How To Weld Sheet Metal With A Arc Welder

Don t attempt to weld thin materials like sheet metal with flux cored wires which put more heat into the base metal.

How to weld sheet metal with a arc welder.

Try going for a wire of 023 inches when welding sheet metal. Every surgeon can operate a scalpel but only a few could work with any tool. To weld sheet metal with solid wires use electrode positive ep or reverse polarity. How to weld thin gauge steel similar to car body panel down to 8mm or 1 32 of an inch thick with arc or stick welder.

I would compare it to performing plastic surgery with butcher knives. If you are new to welding and only have room. Arc welding is a versatile method that uses alternating currents to create a high heat arc that melts your flux. Yes arc welding sheet metal is difficult tedious and probably a bit insane but it is feasible.

The real trick to weld sheet metal is to use a wire feed. So you can keep the other hand free for manipulating your materials and other tools. Mig welding uses an arc of electricity to create a short circuit between a continuously fed anode the wire fed welding gun and a cathode the metal being welded. Disclaimer due to factors beyond the.

Now you know the secret of arc welding thin metal sheets. For sheet metal i use ine welding wire and it is just as good as their flux cored wire if you want you can grab one here. Tig welding sheet metal. A wire feed or tig welder is ideal for sheet metal but we will assume that you don t have one.

There is occasionally splatter from the spread of the arc. While wire feed welding sheet metal go for short bursts of welding instead of a going on a long bead. Removing the coating and re spraying or painting the weld seam after welding to regain corrosion resistance. As a rule when mig welding sheet metal never use a body filler metal that is thicker than the base metal.

This adds two operations. That makes this a one handed process. Just kidding this tip is to explain how to weld sheet metal with a stick welder. If you can work outside when using an arc welder.

It is recommended that a welder should use 023 or 024 inch wire for light gauge sheet metal work. Forget the larger 1 8 inch tungsten electrode and use a smaller one. The heat produced by the short circuit along with a non reactive hence inert gas locally melts the metal and allows them to mix together. We need to establish what is considered thin metal.

Short bursts or tacks will help.