How to Set Amperage for Stick Welding

[@TimWelds]

You can learn to weld. I'll show you exactly what to do in my affordable online welding courses at courses.timwelds.com.

[@larryniidji]

At 72 I have done many things but always avoided welding. Having recently gotten hold of a small welder, it is time. This was great info!

[@ralphfrench2924]

47 and I just started also , never to old to learn something new .👍🏼👍🏼

[@gatoborracho4572]

Yes, It's never too late to learn anything

[@mapex311]

40 here and same. done wood working & building furniture, plumbing, basic house electrical & networking, land& hardscaping, felled bunch of trees, car and lawn equipment maintenance and repairs, etc etc. Always wanted to try welding though. Picked up a small yeswelder. Best of luck to y'all!

[@fixedit8689]

At 59, I’m tired of welding. 38 years as a millwright doing anything from structural, pipe, sanitary pipe and various other welding, I just let the other guys weld while I supervise.

[@teamallyracing1780]

​@@fixedit8689time to be a plumber know

[@daleworden189]

I have been going around different KZbin channels for welding tips and realised it’s too hard to learn from to many different people. Not that some are worse/better than others just hard because lots of people have different techniques. I find your style and the way you explain things to be the most straight forward and easiest to understand. Thanks for sharing!!

[@dannytse185]

those who can reach mastery can understand all methods and execute all.

[@signman9975]

I am teaching myself to stick weld and most channels tell you to dial it in without really telling you how to dial it in. This is the most informative video I've seen on the subject. Moving the amps incrementally and showing what to look for has helped me immensely and let me start doing better welds.

[@tbilal11201]

Thank you for including the metric unit.

[@marsbase3729]

@Oakley John woah! I read this and realized IT'S A SCAM!!! 🙄

[@mpirokajosephmgcokoca2355]

I thought I was the only one who battles with these inches and quarter inches

[@TheIdeasGuy]

Down with the imperial measurement system!

[@InsaneTreefrog]

What's metric? I thought that was only for sockets

[@RwP223]

@@mpirokajosephmgcokoca2355 Imperial system for low IQ individual: 1 divided by 2 is 1/2 (one half), One half divided by 2 is 1/4 (one quarter), One quarter divided by 2 is 1/8 (one eighth), One eighth divided by 2 is 1/16 (one sixteenth), do you want me to go on?

[@ewfd813]

Hey Tim, I recently began an adult education program at my local Boces and so far much of it has been “go in the booth and figure it out” after briefly being shown how to get the stick welder going, and i just wanted to thank you so much for these videos where you go into detail! They are extremely helpful for people like me who have zero welding experience and I’ve deff seen improvement from them! I’m going to look into your stick welding course to supplement my hands on experience in getting from Boces

[@petar807]

Great video. I've been interested in welding for a long time and did some DIY projects, but I've never seen the process of finding the right current explained this well.

[@Babaa51]

Hello! I am from India. I am 73 years younger person. I often do some engineering works and many of them involve welding. Few years back I bought an used Inverter welding machine on sale. However I am still not sure about the polarity of the work and the holder. Different people give different ideas. I have seen some of your videos. Hence I would be thankful if you can shed some light on this. Thanks again.

[@Natedoc808]

Cannot thank you enough for taking the time to make these videos for beginners. Before I found your channel I checked out a couple others and while they made a good effort, their videos were not nearly as well organized, clear, concise, well edited and produced to your standard. It is very much appreciated and the video tutorial community could learn much from what you do. Again, Mahalo!

[@ericmaxwell4161]

This guy is a high quality teacher.

[@glenstokes2222]

So, off the back of these videos I built a 150 sq m steel roof over my container in the jungle in Costa Rica. Thanks Tim!

[@derekharbison1101]

That is just gold!

[@quickdrawmcgraw4394]

I've been tight welding for a couple years. Needed to build some things I can't fit in my shop so I figured I'd pickup the stick. Thanks to you I feel like I've been able to pick it up pretty well after just half a day. Appreciate it good sir.

