Thread: Electrode and amp settings?

2.5mm general purpose rod at about 90-100A can do it. The rod will want to stick and the material will likely blow out. You'll need to stop and start quite a bit. This is where MiG's shine.

Good luck

Holy 90-100 amps!! i'd be down around 60-70 amps haha

Originally Posted by Bupton

Hi,
What would be a good electrode size and type and amp setting for welding mild steel tubing 1.6mm to 2mm thick?

Thanks Ben

Hi Ben,
To give you a concise answer we will need more info to give you the best outcome. In the absence of same ,can we assume you have an ordinary transformer welder,? If you have an inverter its a different ball game.

Ok then,
A couple of thoughts about welding light gauge with a transformer based machine- what the yanks term a buzzbox.

The open circuit voltage required to start the electrode is not really well suited for small electrodes ,ie 2.6mm - while using a transformer /buzzbox welder. Typically what happens is that the striking of the electrode can cause it to stick or alternately blow a hole.See more below on the best electrode to use ,to minimise this

Not knowing what the welding is for -ie quality needed, it is hard to form a judgement. To give the least hassle possible I would select :


E 6013 electrodes NOT 6012s as 6013s have better characteristics suited to thin metals. Grab some off cuts of what you want to weld and slip in to it.

Some basics on stick welding are here

http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/guidelines_smaw.pdf

cheers
Grahame

I recently welded 1.6mm square mild steel tube using CIG Satincraft 2.5mm electrodes on CIG EasyWelder.
I first tested on an offcut at 80 amps the lower recommended setting stated on the pack.
It worked great, but when I moved to my project after a while I experienced burnthrough.
Reducing the setting to about 75 amps worked OK, but penetration may not have been deep. It was good enough for my purpose.

Bupton, experiment on an offcut of the same material, as I did, to determine what works OK for you, considering your circumstances.

I was considering buying a Lincoln 180C Mig welder, but have had second thoughts.
I don't do much welding, and I don't think I can justify the cost of buying it.

Grahame, thank you for the link to the Miller welding guide.
You may be able to persuade me on the Lincoln MIG?

At the risk of appearing argumentative, I would reach for an E4112, (Wia Austarc12P or BOC Smootharc 12) in preference to an E4113, (Satincraft 13, WIA Austarc 13S or the like) any day for thin work 4112's will weld vertical down which is by far preferable to vertical up on thin material.
Secondly, why are we quoting the American welding classification rather than the Australian Standard for welding electrodes?
I also find that the 4112's handle galvanised material, (very common on thinner sections), far better than the 4113's.
Each to their own I guess, but let's use the Aust. Standard either AS1553.1 or AS4855 which unfortunately seems less descriptive of electrode types.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

Secondly, why are we quoting the American welding classification rather than the Australian Standard for welding electrodes?.

it would be good if someone could post a comparison chart of AWS and AS/NZ codes. I searched, but couldn't find one.

Originally Posted by WelderMick

it would be good if someone could post a comparison chart of AWS and AS/NZ codes. I searched, but couldn't find one.

I was under the impression that for us mere mortal welders, only the last two digits mattered, being the welding position and flux type, and are the same between Yank and metric codes. The first two digits are the nominal strength and are just a matter of units - 410MPa vs 60000PSI.

Plenty of people in Australia inflate their tyres to a PSI value rather than the equivalent KPa (or BAR) with no ill effects.

Originally Posted by RustyArc

I was under the impression that for us mere mortal welders, only the last two digits mattered, being the welding position and flux type, and are the same between Yank and metric codes. The first two digits are the nominal strength and are just a matter of units - 410MPa vs 60000PSI.

Plenty of people in Australia inflate their tyres to a PSI value rather than the equivalent KPa (or BAR) with no ill effects.

You are partially correct, the last two are the ones that matter most to the average user. The two codes do not line up at all times though and an E4112 is often classified as an E6013 therefore changing it from a vertical down electrode to a vertical up electrode if the last two digits are examined.
Therein lies the difficulty.