Welding Sheet Metal Gauge

Holding the tip too far from the surface will cause the wire to have to come out too far to touch the metal.

Welding sheet metal gauge. To weld mild steel choose an american welding society classification wire such as er70s 6 which has a weld puddle that wets out nicely. When the material is 18 gauge and thicker you may be able to use a 030 inch wire. Everyone is different but those settings will get you in the right ballpark to weld sheet metal. Typically the gauges run from 7 to 30 gauge.

It is imperative you consider the shielding gas welding process and electrode before welding 20 gauge sheet metals. A good heat setting for 1 8 6011 rods on thin material is about 80 90 amps. For 3 32 7018 s it s about the same. For thinner gauge sheet metal like 18 or 20 gauge we suggest 023 6mm wire in your mig welder.

Just grab a piece of sheet metal to get the heat set correctly and go to town. Generally the skip welding technique is the best way to distribute heat in an even manner. However if you are dealing with materials that are 18 gauge or thicker one should be able to use 030 inch welding wire. It is recommended that a welder should use 023 or 024 inch wire for light gauge sheet metal work.

Keep the stick out short stickout of your mig wire is important when welding any type of metal but especially sheet metal. As for mild steel wires such as er70s 6 are recommended for use as they have a weld buddle that wets out nicely.