[@pyknight3186]

Many years stick welding experience as a teenager, taught by Grand farther. 20 years ago.Used knowledge in many jobs. Recently got one of these baby's, Röhr SMINI-140NI ARC 2 in 1 Welder. 140 Amp. Truly awesome.

[@tslim250]

You're beginner video's have been invaluable for me with learning how to become better. I've played with arc welding with car batteries in the past just as silly projects but now that i have a serious project looking me in the face i'm working on doing better and from what i learned before and you now i'm advancing along really nicely. I've made a test coupon weld that withstood a good amount of hammer punishment and the weld never broke but the plate sure bent. excellent.

[@scottmyhre2450]

Very helpful to me. I’ve watched so many videos about welding but had not heard the comment about the “heaping of the bead (angle at which the bead meets the plate)”. Found that helpful re amperage. And had not really understood undercut before either. Thanks.

[@TimWelds]

Glad it helped. Thanks!

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

I welded my Tractor Mower deck today and yesterday. My experience level... 1 hour of practice welding with 3/32" 6013 on 16ga sheet metal.. lol. So started to try to weld the mower deck. I tried it at 90amps and it was blowing holes through the sheet metal... backed it off to 70 and the rod was sticking. So set it at 76 and it was working. Still blew some holes throught it, but used some 6013 rod I chipped the flux off of to patch the holes. The second day (today) I turned the heat up a little bit and welded the Mower Deck Bracket back on and fixed my boo boos from yesterday. The mower deck was so thin, I had to build up enough metal to make sure it doesn't break again. It looked terrible, so I chipped off the slag, gave it a good brushing and primed and painted it. Now my mower is fixed all with a $103 Deko 160MMA. Now I need to go find some scrap metal and practice, because when I finished I just wanted to cover it up so nobody would ever see it. lol. Live and Learn. Thanks for the videos !!

[@RichardSmith-ms6hh]

As you and I both know there's way more layers of understanding than this - but you do a great service to welding with this "starting" video.

[@W_Rational]

Thanks a lot Tim. Really helpful. The chart is a great guide for me as a beginner. The sizes in metric help a lot for us Europeans. 👍

[@braxtonjanes5862]

thanks so much, this is the best said video for stick welding, i’m 15 and just bought a little stick welding machine to fix my broken atv frame. thanks again😁

[@truebluekit]

Wow... this was incredibly helpful. Thank you! And thank you for including metric measurements!

[@TimWelds]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AlexLopez-yv6rr]

Thanks a lot never welded in my life learned a lot from your videos bought me a small welder so I could repair my trailer with a crack frame

[@westhurman2819]

Thanks Tim. I'm a longtime DIYer. So, when I had a need to weld some items, I figured that I'd just buy a cheap welder, practice with a couple of weld runs, and then take care of my project. Boy was I humbled!!! I now have a great respect for you guys. Love your videos. Maybe, just maybe, if I watch enough of them and keep practicing, maybe I'll learn how to strike an arc at will. Right now it's hit or miss; mostly miss. But I'm determined to learn this art. Again, I love the videos and your clear explanations.

[@gerardramirez6320]

Thanks haven't welded in 20 years, retired and ready to git Goin 😀. Subscribed.

[@novabeast148]

Hi Tim, my name is Joe and I'm 16, I'm starting a welding coarse for my school next year and we're gonna MIG, TIG, and Stick welding and I was just trying to collect some information so i can be used to the stuff they say and I want to thank you for your videos. You have taught me so much about welding and all the concepts you need to know like arc angles and amps for different sizes of weld plates, so thank you. Have a great day.

[@TimWelds]

Awesome, Joe! I did a lot of welding in high school and clearly never stopped. Thanks for the comment!

[@temporalmadness3756]

Im just starting to weld on a cheap machine and understanding what to look for in order to diagnose what it is that im looking at and what i'm doing is paramount.. all i was finding was people recommending brands or useless gibberish.. your explaining method is perfectly clear and the topic is exactly what a beginner needs.. if i could recomend a topic to be adressed in this manner is "weld pool control and heat management". Thanks and best regards from Argentina.

