Just Bought My First Welder

[STICKARC]

hey guys i just bought my first welder, it is a 220 100amp stick arc welder i was wondering what the limits of fabercation would be. like what is the max thickness of steel i can weld

[STICKARC]

i bought the welder so that i could build a intake manifold for my nissan 280zx. can i do that with that welder?

[hankj]

STICKARC,

Welcome! With a 100A welder, the biggest rod you'll likely be able to use will be 1/8". I'd start out with 5# of E-6013, which is easy to use, and practice running beads 'till you're satisfied you can start an arc and keep it going, and lay down a reasonable bead. Then I'd go to E-7018 - a little harder to use, but it makes nice welds. That's what I think I would use for you manifold project.

As far as how thick your weldment can be, you can weld virtually any thickness using multiple passes. Pick up a welding text from the bookstore or local library and learn join preparation techniques, etc.

Prepare to have fun!

Be well.

hankj

[malibu101]

Are you planning on building a steel manifold? Aluminum and SMAW welding (while certainly possible) do not go well together.