WeldingWeb - Welding Community for pros and enthusiasts banner

what is a good stick electrode for 1/8 metal

17K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  SuperArc  
#1 ·
i have a hobart stickmate ac/dc welder i weld a lot of 1/8 metal i use what is the best rod

for 1/8 metal 6013 7014 6011 or 7018.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I would go ahead and say 7018. Probably the most versatile rod out their now. 7014 is excellent for flat and horizontal work. I would use 3/32 electrode on 1/8" but 1/8" on 1/8" material is do able just not preferred. I would also keep 6010 or 6011 around as well. Great for dirty stuff and has great penetration as well. 6013 is good for light penetration stuff like sheet metal. But I wouldn't count on it structurally.

All those rods are great, but should be used in different types of situations.
 
#8 ·
At 90 amps, you are at the high-ish end of the recommended range for 3/32" 7018 electrodes, so if you could manage to turn the heat down a bit, you might blow through less.

With a little skill, a person should be able to run a 1/8" electrode on 1/8" material without blowing through. The travel speed will have to pick up, and the beads may be bigger and uglier than if a smaller electrode was used. But it can be done. So if you are blowing through 1/8" material with 3/32" rods, it is probably a matter of technique. In general, you should probably pick up your travel speed, but if you simply move your hand faster without learning to read the puddle, you're not going to get much better results. Unfortunately, reading the puddle isn't something that can be taught over the Internet. You just need hood time and to watch examples of people who know what they're doing. I will say, however, that I notice the puddle get a certain "saggy" look when it is about to blow through. That tells me that I need to pick up my travel speed immediately or, possibly, break the arc, let the metal cool, and come back to the joint then.

I have had problems blowing through 1/8" material with 1/8" 7018 when my fitup was poor. 7018 is not the best choice for filling gaps. It can be done, but it takes more skill. When I have tried to use 7018 with poor fitup and gaps, I have quickly blown through, because the heat gets concentrated at the edges of the two pieces that make up the joint.

For cases where there is a gap, a fast-freeze rod like 6011 is ideal. However, it takes some technique to use successfully and control the heat and deposition--unlike 7018, which you can kind of just drag along and it'll do fine. If you don't want to spend time learning to run 6011, you can continue to use 7018, just make sure your fitup is as good as can be, to minimize gaps. 6013 may also be a good choice. It has its own eccentricities in how you have to run it, but it is okay at filling gaps and can be run at a lower temperature than rods with iron powder in the flux like 7018 or 7014, so it may help you avoid blowing through.
 
#14 ·
Do you have any pics? It could be a combination of travel speed, arc length, along with the angle of the rod. 7018 you can lay it right on the metal once the arc is started. It will weld itself. Are you doing a filet weld butt or v grove? Even 1/8" should be fine as long as u watch the puddle. keep your speed up to not let the puddle get to big.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Everybody's opinion here has been great. I'll just add more opinion (confusion) to your question. The last "1/8" angle iron cart" and "angle iron garage shelf" (8 total) I made was with 3/32" 7014's. I originally started using 3/32" 6011's. Then I went to 6010's. I hated both of them. Switched to 3/32" and 1/8" 6013's and liked it. Went to 7014's and absolutely loved it! I found my "sweet spot combo" by using those 3/32" 7014's.

For the angle iron, my welds did much better using a flap disc grinder and hitting the weld joints real quick. I didn't bother to get nice shinny steel, just enough grind though to break off any rust and "some" of the mill scale. The welds turned out really nice, tight and clean looking.

On a side note; I know 6013's are not the "strongest" weld joints, but for an angle iron welding cart, those welds aren't going anywhere.

I never did try 7018's as others have mentioned.