[@victoriastreecarellcwv5263]

I just started to play around with welding, and I have to be honest your videos are awesome! Very informative, very educational and I have learned so much in such a short time just from your videos. I have been able to take what I’ve learned from watching you and your demonstration and actually using it in the field. Thank you again!

[@beanwellcnsabika2165]

the explanation is on point thanks

[@davetaylor4741]

Very helpful. I am a mediocre Mig welder and a poor stick welder. Settings and speed are much harder to dial in. Knowing what to look for is a big help.

[@Matanumi]

Mig man.... once you set it up its automatic

[@yvesf5355]

Hey Tim ,love this chart I'm a new stick welder and you make my guessing job a lot easier thanks

[@patriciofreire3375]

Clear, concise, and accurate. Thank you for this video. I even saved it so I can re-watch it when necessary.

[@davidlixenberg5999]

Dear Tim, I love your programmes and I listen to them a multiple of times, a sign that I am learning from them still. I have two points to make: the metric measures have an important advantage over the Empirial measure and this is their simple graduation: X is greater than Y. In Empirial measure there are two variables: 3/32 is smaller than 1/8 but it isn't immediately obvious that this is so. It is so because 4/32 is the equivalent number to 1/8, and 4/32 is more than 3/32. Much of the discussion is lost on me because I am unable to make the conversions quickly enough. My second comment is in regard to the ammeter set-up. Initially, you used an ammeter to show how currents effect welds. Then you chose to rely on your Miller welder because it's display shows reliable relative values for advancing current sizes. I would have appreciated seeing the series assembly when you used the ammeter. I would have appreciated a table of ammeter values of the Miller at the close of the excellent programme. I loved the spatter-free stick-welds achieved by correct current and speed and arc length. I loved the root weld explained and the undercut weld explained. David Lixenberg, no-nothing, interested in everything.

[@toddcott9510]

I have TI G MIG and Oxy. But my 1970s stick welder is still in use and gives value for money results. Thanks for a good video. My best from Scotland

[@ahdam82]

My brother bought me a mini stick welder it’s tiny under 8” long by under 4” wide weighing about 3.7lbs 120A and it welds great! So surprising for $80!

[@marsbase3729]

This was great. It really helped me to see the effects of the different amperages and how to make the corrections Thanks!

[@kentonlandworks29]

Just bought one of those Dekopro stick welders last week - this video is exactly what I needed.

[@TulanePass]

He's the very reason why I got 1!

[@kentonlandworks29]

@@TulanePass Yep, he was a big reason for sure!

[@TimWelds]

Glad it helped. Thanks!

[@glenstokes2222]

Very helpful. Also explaining what a good weld looks like. Good job.

[@santiagocortez9554]

I've just started welding earlier today and this is hecka helpful

[@stevensunhing2618]

Hi Tim, how I wish I could have had access to your videos 30 years ago🤣. Back in the day it was really difficult to learn to improve my welding without going to a trade school. Whatever literature I tried to read from was not as informative as your videos. Well done, you have a fantastic way of teaching us to improve in all aspects of welding. My knowledge of welding was all self taught until I began watching KZbin in recent years.🤣. Now I'm learning to correct my mistakes that I could never understand. Thank you.

[@ricks6250]

the different amperages are because it's a switched voltage system, to make it accurate at both voltages would be prohibitively expensive so they just split the difference between the two.

[@johnmacmillan627]

Thx Tim! Couple of things caught my eye;namely, the weld bead looked the same on the 1/8in plate and the 1/4in plate for the same current. Also, the voltage readout on your machine didnt change a wit when you changed the current. I presume that’s the way the machine works for stick welding by just changing internal resistance.

[@williamgibb5557]

I have worked with pros that listen and can feel the arc to make the settings proper! Always had great success with them.

