What are the limitations of Arc on thin steel

[Noods]

Could you please advise to the limitations of Arc welding mild steel.. Eg what's the minimum thickness that can be welded, also are there rods that should be used with the thinner material ..

I've a 160 DC tig with an arc option.. Currently have 2.5 mm rods for steel..

Many thanks.

 

[cliff366]

Think 3mm is going to be the thinnest by what I've read on here

 

[cumbriasteve]

You can (if you really have to) get down to very thin sheet with the aid of a heat sink behind the weld area and happy with poor visible results and to keep filling the holes but it's not really feasible and certainly not for car bodywork.

Years ago when arc sets were much more popular than MIG due to their price we used to struggle along with arc welding on cars, we managed eventually but it was a nightmare.

Often the line of thought is for thin steel you would use a 1.6 mm rod, it seems to make sense but is far from it, they are hard to control and actually blow through thin sheet easier than a controlled 2.5 mm.

What are you actually thinking of or wanting to weld?

 

[Noods]

You can (if you really have to) get down to very thin sheet with the aid of a heat sink behind the weld area and happy with poor visible results and to keep filling the holes but it's not really feasible and certainly not for car bodywork.

Years ago when arc sets were much more popular than MIG due to their price we used to struggle along with arc welding on cars, we managed eventually but it was a nightmare.

Often the line of thought is for thin steel you would use a 1.6 mm rod, it seems to make sense but is far from it, they are hard to control and actually blow through thin sheet easier than a controlled 2.5 mm.

What are you actually thinking of or wanting to weld?

I've got some shiney new 1.2mm mild steel fab to weld up as butt joints.. I have tig but to be honest not getting enough exposure/time to practice tig I struggle to get consistant results and find all the complexitys of it a bit much for a rare part time amature.. So I was thinking options more for speed than quality.. Don't have mig..

 

[cumbriasteve]

I am afraid I would say the 1.2mm is a big no, I certainly would not attempt it and have been arc welding more years than I care to remember.

 

[Jim Davey]

Keep it pressed against a copper backer and travel at a good pace with a 1.6 rod and it's doable.

 

[Deltic]

I don't know about 1.2 mm but I have had some success on 1.5 mm for non critical applications. It wasn't very pretty though. Try a 2 mm rod on very low amps and DCEN.

 

[Kent]

1.5 mm isn't a big worry especially run down hill
The issue is how much you have done and do.
With a tig option I should go that way

Often I get faced with this when out doing other jobs and only carry 2.5 mm minimum but like I say run downhill fast

 

[Wendelspanswick]

1.5 mm isn't a big worry especially run down hill
The issue is how much you have done and do.
With a tig option I should go that way

Often I get faced with this when out doing other jobs and only carry 2.5 mm minimum but like I say run downhill fast

He's using 1.2mm not 1.5mm.

 

[AndersK]

Superiorwelding did two razor blades with stick...

 

[Kent]

He's using 1.2mm not 1.5mm.

Still works

 

[oilcooled :)]

Depends on your skill.personally Id weld away at that no problem.oilcooled welder on the high tap voltage with less amps is a better choice for me than getting a big blast of hot start on a inverter welder.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Id go for a 2mm rod, big heat sink pressed into the back of the joint and tracker fast. I have welded 2mm before but it didn't look pretty

 

[Sarto]

I limit myself at 2mm and up too. The operator is not up to the task.

 

[Noods]

Thanks guys...

 

[PTvor]

The thinnest I've done is 1.5mm. Not easy.

It reminds me of one of those discussions about whether cars can be welded with arc.

Years ago they were, but the steel was thicker, MIG sets were few and far between, and anyone serious about it would use gas not arc anyway.

Given a choice between MIG and arc for steel less than 2.5mm and certainly for car panels, it's MIG every time. That's not to say it couldn't be done with arc, but MIG is vastly easier.

In Noods' case, I'd persevere with the TIG as I reckon arc on 1.2mm steel would be endless frustration.

 

[Kent]

Depends on your skill.personally Id weld away at that no problem.oilcooled welder on the high tap voltage with less amps is a better choice for me than getting a big blast of hot start on a inverter welder.

Ha I remember my first go at thin with hot start. Not clever seems I do something different now not 100% sure what mind you perhaps a bit more expectation

 

[sardine]

I don't have the skill to go less than 2 mm, i use a 2 mm electrode, they seem to burn more smoothly than 1.6, and overlapping tack it . They were all outside corner welds on a site safe so were ground off smooth.

 

[mfletch]

Years ago used to weld car body panels that takes time, 16g rods

 

[decepticon]

using stick welding to butt weld 2 1.2mm sheets together sounds next to impossible to me, could you use a strap behind the joint
and rivet them together? probably stronger than the weld
surprised someone hasn't said they can do it with 3.2mm rods and 130amps