Stick Welding 16 Gauge Sheet Metal

Because of the heat from the welding arc metal is liquified and put on top of the base metal weld seam.

Stick welding 16 gauge sheet metal.

No matter what rod welder or position you try welding it with. During stick welding the welding electrode is consumed. It s recommended to use a 023 or 024 inch wire for most light gauge sheet metal work. A wire feed or tig welder is ideal for sheet metal but we will assume that you don t have one.

16 gauge is thin material. Disclaimer due to factors beyond the. Just kidding this tip is to explain how to weld sheet metal with a stick welder. 16 gauge is where a mig welder shines not a stick welder.

Stick welding is not the best choice for 16 gauge. Choose a joint position and electrode that is conducive to the metal joint position can have a great affect on finished weld quality. We need to establish what is considered thin metal. Shielding gas from the welding electrode helps to avoid oxidation of the metal in the weld pool and makes the welding process more reliable.

To weld mild steel choose an american welding society classification wire such as er70s 6 which has a weld puddle that wets out nicely. There is no absolute according to hoyle answer but i always considered anything less than 3 16 to be thin. Thats a tough task for even a vetern stick welder. When welding on 10 to 18 gauge sheet steel the fastest travel speeds are obtained with the work positioned at a 45 to 75 degrees downhill angle.