How to Select Rods for Arc Welding - Kevin Caron 

Thanks for the video, it was informative. One thing, 1/8 rods are bigger/thicker than the 3/32 rods (in your case, the 7018). I'm surprise no one mentioned this.

Kevin, thank you for making the video. Even though I didn't learn anything about how to Select rods for Arc welding, I did learn a few things from the video like what the numbers on the welding rod mean to a limited degree. A quick run down on the coatings on the rod would have been helpful since the coatings or flux on the rod is what made the difference in the welding demonstration. According to you the 7018 was a thicker rod so it welded nicer given the amperage setting which had nothing to do with the rod type or maybe it did, who knows, so that really didn't help the comparison of rod types. There's type, and there's thickness to consider with every rod. So the video proved to be no help with those decisions. The title of your video is, "How to select rods for arc welding" which was what drew me to take the time to watch. I"m glad you finally addressed the title of your video at the very end by telling people to go and look on the internet to find out how to select rods for welding. I was already doing that when I came across your video.

Teachers like this are the best - explain it nice and simple so everyone can understand

3/32" is smaller than 1/8"

I always enjoy these videos & understand they are for "newbee" but at the same time presenting only half the info could be detrimental to their welds or at minimum to their learning progression...for example... The 6010-6011 rods are "deep penetration rods" & are not really meant for just dragging, you're supposed to stitch back and forth (this will leave a "stacked dimes look) & should be run on about 85amps (for 1/8 rod). The 7018 is a dragging rod and should be run around 95-130amps...not as deep penetration but very smooth finish. Running these rods on too high or too low an amp setting has a HUGE effect on the quality of the weld and obviously the smaller (1/16) rods need less amps.

Anybody learning to weld learn with 6013. It starts and restarts very easy while 7018 is stronger it's a bitch sometimes to restart because slag often forms on the end of the rod if not flicked off when stopping. If you use 7018 keep a flat file close by to prep the tip for restrikes.

I like you. You don't talk down to me

At 65 it has been a LONG time sense I did any welding with a buzz box similar to the Lincoln in the video.. I bought one of those Chinese made 110 volt 160 Amp stick welders off the internet, it came with some Chinese rod with weird numbers 1/8" an worked well at about 120 amps, acted similar to 7018.. When I went to try 1/8" 6013 with welder wide open at 160 amps I could not maintain an arc.. So I bought some 6011 at 3/32 and hope that solves the problem, if I want to weld thick, turn it up?

I watch your videos but in this case you did not explain anything. 6011 = deep penetration, will weld through rust and crud always makes a ugly weld. 6013 = thin metal (sheet metal) rod, shallow penetration. 7018 = the best all around rod but the metal must be clean clean .

7018 AC (according to the documentation I've read) is also rated for use with DC. I have used 7018AC for years and ran it on DC almost exclusively with excellent results. The only difference is that there is a conductive element in the coating that makes restrike much easier. As most people know when regular 7018 rod cools between welds you need to "scratch" the end a few times to get the flux off before it will conduct and strike properly. Very annoying. So I started buying the AC version of it and continued to use it on DC. I cannot see any difference in the welds from either rod welding them side by side so I'm convinced it doesn't matter which way you run it. I've had people swear that you have to run 7018AC on only AC but I do not believe that anymore. Maybe some brands of rod are that way but everything I've seen says on the box that it will work with DC also. Good luck.

can you put in the description that 3/32 are SMALLER than 1/8" ? So confusing for beginners. I had to scan the comments and fine one that confirms my thoughts. Are you deleting all the negative comments? You have a ton of views on this video you should update the description.

In my personal opinion the two rods a person should always have on hand are E6011 and E6013. They are both great for fixing things. E6011 has deep penetration and flat or concave beads, it is for use with DCEP and AC current and has a cellulose potassium coating. E6013 has shallow penetration and convex beads, is designed for DCEP, DCEN, and AC current, and has a titania potassium coating. E6011 is best on thicker materials, and E6013 is great for thinner materials. The welds won't be very pretty (compared to other rods), but they make for strong welds and are great for welding a large variety of materials.

6013 is for sheet metal only, but it's still cheaper than using fluxed-core or MIG. I happened to use one with my cheap AC stick welder at the mininum amps (50) that I have and I find 1/16 mild steel easier to weld than 25 gauge mild steel from a paint can, I think? on my rusted bbq grill.

wait a sec did you say 3/32 is bigger than 1/8? Isnt 4/32 the same as 1/8? wouldnt 1/8 be bigger?

