Welder Settings For Sheet Metal

Try going for a wire of 023 inches when welding sheet metal.

Welder settings for sheet metal.

It does most of the regulation and is most commonly used to change the welder s settings. The problem with welding sheet metal or thin gauge steel is that you can easily blow holes in the panel and create a big mess quickly. For 3 32 7018 s it s about the same. As a rule when mig welding sheet metal never use a body filler metal that is thicker than the base metal.

When welding mild steel a good rule of thumb is to set the amperage level at 1 amp for every 0 001 of thickness. We decided to give you some tips when welding sheet metal and help you get jump started. Mig welding sheet metal. However if you are dealing with materials that are 18 gauge or thicker one should be able to use 030 inch welding wire.

While one person welds on scrap metal an assistant turns down the voltage until the arc starts stubbing into the workpiece. We suggest starting with 1 8 3 16 to allow you some room for error when welding. If no chart manual or specifications are available for setting the correct voltage you can try this. It s recommended to use a 023 or 024 inch wire for most light gauge sheet metal work.

A good heat setting for 1 8 6011 rods on thin material is about 80 90 amps. While wire feed welding sheet metal go for short bursts of welding instead of a going on a long bead. Try to set proper mig welding settings for mild steel along with other kinds of metals. Short bursts or tacks will help you gain more control and adjust easily.

Then start welding again and have an assistant increase the voltage until the arc becomes unstable and sloppy. Everyone is different but those settings will get you in the right ballpark to weld sheet metal. The optimal gas pressure varies a little but it should be around 15 25 cfh. Hold the panels in place.

When the material is 18 gauge and thicker you may be able to use a 030 inch wire. Tack weld patch panel in place. This is why production body shops swear by them. Butt weld vs lap weld.

Metal thickness amperage settings. Just grab a piece of sheet metal to get the heat set correctly and go to town. The voltage is the main heat setting that get s changed depending on the joint metal thickness gas type and position of the weld. So if you are welding 12 gauge mild steel with a thickness of 0 100 you would set the machine at 100 amps.

It is recommended that a welder should use 023 or 024 inch wire for light gauge sheet metal work. To weld mild steel choose an american welding society classification wire such as er70s 6 which has a weld puddle that wets out nicely.