Welding Sheet Metal Gauge

For thinner gauge sheet metal like 18 or 20 gauge we suggest 023 6mm wire in your mig welder.

Welding sheet metal gauge.

When the material is 18 gauge and thicker you may be able to use a 030 inch wire. Say if you are welding an 18 gauge stainless steel sheet that is 2 2 feet in size to repair the side of your tank start by creating a weld that is 1inch long then skip 6 inches and then create a 1 inch long weld. Just grab a piece of sheet metal to get the heat set correctly and go to town. Holding the tip too far from the surface will cause the wire to have to come out too far to touch the metal.

However if you are dealing with materials that are 18 gauge or thicker one should be able to use 030 inch welding wire. A good heat setting for 1 8 6011 rods on thin material is about 80 90 amps. Keep the stick out short stickout of your mig wire is important when welding any type of metal but especially sheet metal. For 3 32 7018 s it s about the same.

Typically the gauges run from 7 to 30 gauge. As for mild steel wires such as er70s 6 are recommended for use as they have a weld buddle that wets out nicely. It is imperative you consider the shielding gas welding process and electrode before welding 20 gauge sheet metals. It is recommended that a welder should use 023 or 024 inch wire for light gauge sheet metal work.

Everyone is different but those settings will get you in the right ballpark to weld sheet metal. To weld mild steel choose an american welding society classification wire such as er70s 6 which has a weld puddle that wets out nicely.