 1/2" thick.

Indeed.

I was just in, fresh off the road when I wrote the above. I thought about it this morning..and Id run 5/32 from 45-75 amps I think, particulary on that tubing and dont dawdle. And wait a few seconds after welding to a corner, before starting the next side. Closer to the 75 amp end...likely somewhere around 60-65 amps with 6013 Though..I think..Id go with 6011 if this is gonna be load bearing. At about 60 amps with 5/32. If its round edged tubing, rather than square sided..its harder to fill that big radiused undercut and still get penetration..for me..ymmv..it tends to lay in nice..but not go too deep..so Id lay it so the join is on top..propping the thingy on its side or tilted..and go in deep with 6011. YMMV

Now Im NOT a welder..Im hard pressed to admit to being a dauber, but Ive burned a lot of stick over the years, on metal pretty much as described above. Which is how I got pretty good at filling in holes Id burned through....sigh.

Now that Ive exposed my ignorance..Im gonna sit back and take the heat.

Shrug

Gunner

Limit the amperage on 1/8" 6013 to 125 amps as already suggested. With

3/16" metal, I would start at 100-110 amps s>>

I am really wondering if you guys are pulling my leg here... Maybe my sense of humor is a little bit malfunctioning, the standard amperage for 1/8" rods is 125 amps... Here I have metal that's a little thick, being welded in a corner...

i

It's not that simple actually. There's a lot of variables including what welder you're using, the rod, the metal thickness, technique, etc. Personally I think Gunners recommendation is a bit low but it probably works fine for him on his welder. Keep in mind that most welders don't really have a accurate scale for setting the amps (in fact many professional grade welders don't even have any indication at all of what amperage you're at just numbers).

Personally I don't like 6013 and I've not run any recent enough to even remember what amperage I run it at. Now for 1/8" 6011 I'd probably run around 90-100 amps for your project but for 7018 your

125amps is more like it.

Iggy,

I like 7014 and 7018 a lot. 7014 is the easiest rod to run I've ever seen. But I can consistently get good results with 7018. On a Maxstar

140 I run 1/8" 7018 at about 125 amps and 7014 at about 100. I don't see how you could go wrong with either.

Vernon

Ignoramus23068 wrote:

My results with 7018 were kind of abysmal and 6013 welds look almost like tig welds, very nice and easy. I am a beginner welder so I claim no authority onthe subject.

i

I was burning some 1/8" rod at 65 and 70 amps. This is 16 ga sheet. Bit tough to weld, but I did it.

Martin

Mart> >

7014 is a very easy rod to run and it makes a very nice looking weld, its real good in the flats, a bit harder when not. I don't think its even rated for overhead. I picked up a 50 pound box of 7024 for $10.00 that is a for sure in the flats only rod but you can run a bead fast and get lots of metal down, its not as easy as 7014 but damm close in the flats.

Way too much current, but since the tube is parallel to the plate, it will allow more amps than if you were trying to do a tube end to the plate. As others stated, I'd use 1/8" 6013 or perhaps some 5/32" if you have several to do. Start at 120 amps for the 1/8" or 160 amps for the

5/32" Run the rod aimed mostly at the plate, it will take slighly more heat than the tube, wash the puddle up > Ignoramus20979 wrote:

Well then, although you might want to use what you're comfy with on this project, I highly recommend you play with some more 7018.

Admittedly, it is hard to re-start. But if you light a new stick, get it burning, and have plenty of amperage, you can PUSH it into the puddle. Keep about a 12 - 15 degree angle and a sort of "wrist english" as if you want to twist the rod in the direction of travel. But since you're also pushing down into the puddle, the effect is that your rod disappears into the progressing bead.

Properly done and with the right amperage, the slag sometimes peels up by itself. After nearly a decade as a hobbyist I still don't get consistently good beads. But I nearly always do, with 7018, provided that I get a good initial burn. If you stop or the arc gets extinguished just light up again with a new rod. Later you can scrape the partially burned ones on some plate as you rotate 'em. Sort of like sharpening a pencil.

I d> > > Iggy,

Sigh..I guess I WAS sleepy when I posted..damit..that big assed 5/32 is supposed to be 3/32"

damn..Id be surprised if I could even get an arc started at 75 amps with

5/32

My apologies. That should as I said about..have been 3/32

I new something didnt look right when I pushed the send button..but couldnt figure out what it was.

Mea Culpa

Gunner, who uses a shitload of 6011 and 7014 lo-hi in 3/32..

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

I used to have trouble with re-start when using rods stolen from work. There is no problem re-starting with those big 3-phase welders they have there but my machine has trouble. After the rods cool they will re-start with ease on my machine.

My Canox supplier gave me some 5 rod packs to try. Man, do they work faultlessly. I bundled up all the stolen rods and took them back to work and bought some rods from my supplier.

Welder - Canox Sparkler AC-DC with good ole copper windings

- Regards Gordie

PS: 7014 is not lo-hi (low hydrogen), 7018 is. On my little buzzbox tombstone, I prefer these two also... I can understand how Iggy would prefer 6013, though, as he has DC. --G

aws 6011 can do a wide range of amps , but 6013 / 714 7024 has a narrow range . I can do this work at 1/8 " rod at 100 - 120 amps

or 5/32" Rod at about 130 amps .

I prefer 6011 at 100 amps . Allow rods corp used to sell me 6011 , less splatter than Lincoln fleetweld 35 ..

You can MIG with "250" amp tips and big wire and a 200 amp machine . But small boxes with .035 wire is far too small to weld 3/16" steel .

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Ignoramus20979 wrote: