THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO SMAW AMPERAGE

[@SurferSurfer-ip4rf]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Critics every where, they’d complained if you’d given too much information about weld amps vs material thickness vs travel speed. I used this a lot when I first started stick welding it got me started so I could learn to watch the puddle... that’s the real thing to learn ... the puddle will tell you what you need to do. Thanks again!

[@Welddotcom]

It comes with the territory. Thanks for the support.

[@da15991]

That was going to be one of my question. How does material thickness determine the amperage? Or how does it factor into the amp formula?

[@da15991]

Just re-watched the video and it was explained in the early section. I must have just overlooked that.

[@chuckhickman8093]

One thing to remember, you can look up the amperage range of that particular rod. The hotter you run (within the range for the rod) the quicker you make the weld which means higher productivity and less overall heat input. You can offset the increase in amps by holding a tighter arc (as voltage is controlled by arc length on constant current processes) and by going faster because of the higher deposition rates Heat input=V*A*.06÷S (time)

[@104littleal6]

Been hanging around Bob a little too much. Next thing you know, you'll be smelling those rods to see if they're 6010, 6011, or 7018. Lol

[@theodorebowers9737]

Oh all the time I thought he was

[@stanleybaker6989]

@@theodorebowers9737 serious? LOL

[@shaej8187]

I saw him do that, and the next day gave mine a whiff. They do smell different!

[@will5948]

I thought Bob used to smell the diameter, not the flux.

[@jamessonger3]

I could listen to a 7018 that’s running perfect amperage all day long. Soothes my soul.!!

[@Welddotcom]

You might be a welder if...

[@doubleup_dbd6679]

Only thing its missing is the smell of bacon😁

[@retinazerlazer]

Idk that hurts my ears when doing it in person but sounds crisp through a speaker

[@petewoodhead52]

I'm a beginner and found this helpful even with the math error. ;-) In my welding class I'm working on an Old Miller AC/DC SMAW with a broken pointer on the dial. I'm finally realizing that Amps make the difference. I love weld.com.

[@Welddotcom]

We appreciate the support Pete

[@pizzaWelder]

Great trick and explained very well. Lots of tips thrown in there.

[@MAC_6.7]

Great videos guys love drinking coffee before work watching these 🤙🏼

[@das250250]

Really useful video and I really appreciate the cleanliness of those welds and how there is very little to do once the weld is done

[@justinmartinez680]

Great topic. It's been a long time since I was in school and finding settings for different types of welding can be one of the harder parts for me

[@Welddotcom]

Glad we could help you out Justin.

[@DavidTheCarpenter]

That was a whole lot of the right stuff in a short time. Well done!

[@NickFrom1228]

Well its a beginners guide so this is a good ballpark. It falls apart in several places but by the time people notice this they have probably gained enough experience to know how to set it themselves.

[@CTSCAPER]

These videos are very helpful. I've been stacking beads the last couple weeks and I can see what I'm doing wrong, and what happens to even seasoned welders. A couple welds the first half-inch or so was cold, just like the ones I run. If the seasoned guys are doing it I must be par for the course.

[@renegade1520]

You guys do a great job teaching with your videos. Love watching your channel. Keep making more!

[@ypaulbrown]

Very informative.... glad you joined the channel... Paul in Orlando

[@jameshuggins4300]

I love the beard brush! I'll have to try that myself!

[@michaeljonesjr3125]

Brilliant, just brilliantly done!

[@Welddotcom]

Appreciate the feedback. Hopefully you can get some use out of it.

[@weldHAGOJIBI]

That's very informative. That's great.👍

[@jordan1234564]

Great info! What's the formula for 6011 rod? With different diameters, and 1,2,3,4 positions.

[@vumaud]

Great Video, I just started practicing with 7018 (Teaching myself welding). I believe it's my fav rod so far and this is a great lesson for finding a starting point. Keep up the great work, I am learning alot!

[@alejandroruiz7866]

Great, tutorial specially for us beginners. Hey is that same rule applies for when welding thin material? ( 18g, 16g) or how would you go about that. Thanks hello from Sonora Mexico

[@GodslilRedneck23]

Alejandro Ruiz For sheet metal, you are better off using 6013 for something that thin. You can use a 5/64”=2.0mm and run around 50-80A on A/C or 45-75A on DC+/- since it’s not polarity restricted.

[@richelleseradoy9998]

125 × .95 = 118.75 or 119 But you typed-in 129 × .95 instead of 125 ×.95. That's why it gave you 122.55 amps

[@ml3924]

Hi very new to welding. Love the videos. Can you weld aluminum with a ac arc stick welder? I bought a used Lincoln and it’s ac only. Is there a rod that would work as I need to repair my camper pull out. Ty

[@dooivko-metal5945]

If your editor would put conversion from inches in mm it would be a great thing. You have a lot of supporters from Europe. Best regards and keep up the great work!

[@Welddotcom]

We'll keep that in mind moving forward.

[@duminicad]

Weld.com please do

[@olivertaylor4779]

I'm in the UK it can get confusing at times, I keep a ruler handy it has a conversion chart on the back. just remember 1/8 = 3.2 mm.

[@Wild_Bill57]

Thinking about the one you did with the current set too high, with the undercut issues. It would be great to see a video on how to deal with/ fix issues like that with a weld that you’ve done. If I’m doing a job, thinking that I’ve got to work with what’s there. If I screw it up, gotta fix it I presume.

[@growleym504]

Wow... what a simple way to figure out what the current should be! I like it! So, with a 1/16" rod, 62a is about right to start with? Nice. Now, what size rod to pick? I have been mostly figuring rod size should be 3/4 of the material thickness at the biggest, to half the material thickness minimum. Sound about right? So 1/4" material by my figuring would call for 1/8" rod up to 3/16" rod? Too big, maybe? I have used a lot of 3/16" rod on that size, sometimes going down to 1/8" if I can hit it from both sides. Sound okay? I am not trying to be a pro, just trying to stick one piece of steel to another one without blowing holes in my work. With two dissimilar thickness pieces I have been going with the upper range and keeping the bead a little more on the thicker piece. Welds are coming out pretty decent once I have the current adjusted to my liking, no undercutting and no big humped up bead. I don't often have to weld anything thicker than 1/4" mild steel. I sometimes have to weld really thin stuff, like 1/16" thick square tubing. I find myself blowing holes in it sometimes, and I have been reducing the current and trying to make my pass a little faster. That gives me a pretty crappy looking weld sometimes. Thoughts?

[@jimkaipanen6577]

Nice whisker protection GRANDSON.

[@kwasigordon8810]

Does it have a calculation for the thickness of the metal to be welded ?

[@niftyfiftycampingadventure795]

Great Tutorial Buddy. Loving the leather attachment on the bottom of your screen to protect the old Red beard.. Lol..

[@cheffsolo7739]

Like how you break it down the decimals great video keep it coming .

[@DXT61]

Educate a newbie welder. When i stick weld my bead looks great but it seems there is a small visible "ditch" at the top. I assume that is undercut but at 3:28-3:46 it kinda looks like that here. Considering he is an instructor i am going to assume again that a "slight" surface difference at the top is not always undercut? I have played with the amps and found my "factory settings" were too hot and it makes a difference in how much metal is gone there. For example, on 1/4 steel 1/8 7018 it starts at like 153 amps on factory settings. My "kerf" (chainsaw/tree analogy) was much bigger at the high amps which i believe is what is meant by undercut. I dropped it to 120-130 amps playing with it and found that range the best for flat surface.

[@SLG1911]

So with stick, only the diameter of the rod matters when selecting the amperage? Does the material thickness matter at all? Your coupons looked pretty thick, and I would have thought that the 3/32 would be too small. What about welding two different pieces that are not the same thickness? These videos are great thank you for your efforts!

[@georgemiller6930]

This is amazing! I learned so much from this video. Thank you so so much!

[@aguilayserpiente]

Fine instruction. If this is 1/2" material, how do we know when to choose 3/32" vs. 1/2" rod for the 1st pass as shown on the video?

[@muyashi21]

Teacher I have a question, to make the root pass for 6010 stick is the same amps? or there is a different way to get the amps of the different positions?

[@marksmith849]

Great little everlast stick welder you've got going there. Great advice for stick welding.

[@mariogironcobon4930]

Thank you thank you, you went straight to the point and giving tips and all. ❣️

[@jockellis]

My Everlast 200ST uses 74 amps when burning 1/8” 7018 Millennium rods on 3/8” coupons. This was established by my welding instructor. IGBT welders use much less electricity.

[@Welddotcom]

The machine in this video is an IGBT inverter as well. That being said, this is a starting point. If 74 amps is working for you, go with it.

[@jockellis]

Weld.com the Millers and Lincoln we used - At 70 I had no desire to become a pipe welder and quit in the fourth semester - were correct for your rules of thumb. I was mainly wondering if my - or anyone’s 200ST - burned that hot. My instructor was really impressed with the Everlast and told other members of the class it was a good choice. Right now I’m practicing for sticking a .125 swaybar brace to the inner fender sheet metal of my project car using my Everlast Power I-MIG 200e. It’s settings seem more in line with conventional wisdom for settings. I enjoyed your video. My first attempts at oxyacetylene welding in 1968 brought the question from the head welder at the construction company repair shop: “A bird fly over this?” Ever since I’ve wanted to do better; it was only in retirement that I had the time and sufficient beans.

[@slhasebroock]

Excellent! Beginner so really appreciate this video!!!! Is this ONLY for 7018 rods or is this a good place to start for other rods too?

[@GodslilRedneck23]

Steve Hasebroock this will work with any low hydrogen electrode.

[@sccolbert]

How do you run those thin 3/32 rods with one hand so well? Those thin rods like to flex on me and (I assume) magnetically attract to one side or the other. I need a second hand to stabilize the electrode close to the weld bead.

[@majranawake4240]

Thank you, sir, it's a very useful/helpful lesson with many practical information

[@RecalcitrantObserver]

Does that apply to only the 7018 or could you use that cal for any of the other rods?

[@mohammedtroy4296]

great info

[@JasonVladimir]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

[@ViktorLucca]

Great videos bro...didn't get this at school...

[@ViktorLucca]

Keep up the good work!!...👍

[@Welddotcom]

@@ViktorLucca Thanks for the feedback Viktor.

[@motoxjim929]

For the 1/8 electrode you typed 129 into your calculator. Do I win a slap for paying attention lol. Awesome video!!!

[@GodslilRedneck23]

@Jim Miller you caught that huh?😆 I didn’t catch it till I watched the video myself.

[@Welddotcom]

You win a slap if you hit that 🔔 button and get that first comment on the next video. Only caveat is the comment can't be "first". 👍

[@michaelmcguinn7596]

I came here to see if anybody else caught it but I love the irony of a guy named Miller calling out a welders mistake lol

[@motoxjim929]

@@Welddotcom for sure!! I hit that bell a long time ago. That new slap will be going on my new everlast mts252sti!!!! I'm happy to watch you guys 3 times a week now.

[@motoxjim929]

@@michaelmcguinn7596 that's because I am a Miller welder lol😂

[@imv5197]

Thats a good start to find amperage

[@Sabactus]

How do you know when to run DCEP or DCEN?

[@sergelapierre1446]

Good way with the diameter of the rod. Can you tell me what you do when the tickness of material change and keep the same rod?

[@GodslilRedneck23]

serge lapierre I typically run the same settings I showed in the video. The thickness of the material will determine the diameter of the rod you’re going to use. The diameter of the rod will determine the amount of amperage you will use.

[@sergelapierre1446]

@@GodslilRedneck23 Were can i find the proper diameter of the rod with the thickness of the matérial?

[@im4dabirds]

Very, very informative and the method and vid are great. thanks

[@spyroskopitsas6088]

Hallo and thanks for the good video. Can you tell me some words on Arc Force and Arc Ignition Time, that my machine demands. Have they something to do with the welding Amps? How are They connected ? Do they depend on the welding rod? Thanks again Spiros

[@mikef-gi2dg]

When somebody demonstrating know their stuff....IT SHOWS. I am going to try this method of selecting amperage. Different size rods, different positions different amperage same size metal......it worked. LET ME GIVE IT A TRY, i COULD USE THE HELP.

[@jhendricks7079]

Do these amperage adjustments apply ONLY to low-hydrogen rods, or do the 10% and 5% reductions also apply to 6010/11, 6013, 7014, etc., etc.?

[@chrisstevens6272]

Does the material thickness correlate to the starting amp setting as well as the size of electrode?

[@MrKoolbrez69]

Something I believe you forgot was to include thickness of material. Had this been 1/8" pipe it would have blown it out.

[@Welddotcom]

3/8" material in this video. The goal is to set the machine for the electrodes amp capacity and position. It's still in the operator to choose the correct rod diameter for the job.

[@markfryer9880]

@@Welddotcom So what would be the best rod size for 1/8 or smaller wall thickness pipe or handrail?

[@tommyt2854]

@@markfryer9880 if it's not specified in the procedures, you're asking for personal preferences. For nearly any

[@NemesisRTCW]

@@tommyt2854 The reason pipeliners do that is indeed what you say. As they can be far from their machines they want electrodes that can be welded at the same amps for all passes. This saves them from having to adjust the machine, which is a great timesaver if the machine is 100 feet or more away.

[@tommyt2854]

@@NemesisRTCW thanks for the reply.

[@stevieg.4816]

Teaching myself this has been the biggest guess for me but now I can at least have a good start. I've done ok but my beads need work. Usually this is the problem

[@dustinmason6771]

What is a good rule of thumb when choosing rod diameter to metal thickness? I am new to smaw. I was thinking you would match rod diameter to metal thickness. 1/8" rod to 1/8" plate. Unless you just change your travel speed to get the desired bead size based on metal thickness and use as many rods to complete the filet or groove weld.

[@lolrofl5]

doesnt matter cause you can do fills and multipasses

[@Ronbob59]

Good info and to the point. I have subscribed …

[@comcastdavidr]

Does travel speed need to change when running a higher Amp or different position? Just started welding school

[@los4698]

Muchísimas gracias. Exactly the information I was looking for.

[@patrickb8533]

Bible of welding...awesome ass videos guys!!! Appreciate the time and knowledge

[@TakeHerTo303]

Great content

[@1nonly332]

Does same rule apply to all rods or just 7018?

[@thanosfour]

What if the material is thin? Are the amperage calculations the same?

[@mrmidnight32]

I disagree with the .001 rule. It works for thin stuff because it has a bigger window of error at the lower amps. But when you get into the 1/4th and bigger stuff the amp calculations are WAY off. I used that for so long when learning but when I learned personal preferences I realized how off those calculations are. Either way high or way low.

[@Welddotcom]

It's a ballpark to build confidence in new welders. The material in this video is 3/8".

[@HogsHeadStudios]

Are you stick welding with 1/4" rods? Because it's 1 amp per thou thickness of the electrode, not the base material...

[@pizzaWelder]

The video states it's for beginners. Very few beginners are starting out on 1/4" rod. Your point is true, but not really relevant to this video.

[@mandylad]

your videos are great thank you for helping us out...

[@samyfajard2906]

excellent class.thanks

[@Welddotcom]

You're very welcome Samy

[@ifell3]

Where's my conversion chart,,,, to be honest i just use the pocket welder helper, millers doesn't work but looking for one that adds positions too, that would be nice, as i dont weld all the time.

[@GodslilRedneck23]

@ifell3 you can get a consumables book from most fillet metal manufactures. They have great info on recommend settings for each electrode they make. Some don’t have settings for out of position welding but the 10% reduction for vertical and 5% reduction for overhead work well in most cases.

[@ifell3]

@@GodslilRedneck23 yeah I've noticed esab does a lot of online info, it's the not getting the %'s mixed up, but I guess the more slop and melted metal the less a power needed.

[@rob-artfarmingnz6138]

Beautiful welds

[@jacklordd.2088]

good day sir..that 3 32 computation of amperage is only for 7018 stick weld?

[@paintballfreddy]

what if i want to use 6013 or 6011? if i use that amperage for those diam rod itll be way to hot

[@jdinness1613]

Good info sir!, but what’s your dig at?

[@GodslilRedneck23]

jd inness I usually run 35%

[@jdinness1613]

Jason Becker awesome thanx for the reply I often have run about 40-45 dig on the machine in my booth a school ! Yours sounded pretty crisp on that everlast!

[@TheForceI]

So for 6013 1/8 would the amps to 125 also ?

[@danielchambers1958]

What camera setup are you using? Nice arc shots

[@bobwas4066]

Great Video! Does this just work with Low Hydrogen rods? or apply to others too

[@Welddotcom]

This is meant for Low Hydrogen Electrodes. It is also a starting point. All machines are slightly different.

[@narindershergill9236]

Hi how do you do metric equavlent plz?

[@horaciosalinas8145]

What’s the arc force and hot start ? For that 3/33 7018 ? And what about 6010 3/32 if there’s any ? I can’t get it to work

[@jarrodjernigan5013]

where can i get that pen that you were writing on the metal with?

[@GodslilRedneck23]

Jarrod Jernigan I got mine from the markal.com website.

[@jarrodjernigan5013]

@@GodslilRedneck23 thanks buddy.

[@jacklordd.2088]

good day sir...what is the right amperage of e6013 stick weld

[@neoc03]

Is there a formula that takes the material thickness into account.

[@stussmarley531]

I have a question if someone with experience is willing to explain this. But say my work metal is 1/8 of an inch thick and my electrode is also 1/8 E6011. My Amperage is 125 and am doing a flat bead run for practice. Is that amperage correct? I ran this today and was blowing holes a bit, i went down to 3/32 rods with recommended amperage also. Was still getting some holes through my work metal. I then switched to probably about 1/4" thick steel with the 1/8" e6011's at 125 and it seemed to be welding fine, i was getting ok beads keep in mind i have less than 4 hours under the hood. Only my 2nd day welding, so please any help is welcome on how to determine what AMP to use on thickness of steel? Or is it me doing it all wrong?

[@vladtepes97]

0:36 i noticed that you rounded 0.9375 DOWN to 93 rather than up to 94, but all your other calculations were rounded to the nearest number, either up or down. was there a reason 0.09375 went down instead of up?

[@jordan1234564]

The little difference of what way you round, up or down, won't make a difference really.

[@bengunn3698]

Very useful information,thanks -subbed.

[@WV591]

wow never saw this info anywhere else. TU..the welds look just like flux core but much less splatter.

[@MrSehka77]

Do this work for small material 1/4 or less what about for different electrodes 6011 6013 etc ?

[@mds6387]

For the home hobbyist, can just look on the packaging. They give a decent rage of amperages.

[@lucifchristo]

Why can't I ever find a video about the settings on older machines? There are plenty of us out here who are using second-hand dinosaur Transformer machines that don't have a standardized setting would really appreciate some videos on setting up older machines I have a Hobart tr300 from 1971 and also a Miller Regency spool gun setup with a Millermatic gun from the 80s but I can't find a damn thing about either model

[@devonsantiago7811]

Hey could you guys do a vertical uphill fillet weld with a 1/8 7018 on quarter inch plate I’m a 1st year welder at Epcot tech school and I’m going for state competition on the 15 of April and I’m having trouble with rod angle and undercut and Id appreciate if y’all could help me and forgot to add this what Is a good uphill 1/8 6010 technique to make it look very slick and pretty all in the 3f position

[@txwelder]

Rod angle should be as close to straight in as possible and around 123 to 125 amps he is welding to cold in the video but that's just my opinion

[@Welddotcom]

We will add it to the list Devon. Good luck at the competition.

[@devonsantiago7811]

Weld.com thank y’all amazing content which has gotten me where I am today

[@captaintoyota3171]

Dont get too hung up on your teachers amperage. When i run 7018 for certifications i run 10amps under my teacher yet still get penetration and easy slag. So focus on puddle view and adjust machine to your speed. I run bout 90-95amp on lincoln machines 7018 3/32" in vertical. Bit more for 1/8" depending on material. Maybe 5amps +/-. Key here is watch your instructors puddle. You dont havta copy their technique but try to match the way the puddle looks

[@anotherdave5107]

won't these amp settings limit the minimum thickness of the material being welded?

[@Nicknacktheking]

Digging that beard and content

[@vladtepes97]

8:46 that's not a goof at all. that's proper teaching. it's not enough to show us beginners what happens when you have a good machine correctly set up. it's more valuable to show what happens when you don't set up correctly. in fact, i wish you had done that throughout the video so we can see the difference between proper set-up and improper set up. show what happens when the amperage is set too low AND too high, and then show what happens at the correct level. all i learned from this video is that you're an experienced and good welder.

[@alexanderlove6595]

What kind of writing tool is that you're using

[@GodslilRedneck23]

alexander love markal pro.

[@lr22same47]

Great info! Thank you.

[@newvaper3794]

will the rule apply also on the E6013 3/32 2.5x300mm welding rod on a thin 2mm metal sheet?

[@tandemwings4733]

No. You should work to the job, not rules.

[@natem7129]

i think u just solved all my problems

[@Welddotcom]

That's what we like to hear.

[@nathanmcintosh2658]

Good instruction

[@ItzF8aL]

I wonder if there is a trick for 60XX rods like the 70XX rods???

[@javiercorrea4275]

How can you find the temperature for 6010

[@jsly5473]

He typed in 129 instead of 125 when he began to calculate the figure for the 1/8 rod Overhead. The calculation would rather come out to 119Amps instead of 122Amps.

[@russturner2490]

I just watched this video and noticed the same thing. -5% of 125 would not be 122... so will 119 amps weld as well as the 122amps?

[@SRT_FPV]

Math fatfinger and at 5:46 your tie-in is on the other end, right?