[@Nobody-xg2un]

Old dynasty DX, I love that machine. I have one, and the arc on that machine with the dig control is unbeatable. I have welded alot of pipe with it in the worst weather you can throw at that machine. I've been inside roofs tying structural steel beams together. I've ran it off my miller Airpak and used the carrying strap to go into places no welder should go. That machine can weld two beer cans together then go out and weld the roof back onto a water tank that's been half blown off. That machine has made me alot of money.

[@davidlixenberg5999]

I loved this piece of writing. David Lixenberg.

[@shaungarrett3938]

Really good info. I just bought the same 100 dollar stick welder. These videos are just what I've been needing.

[@oh8wingman]

There is an old trick that experienced welders use to set your amps and it doesn't involve charts and will take into account the length of your cables which will effect your amps at the stinger. Simply take a 6010 or 6011 electrode one size larger that the 7018 rod you want to use and strike an arc with it at the low end of the scale. Once your arc is sustainable, push on it as hard as you can into a piece of scrap. If it snuffs out, raise your heat a little and try again. Keep doing this until you cannot get it to snuff while pushing it in. You now have your base amps for the next size smaller electrode in 7018. IE: 5/32" 6010 will set you up for 1/8" 7018. If you look at the chart shown here you can see the amps for a 5/32 6010 are exactly the same for a 1/8" 7018 rod. Other sizes are similar in the overlap to one another. And before you ask, yes, I am a First Class Journeyman Welder with over 40 years of experience who had a B Pressure certification in the past before I let it lapse when I retired.

[@TimWelds]

Very cool! Thanks for the tip!

[@terencebarnett113]

I have a welder it has on adjustment,1,2,2-5.3-2 and when welding to use I have set it higher than setting so I went out bought welder with adjustment like yours I set the amps for each welding rod I find it easier to use

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

Another great video, I'm so glad I found this channel. Thank you Tim, you have a great teaching style. JimTree

[@hopefilledsinner3911]

I suspect my cheap stick welder has a cheap amperage selector. Get what you pay for. I've also noticed different power points in the same building can affect the machines too. Your tips for a plonker like me are priceless thankyou.

[@MasterBuilderofTruth]

Thank you for being so gentle

[@roygregory8334]

At last someone talking sense to beginners. Thanks.

[@boricuaarecibo9259]

finally someone explained what undercut is

[@rogerwood2864]

Great format on the videos, thank you. I would really like to know more about welding around potentially hazardous areas like the vehicle's frame with the fuel tank still attached. No pressurized vessel welding or anything, more to do with grounding and potential sparking. Any info on this subject would be great. Keep up the videos; they are appreciated.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! I'll keep that topic in mind for a future video. I used to do a lot of work on vehicles and a lot of people don't think about that.

[@jonathangarzon2798]

@@TimWelds my stick welder is brand new and the arc will cut off randomly even with a 1/8 arc length. What could cause this?

[@Rockinruffhouser]

Took a picture of the chart even before you said to lol. Thank you so much. I have so much to learn

[@michaeldunagan8268]

Thank you for your generosity of talent and time. So timely it is! I must cut into the subframe if my car to reattach/weld a broken out of place caged nut. I have 10 cu-ft of Acetylene and 20 cu ft Oxygen-but I believe I may rather stick welds to put a plate over the hole I need to cut to tend to this issue. I have not stick-welded since high school metals class and as I recall, I never went above 60 amps that I remember. No shops want to do the work because they do the subframe too much rust. It's still structurally sound. There's no use speaking Lee replacement subframe that is used unless it's from Texas or Arizona cuz I'm going to be dealing with the same rust. The used frame also I have a broken-off caged nut. Toyota asks for $800 for this subframe. Plus I'd have all the labor disconnecting everything that is connected to the subframe and then I'd have to brace the engine up to the top of the body in order to drop the subframe in order to replace it.

[@manfromthemist1958]

Thanks Tim, you answered a ot of questions i had about why i was getting poor welds, great vid, please I found you

[@nooralhashimi6657]

Because the welder made in China. I was thinking about Decko welder for a while . And this video helped a lot. Thanks bro for your time making good video.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! It runs pretty well, but the reading is a bit off.