Hi.... Im the guy at the beginning of your video.... The one just starting out 🤣 Thanks for the info. now I know what all these rods are that I got with the welder.... Thanks ! Can I just ask. some rods are thicker than others. would the thinner rods be for welding thinner metals ? Thanks in advance if you reply....Not sure if you still run the channel... 🙏👊

Have watched 4 other vids so far trying to work out which rod to use and you were the first one I could understand, thank you sir for your most basic approach to teaching you have definitely renewed my enthusiasm for this craft.....for a moment there I thought I was going to have to get a doctorate in chemistry, Thank You

That's what I would suggest. You will have to more preparation on the thicker joints. Bevel the edges and make multiple passes. Or just get a bigger machine.

I would have to say that is all MIG or TIG work. NOT stick. Remember that your butt along with whoever may be in the car with you is riding on your work. Not to mention everyone else on the street. Please go slow and double check everything you are doing and repairing on this car. Remember that I have no formal training in welding so this is just my opinion, others will vary....

Keeping in mind that I'm self-taught and not certified I would have to say try 6013 3/32 inch. But if I was going to do this job I would use tig or mig instead. Make sure you really understand what you are doing here. The last thing you need to happen is a weld breaks while you are flying along with your butt 3 inches off the ground.

No mention of rod storage? I was taught the 7018 needs to be stored proper;y. It absorbed moisture from the air and once it does no longer should be used. Give the guy a break on the measurement. Yeah he messed-up on camera, 3/32 is smaller than 1/8, big deal. At least he's making these video - Thank you. If you thing you can do better, give it a try. I's not easy.

I believe it goes small to large 3/32 , 1/8 , 5/32 ! Just my two cents ! Which ones to use , I dunno ! Lol

The reason you should drag the chipping hammer across the slag is so you don't get chip marks in the weld that you then have to grind out.

its not 60,000 lbs until the weld breaks. 60,000 lbs. is the tensile strength per square inch

You should be able to use this machine. I would recommend ER4043 or ER5356 depending on which alloy you are working with.

Hey Kevin, I have been farm welding for about 55 years and I have all 3 of these rods in my shop. Even though I know that 6011 is a good rod and works well for vertical or rusty applications, I don't often use it. Maybe it's my ego but the bead is rough and you have to chip it a lot more. I never like people to see the 6011 welds. The 6013 and 7018 leave a nice bead and slag is fairly easy to remove. I do have trouble getting the 7018 to start more often and I understand it stores poorly. My go to electrode is the 6013 in 1/8 and 5/32 for thicker material. I tend to use the high end of the amp recommendations.

Which is the best rod for welding stainless 11ga. and thicker with a Lincoln ac 225 trusty tombstone? I can't find the answer anywhere. I thought of you. I want to build a wood fired pizza oven. Maybe a pipeliners grill from stainless. Thanks for all the great videos. I been welding for over 30 years and still learning. And still not too proud to go ask somebody if me and Mr. Graves can't figure it out. God bless and work safe brother. 😃

I have an arc welder and I am trying to weld some thin metal to the bottom sills on my car to pass my MOT, the metal is approx. 1mm but I have no idea what electrode I should be using, Ive tried welding it and its just burnt holes straight through the metal, I THEN tried spot welding by just brushing past the metal but its doing the same or just does nothing atall. Would you have any idea what rod I mil(mm) and type of rod I need? I know ideally I should have a mig welder but I cant afford 1 at the moment Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Regards Dale

6011 don't need higher amp, run it in lower amp it will be smooth, 6013 need higher amp to run smoothly. You can run 6011 on rusty area compared to 6013, you'll need to grind or sand it first.

I think you are wrong on one point: 7018 AC electrodes may be used with AC or DC welding…. And not restricted to just AC… I checked with Lincoln’s website.

Good explanation - I would add that 6011 is a excellent filler rod and superb for a root weld on AC. Works great in the field for dirty rusty steel. Needs a little less amps than a 7014 or 6013 and will give alodt deeper penetration . oh and next size up from 1/8 is 5/32. Cheers and keep the great videos rolling

My criteria is:if it's outside and dirty,clean it as best you can and use 6010...if it's new,clean material or even old material in good shape use 7018,of course anytime you use 7018 the material needs to be as clean as possible

I never get as much penetration for welding with a 6013, but they weld beautifully. I prefer the 6011 rod, they’re not as pretty but it creates a lot stronger weld for me.

