How to Weld Sheet Metal With a Stick Welder
Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), also known as stick or arc welding, uses a coated electrode to create a weld on metal. Unlike other types of welding, stick welding will weld metal laced with rust, thin paint and oils. Since stick welding does not use a shielding gas, you can stick weld in windy weather conditions. The chemical composition and thickness of the electrode both play a role in stick welding sheet metal. The base metal of the electrode must match the metal you are welding and the thinner the electrode, the less current (heat) needed to produce a quality weld.
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Things You'll Need
- Welding Machine
- Leather welding gloves
- Welding hood
- 3/32-inch, 6011 stick electrodes
- Chipping hammer
- Wire brush
Instructions
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Connect the ground cable of the welding machine to the sheet metal. Turn on the welding machine. Set the welder to AC positive or DC positive and the current to 60. The current setting will vary depending on your welding style and metal thickness.
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Don leather welding gloves and a welding hood.
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Clamp a 3/32-inch, 6011 stick electrode into the welding machine's electrode holder.
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Place the tip of the electrode at the front of the joint you need to weld. Lower your welding hood.
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Lower the tip to the metal. When the arc starts, lift the electrode one-eighth inch above the sheet metal and push the molten weld puddle along the sheet metal weld joint. If you need to stop and restart the welding before the weld joint is welded, chip the slag (protective coating left by the electrode coating) from the weld with a chipping hammer.
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Chip the remaining slag from the weld with the chipping hammer and clean the weld with a wire brush.
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Allow the cleaned weld joint to cool for two to three hours before handling the welded sheet metal.
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References
- Photo Credit Saldatura image by IlMark from Fotolia.com