[@nooralhashimi6657]

@@TimWelds . Hi, I went for longevity 140amp stick welder. At least made in USA. My next machine is the air plasma cutter 50amp. I am thinking about PrimWeld air plasma cutter. Any idea I appreciate it. Thanks!

[@rickmcdonald1557]

I have been a weekend welder for years with an old Craftsman 230 amp AC welder but I was never showed this test you made and it really helped me to become better at sticking things together. I was told by an old professional welder guy that 7014 was called "Idiot Rod" cause anyone could run it and it was good for making the final pass to look good. What do you say? I am a subscriber and enjoy your videos and thanks for your time~!

[@markashlock9017]

Really good material. Well explained and hopefully we’ll understood ; ) Thanks, and don’t stop!

[@woodstovehooters4558]

great experiment and easy to understand and see the effect of the variables

[@TimWelds]

Thank you!

[@edwardsiyavong7860]

I'm learning something good today. THANKS MATE!👈🙂

[@davecasey6104]

Awesome video, thanks for including the metric sizes too

[@MikeCraigSLP]

Thank you. Teaching my self to stick weld for a hobby and your videos have been very helpful.

[@saulgudino3584]

I love the explanation. This will help me a lot. Especially as I am learning on my own. Please make a video explaining the arc power settings.

[@robletto841]

Nice video for us beginners, thank you.

[@michaelmcilrath9466]

Fantastically helpful. Thanks for showing the differences. Great teaching!

[@johnharrison2466]

You have another sub, great laid back technique very detailed and Informative at the same time ,Thanks

[@TimWelds]

Awesome, thank you!

[@raydontopotol3611]

Found this video by accident.. Now Subscribed..👍👍

[@anthonygolding725]

Thanks for such informative and simply explained examples.

[@nanaklif4973]

Thank you for the information Am new to stick welding

[@lanedexter6303]

I almost feel fortunate that the AC/DC machine I bought from Montgomery ward in 1980 has no display, only some crude numbers painted next to the adjustment lever. I adjust until I like the way it’s running, and never think about numbers on a digital readout.

[@EddieVBlueIsland]

Nicely done. Cooling of the plate was excessive since such variation is common - but excellent presentation regardless. Thanks.

[@SteveSnowman]

Great info on using your amp-clamp to vet the output. My son just inherited a Miller Thunderbolt so this will be the 1st thing we'll do. Thanks. BTW, I just Subscribed.

[@maryc4463]

Thank you so much for your videos, I'm only just starting out and am learning so much from you! ☺️

[@rafaeldeleon225]

Thanks mate.... that sums up the electrode amps concept.

[@davehuxley6689]

Thanks Tim that video was just what I needed, taught me a lot and gave me a better understanding of what to look for.

[@TimWelds]

So glad it helped!

[@davehuxley6689]

@@TimWelds Thank you.

[@bodereiss]

This is a good video that helps explain a lot- thank you! What I haven’t seen (or don’t understand) is what adjustments to amps and rod diameter are made for an open root or bad fit joint. More amps? Bigger rod? Smaller rod and less amps? I’m sure it’s a basic answer but all I’ve seen is the whip and pause with cellulose rod. I’d be interested to know all the settings and rod diameter (upsize the rod, downsize the rod etc?) when doing that type of weld.

[@johntuazon6462]

Watching from the Philippines. 😊😊😊

[@MOTIVATIONEXTREME]

vous êtes super génial Tim!!! que dieu vous bénisse!!, j'aimerais acheter votre cours mais sur vos vidéos je ne pourrai pas metgtre les sous titres et malheureusement il y a beaucoup de thermes techniques!

[@workonitm8]

On dual voltage machines there is a direct relationship with volts in and amps out. Less volts will give less amps output. More volts will give more amps output. Re adjustment of the machine will be necessary when changing voltage.

[@ronaldkobbo7347]

This was very helpful bro. Keep them coming. Cheers

[@tyroneclarke1666]

Keep making videos please. Thank you so much. 🦘🇦🇺

[@justincase1575]

I welded for 50 years. Never even looked at settings. Strike arc and see what’s going on turn up or down from there!