6010/6011 slag doesn't come off very well when it's hit with a chipping hammer. You might have better luck with a wire brush.

The reason why the 6011 weld ain’t pretty is because you have to whip it

"Little" buzz box. Not very little compared to the mini-toaster inverter welders we have these days! Huge weight difference, too.

3/32" is smaller not bigger then 1/8". Running the same setting on all 3 is weird. I dont even weld at the same setting to the guy beside me, and definitely not for different rods or applications and here its spatter not splatter....

Different rods require different amperage. 6013 being the lowest, then 6011, then 7018 if im not mistaken.

here you go , simple and to the point like that , TY

From the video look like you push instead of drag when welding?? So the saying when slag you drag is not true?? It depend on the welder??

Hi Kevin. Good demonstration, but I think you could have explained the difference between the three electrodes ( sorry that's what I was taught to call them ) and under what conditions one would be chosen over another. This would help to explain the resulting differences that you've demonstrated. The 6011 is quite different to the 6013, which is different again to the 7018, in characteristics machine settings and application of use. Sorry if this sounds a little critical, I just feel that this may be of benefit to viewers that may be new to welding.

You are correct.. my mouth was not connected to my brain ....

Hi kev, nice video. Nicely explained for us all. Keep arcing. Best regards

Not to worry Kevin. The only reason I knew the size of the rod is b/c we used 5/32 when I was a welder in the steel mill where I worked. Then some bright foreman started buying 1/8-7018 for our break downs. The 5/32-7016 rod was better all around rod. We got used to the 7018's but, the smaller rod made a difference in the amount of time we need to complete a job. Not all the welding is in the shop under ideal conditions. Thanks for the quick reply. Keep up the good videos.

im a diy welder wanabe with a chinese arc welder and 6011rods so I will just stick to it and try them with different amp settings of the pot

Nice one! I really appreciate the time you put into the video really helps me a lot thank you and keep up the great work.

Enjoy your videos. I live in Thailand where the house power is 220 volts, am new to welding and want to buy a cheap mini welder and need to know what amp to buy 200 amp. 400 amp, 600 amp.

Off the top of my head I would say your amps are too low. Try turning it up a notch. The other thing to try is instead of placing the rod at the start point like you are touching it with your finger , try scratching it along like you are picking at a scab. That may give you an easier start. What size rod are you using?

Read a little more of the comments. I have been spanked for that slip up several times.

Now why didn't I think of that!?!?! Great tip! Thanks for posting..

I'm sorry, let me issue you a full refund....

Great man... Simple... Easy... That's good... Tks.. 👍

Good video bro thank you for the information

3/32nd is a 32nd smaller than an 1/8th inch.. next size up from an 1/8th would be 5/32nd if thats a thing in welding electrodes.

pick the right rod and select the right amp for the rod... nice video

Can someone please make a video of welding rods for a newwwwww guy. There's 3/32 there's 1/8 and so on. I want a video of what metal thickness to use what rod. Am I making sense or is it just me. There Internet can tell me how robe a successful crack dealer but not answer this welding question for me. Thanks.

Hi Kevin, i am learning stick welding. I bought some BI 2x2 3mm tubular, what rod do you think is best to use? And at what amperage? I'm still very confused with which rod to use. I'm going to make a squat rack for my son. Thanks for the informative video btw!

What about to invert the polarity sometime can help to have less buble splash

Trying not to get so damn frustrated, laying beads im pretty ok with so far. Then when I started laying beads on a fillet filling it up, everything was different

Yep teacher ur awesome, but 6011 must put down the ampere to see the good result.

For a fair demonstration he should have used the same sized rods with same amp out put.

Need more info. to help. How thick is the metal? What are the settings on the welder? What is the diameter of the rod? What rod are you trying to use?

Great, quality video. Thanks.

Thank you Kevin. I learned an incredible amount in such a short period of time.

I love welding 6011 and 7014 with my everlast welder. I've tried 6013 but never really liked using them.

3/32 is small than the 1/8 one size smaller kevin great video

I have a old arc/ carbon rod welder from Sears.And a large oxy acetylene torch cart set up.The belonged to my grandfather had to do what he needed on his farm equipment. I have gathered all the accessories from cabinets and shelves. Next to library to get a welding book from 40 years ago probably from that small library.I think Im starting out with more equipment than some guys wish they had.But clicked here to check things out. Thanks for video.

