Stick Welding Amperage Chart

Getting Your Amperage Right

The "One Amp Per Thousandth" Starting Point

There's a trick: one amp per thousandth of an inch of electrode diameter. 1/8" rod (0.125")? Start at 125 amps. 3/16" (0.1875")? Try 188 amps. It's not perfect, but it gets you in the ballpark. Actual amps depend on rod type, position, and material, but this rule lands you close enough to start dialing in.

For example:

• 3/32" (0.0938") = ~94 amps (rule suggests 94A)
• 1/8" (0.125") = ~125 amps (rule suggests 125A)
• 5/32" (0.1562") = ~156 amps (rule suggests 156A)
• 3/16" (0.1875") = ~188 amps (rule suggests 188A)

These estimates align closely with manufacturer recommendations, making the rule a reliable starting point when a chart isn't available.

When You're Running Too Hot

Listen to the arc. If it sounds angry and crackling, you're cooking too hot. The electrode melts away faster than it should. You'll see wild spatter everywhere—molten beads flying around. The bead itself gets narrow and bulged, sitting on top of the metal instead of sinking in smooth. The puddle flows like water, impossible to control. You'll also see undercut—a groove burned into the base metal on both sides of the bead. That's structural damage. Back off 10-15 amps and try again.

When You're Running Too Cold

The arc struggles. It might cut out completely. The bead sits tall and skinny, barely stuck to the base metal. Slag doesn't melt and flow—it balls up into little chunks in front of the arc. The bead looks gray and dull instead of shiny. Penetration is trash. You're building up rod material without actually fusing it to what you're welding. The electrode sticks constantly, and you spend more time chipping and wire-brushing than welding. This is the mistake that gets welds rejected in inspection. Increase amperage 10-15 amps. You need heat to melt the base metal, not just the rod.

Position Changes the Game

Flat: Easiest. Gravity's on your side, holding the puddle in place. You can run hotter and faster. Full amperage range, no reduction.

Horizontal: Puddle sags. Reduce amps by 5-10%. The puddle wants to drip downward, so you need less heat to keep it under control. Travel a bit slower than flat.

Vertical: Gravity fights you hard. Cut amps by 10-20% depending on whether you're welding up (climbing) or down (sticking). Puddle stays smaller, tighter bead, slower work. More passes on thick material.

Overhead: The hardest. Cut amps by 15-25%. Small puddle, slow travel, high risk of molten metal dripping on your head if it gets out of control. This is where strong technique matters. Burn-through on thin material is real.

E6013 doesn't work in vertical or overhead—flat and horizontal only. E6010 and E7018 handle all positions, but you have to adjust amps down as gravity fights harder. Skip the position game and you'll get weak welds or burn-through.

Polarity Matters More Than You Think

DC+ (Reverse polarity): The electrode gets hot, the work stays cooler. Deep penetration. Burns slower. This is the heavy hitter—required for E7018 low-hydrogen rods and structural welding. Critical stuff. Most modern welders run DC+ by default. This is your go-to for anything that matters.

DC- (Straight polarity): The work gets hotter, electrode stays cooler. Fast burn, shallow penetration. Used for E6010 and root passes where you don't want to blow through. Good for thin materials and cast iron. Less common these days but still essential for specific jobs.

AC: The machine flips back and forth 60 times a second, so neither electrode nor work gets maximum heat. A compromise. Works with some rods but E6010 and E7018 prefer DC. AC can make certain rods unstable—the arc fidgets.

Check the rod package. E7018 says DC+? Use DC+. E6010 says DC-? Use DC-. E6013 says AC or DC+? Your choice, but DC+ will give better results. Wrong polarity and your arc sputters, your bead looks like garbage, and you've wasted time.

Dialing It In Without a Chart

You're out on a job, no chart, no manual. Use the one-amp-per-thousandth rule to get close. Then listen and look:

A proper arc sounds steady. Not crackling, not stuttering. The puddle flows smooth and even. The bead sits slightly higher in the middle—convex, not flat or dished. Slag covers the bead like a blanket, doesn't clump up in front of the arc. Travel is smooth. If the arc is hissing and popping, or the bead looks dull and weak, bump it up 10-15 amps. If you're drowning in spatter and the arc sounds angry, dial it back 10-15. Small adjustments. Test. Adjust again. You'll find the sweet spot.

Vertical: The Gravity Challenge

Vertical cuts your amperage by 10-20%. Less heat means a smaller puddle you can actually control as it creeps upward. A 1/8" E7018 at 125A in flat becomes 110-115A in vertical. The puddle has to stay small enough that gravity doesn't pull it down faster than you can travel.

Climbing (welding up) takes slightly more amps than stick-down (welding down). Either way, if the puddle balloons out, you lose it. Reduce amps or travel faster. Vertical is all about puddle control.

Thickness Rules Everything

Thick steel needs heat to melt through. Thin steel burns through if you're not careful. That's why electrode size matters. A 3/16" rod at full amperage will punch holes in thin sheet metal. Same rod on 1/2" plate barely gets warm.

Match the rod to the material. Sheet metal and thin stuff: 3/32" rod. Medium plate up to 1/4": 1/8" or 5/32". Thick structural: 5/32" or 3/16". Once you pick the rod, use the amperage range for that rod size. The thickness tells you what rod to grab. The rod type tells you the amps.

The Biggest Mistakes

Cold welds. Most common failure. Newbies run scared, thinking they'll burn through. So they dial it down to nothing. Result: a bead that sits on top like a string of solder with zero penetration. Inspection fails it immediately. The base metal isn't melted, just the rod. That's not a weld.

Hot welds. Spatter everywhere. Electrode gone in seconds. Bead looks violent and erratic. Undercut burns into the sides. You waste time and material. If you don't know the amps, start low and step up slowly until the arc settles and the puddle flows smooth. You can always add more heat. You can't unfuse bad metal.