What is Stick Welding?
Stick welding (also known as shielded metal arc welding) is one of the most common types of welding (along with MIG and TIG) that you’ll hear about. Using the wrong welding process could result in wasted time and costly problems, so it’s important to understand when to use each type.
It’s generally the most cost efficient approach, and simplest making it a popular choice for beginners like many weekend warrior welders. Stick welding is extremely popular due to it’s flexibility - it can be used with iron, aluminum, steel, nickel, and copper alloys.
It can be done outdoors (even in windy conditions) and can create an effective bonding result even on unclean and/or rusty surfaces. You can see why it’s seen as a beginner friendly option.
How To Stick Weld
In order to understand the process of stick welding, you first need to understand the components involved. Components:
- Slag - think of this as the piece of metal that will be welded or attached to the base metal
- Consumable Electrode - think of this as the rod that is melted to produce your weld pool before it is melted
- Flux Coating -
- Arc -
- Gas Shield -
- Molten Weld Pool -
The above components come together to produce a stick weld through the following process:
Step 1) A consumable flux-coated rod (more technically known as an electrode) is melted to lay the weld
Step 2) As the stick welder is used, and the electrode melts, the metal workpieces melts along with it creating a weld pool
Step 3) The weld pool eventually cools down and hardens ending with a study joint fused between the two metals
Stick Welding For Beginners
How To Choose Your Electrode
There are many different types of stick welding electrodes (see the amperage chart below for several examples). While there are many options, the most frequently used electrodes tend to be 6010, 6011, 6012, 6013, 7014, 7024 and 7018.
If you’re a beginner (as many stick welders are), you may be wondering the significance of the electrode numbering. Think of it as 3 distinct groupings:
- group 1 (first 2 numbers) - minimum tensile strength, it’s important that this matches the base metal strength for your weld.
- group 2 (3rd number) - positions the electrode can be used for your weld. The #1 indicates it can be used in any position, the #2 indicates that it can only be used in a flat position.
- group 3 (4th number) - indicates the current that can be used with electrode and coating on the electrode.
Please see the group 3 reference chart below:
| Digit | Coating Type | Weld Current |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Cellulose Sodium | dcep |
| 1 | Cellulose Potassium | ac, dcep, dcen |
| 2 | Titania sodium | ac, dcen |
| 3 | Titania potassium | ac, dcep, dcen |
| 4 | Iron Powder Titania | ac, dcep, dcen |
| 5 | Low hydrogen sodium | dcep |
| 6 | Low hydrogen potassium | ac, dcep |
| 7 | Iron powder iron oxide | ac, dcep |
| 8 | Iron powder low hydrogen | ac, dcep, dcen |
Stick Welding Amperage Chart
6010/6011 Amperage Chart
| Electrode | Diameter (Inches) | Diameter (mm) | Amperage Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6010/6011 | 3/32″ | 2.4 | 40-85 |
| 6010/6011 | 1/8″ | 3.2 | 75-125 |
| 6010/6011 | 5/32″ | 4.0 | 110-165 |
| 6010/6011 | 3/16″ | 4.8 | 140-210 |
| 6010/6011 | 7/32″ | 5.6 | 160-250 |
| 6010/6011 | 1/4″ | 6.4 | 210-315 |
6013 Amperage Chart
| Electrode | Diameter (Inches) | Diameter (mm) | Amperage Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6013 | 1/16″ | 1.6 | 20-45 |
| 6013 | 5/64″ | 2.0 | 35-60 |
| 6013 | 3/32″ | 2.4 | 40-90 |
| 6013 | 1/8″ | 3.2 | 80-130 |
| 6013 | 5/32″ | 4.0 | 105-180 |
| 6013 | 3/16″ | 4.8 | 150-230 |
| 6013 | 7/32″ | 5.6 | 210-300 |
| 6013 | 1/4″ | 6.4 | 250-350 |
7014 Amperage Chart
| Electrode | Diameter (Inches) | Diameter (mm) | Amperage Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7014 | 3/32″ | 2.4 | 80-125 |
| 7014 | 1/8″ | 3.2 | 110-165 |
| 7014 | 5/32″ | 4.0 | 150-210 |
| 7014 | 3/16″ | 4.8 | 200-275 |
| 7014 | 7/32″ | 5.6 | 255-340 |
| 7014 | 1/4″ | 6.4 | 330-415 |
7018 Amperage Chart
| Electrode | Diameter (Inches) | Diameter (mm) | Amperage Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7018 | 3/32″ | 2.4 | 65-100 |
| 7018 | 1/8″ | 3.2 | 110-165 |
| 7018 | 5/32″ | 4.0 | 150-220 |
| 7018 | 3/16″ | 4.8 | 200-275 |
| 7018 | 7/32″ | 5.6 | 260-340 |
| 7018 | 1/4″ | 6.4 | 320-400 |
Techniques For Stick Welding
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