[@GenaEnSamIAm]

Thanks so much dude! You're a freaking rock star!

[@hstrong97]

I don't know how I found your channel, but I'm glad I did. Great video. In the future, if you can show different techniques for feeding filler

[@hstrong97]

(continued from above), rod for TIG welding.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks! I'm starting to do a few more TIG videos and I'll keep that topic in mind. I have had half sticks of filler at my desk for years to practice while I'm on the phone or reading email. My coworkers probably think I'm nuts.

[@hstrong97]

@@TimWelds Thanks.. that's a good idea. 👍 I'll practice while watching TV.

[@azizaviation]

great video and very helpful. all other videos that I watched are excellent. keep up the good work

[@6x-phoenix77]

This was very helpful. I have been struggling with this.

[@jimsmith3971]

Ayup Tim. Your videos are great. It's boiling hot here in the UK today so I'm watching your video stark-bollock naked. Keepin it real. Jim.

[@Thewatson77]

Great video Tim 👍🏼 thanks for sharing.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks!

[@johndeere5455]

Thank you for the awesome information. This is tremendously helpful!!!

[@mlb6d9]

Nicely demonstrated & explained, Thanks!

[@B.Cote39]

Hey man , thanks for the reviews I love this little stick welder . Had mine for months now, works great!

[@johnalexander1816]

Thank you so much for this info. Great help for a newbie like me.

[@TimWelds]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dhirenlande4234]

Thankyou Tim, you make a great teacher!

[@TimWelds]

Thanks so much!

[@shanermac]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I really appreciate it. Well-made video!

[@ralphfrench2924]

Awesome video,I’m learning so much 👍🏼👍🏼

[@daddyosink4413]

My little Deko runs like that too.... it lives at 100 (actually 91 on 110v) for 1/8" 6011 and 3/32" 7018.

[@sohnetowing9743]

Ok so every video I click on seems to be yours. And they are great…I guess it’s time to sub

[@apeterson23]

That was cool keep doing these... they help me lots

[@TimWelds]

Thanks!

[@oldsparky1051]

Hi Tim ... Thanks for the helpful videos. The process used to measure the current is fraught with complexities. These are a bit heavy to thoroughly share here but a few tips could help. Your ammeter appears to be on the input cable to the welder, that type of meter (Tong Tester) is dependent on the wave shape (AC, DC, Half wave, etc.) of the current passing through it, usually only one leg of a cable is passed through the tong etc. Another consideration is that if the current in the output (welding current) is controlled to a specific amperage then the current in the input (Power supply) will vary depending on the input voltage. Maybe a more meaningful measurement would be that in one lead of the electrode cables. I'd be very interested in the result of a test like that. Cheers, Brain (Australia)......... Happy to communicate. B.

[@TimWelds]

It does look like the power cord, but it was on one lead of the output (DC), I just wrapped it to get both in the shot. I can tell that it’s off by the way it runs, too. Thanks for watching and for the comment!

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Very interesting content, well presented. New subscriber. As an aside, and recognizing your education, when I was first training in the electric industry, almost all of us said "ampmeter." But our instructors corrected us; while they do measure current flow in Amps, the instruments used are called ammeters. No "P" in the word. Anyway, thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge.

[@TulareCountyXIII]

If ur running 60130at a 70 his much do I adjust the thrust lever ?

[@replyhere590]

@@TulareCountyXIII With all due respect, if you would write with better grammar and punctuation, so that people can understand your question, you're more likely to get an answer.

[@TulareCountyXIII]

Yeah I know my keyboard is fucked up goodlooking out thou

[@rakentrail]

A cut and etch test may be helpful to show beginners the difference in penetration with amperage. Naval Jelly works as an etchant.

[@ls66]

Hey Tim when you weld in your bedroom like that do you burn the carpet? I'm kidding that's the cleanest work area I've ever seen! Thanks for the great info. It's good to see someone using a stick welder. These days it's all mig and tig.