Arc Welding 20 Gauge Sheet Metal

Carbon steel and 18 ga.

Arc welding 20 gauge sheet metal. Mig welding is the preferred method for most automotive bodywork and since sheet metal is the thinnest of metals a large expensive mig unit is usually not required. It is an arc welding process that where. In a situation when a welder needs to make a butt weld on a 20 gauge panel and the parts are not able to touch each other not even for even 1 16 inches you will create a gap that is not capable of being absorbed by the heat. Gas metal arc welding gmaw is an effective method for joining light gauge metals such as carbon steel and austenitic stainless steel.

I m welding very t. Stick welding sheet metal with 6013 rods. A good heat setting for 1 8 6011 rods on thin material is about 80 90 amps. Stainless steel are used in applications such as hvac automotive mobile machinery guards and cabs and small parts as well as stainless steel food service and processing.

Everyone is different but those settings will get you in the right ballpark to weld sheet metal. This is the thinnest sheet metal i have ever welded using this process. Sheet metal welding demands really tight fit ups. Keep the stick out short stickout of your mig wire is important when welding any type of metal but especially sheet metal.

Holding the tip too far from the surface will cause the wire to have to come out too far to touch the metal. Mig is one of the best ways to weld 20 gauge sheet metal. Mig welding for thin 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.

The majority of the sheet metal welding i ve done was with a 90 amp 110 volt welder. Mig welding is one of the simplest to use for welding. Just grab a piece of sheet metal to get the heat set correctly and go to town. For 3 32 7018 s it s about the same.

It s recommended to use a 023 or 024 inch wire for most light gauge sheet metal work. When the material is 18 gauge and thicker you may be able to use a 030 inch wire. Disclaimer due to factors beyond the. Fit up and joint design.

How to weld thin gauge steel similar to car body panel down to 8mm or 1 32 of an inch thick with arc or stick welder. For thinner gauge sheet metal like 18 or 20 gauge we suggest 023 6mm wire in your mig welder.