So why did you not show the upside down weld with the rods to show the difference?

1/8 is bigger than 3/32. Some rods handle the same amperage as bigger rods because of the coating on them.

Your 7018ac was likely a 5/32” electrode. 1/8” has 4/32” across its width.

This sounds like a test to me,, I would have to say yes, you would get better results on this metal. On sheet metal,,,, not sure. I don't think you would be happy with how it looks. For that I would break out the tig or the O/A if that was your only other choice.

Hell I want some 1.5 inch rods, I got a Battleship to weld. Thanks for the video.

I went to google and it brought me here, then I get told to go back to google -_-

Thank you my tig and mig are spectacular my stick is good but don't know much about the rods cheers dude

the voice is very far and low bring the camera close to the object. always right down numbers in table on paper and show them to the camera with 3 sec delay for frieze. always repeat info 4 times so learner get it. always explain why this number and the what where difference from the other number. lastly big hay from Iraq and good work

3/32 isn’t bigger than 1/8. 1/8 is a size up from 3/32 not the other way around

yup -- same way here - i sometimes have to think too if 3/32 is bigger or smalle than 1/8 th lol I know which one to grab........ and drop amp fo 85 or 90 ish

You can tell that 7018 was a good weld when the slag just fell off

Sure, just make sure your glove is dry. If not you won't make that mistake again.....

When the rod gets stuck mig welding?!?! You mean arc welding I'm sure.. Just a quick whip back and forth normally breaks it loose. If not squeeze the clamp to get the stinger off the rod then break or cut it off. Clean up the mess and get back to work..

I would love to work with this guy. I ran a steel working shop in Afghanistan (with the Navy) for about a year. Awesome to have your own shop, a ton of rod and a bunch of steel working toys. The life!

Thank you, maybe go next time through the Titania and coating of rods .

Need a little more info for this one. What metal, how thick, what's it for??

Well done, you have given me a insight to rod types and have pointed me in the right direction if I want to know more.

Thank you very much for the helpful and clear demonistration.

I disagree to this comment sorry, the purpose of the video is to help determine how to select rods. If all rods in the video were the same size, we would have not been able to see what the difference is if we were to select a different size other than seen in this video. Now we have a good idea what to expect with a 6011 higher or lower voltage, same thing for the 7018, higher or lower voltage. If all were the same size no one would have a clue what to expect at smaller or bigger sizes.

Read the comments before posting please.. Been raked over the coals already on this one....

yeah I know... If I don't take my shoes off I got lost with all those numbers.....

What causes arc eye? Is it the light or the smoke? Are there other side effects other than arc eye?

I love welding. I wish I could still do it. I can't arc weld now that I have a defibrillator implanted. One of my buddies was trying to get me to sign up for the pipefitters' apprenticeship some years ago. I wish I'd done it.

@RouteZeroDesign Yes it will. Check with your local welding store for some stainless rod.

I'm new to welding, just need to learn so I can do some small repair jobs on the farm. What is the best way to weld a 3/4" pipe nipple to a flat steel surface? The nipple would be lying flat on its side NOT standing on end, so your weld is somewhat down in a valley.Also, what is a good way to check to see if what your welder is set on is actually what its putting out at the stinger? My second hand machine is old and I'd like to verify if say 90 amps on the dial is actually what I'm working with. Many thanks!Bob R

It had nothing to do with the size of your rods it was the different types of flux like iron powder and low hyg iron powder will always give a nice smothe looking weld but it the down side is slag inclusions low hyg not as attractive but more pure weld

Next size up from 1/8th is a 5/32

Just because we use "chipping hammers" doesn't actually mean that you should chip away at the slag.....Always scrape it off, ALWAYS!.....This way you don't leave any dinks in your work. If you are going to show people how to weld, at least follow the basic rules, only amateurish/ bad welders do what you just did. You should know better, did you not even pass your welding certs?

Thanks for stopping by..

6011 / coulda' used a smaller rod and turn the amps down to 75 , using a small circular pattern

Nice Video Sir, I am a beginner and your tutorial videos. help me a lot. I am using a transformer type arc welder and making few small car ramps etc Word of advice: Ignore the people who find faults with you and keep going ahead Eagerly waiting for more videos from you. At your age, I am impressed about your interest & knowledge Thanks

E6013 my feverat rods more than people and country like to general work

i can welding but i wont learn welding theory

Where do you buy you’re 7018 AC rods