Selecting the Right Electrode for Your Welding Project

Consumable Electrode Rods drive the Stick Welding process these

skinny little stick-like rods are the real power behind the most versatile,
portable and effective welding process.
But how do you pick the right electrode for your particular welding project?
This is an incredibly important question, because there are literally hundreds
of electrodes to choose from each with its own unique properties, all of
which have an impact on their effectiveness in relationship to your welding
project making your electrode selection a very important part of the stick
welding process.
So, the first part of answering the electrode selection question begins with
determining the parameters of the welding project at hand. To begin with,
you need to ascertain the following information as it relates to your welding
project:

Welding speed

Power supply

Position of the weld

Type of metal

Thickness of the metal

Welding Speed
Welding speed depends largely on the shielding gas, heat transfer
properties, oxidation and metal transfer characteristics. An electrodes flux
coating determines the composition of the shielding gas, which in turn
affects oxidation, as well as heat and metal transfer. To achieve maximum
welding speeds, you need an electrode that oxidizes quickly to ensure fast
weld solidification.
Power Supply
Most electrodes are designed to work with either AC (Alternating Current) or
DC (Direct Current) power sources, and some electrodes are designed to
work with both AC or DC current. The type of electrical current involved in
the welding process affects the level of penetration into the base metal, with
AC current generally achieving deeper penetration.
Position of the Weld
Are you welding on a flat workbench in a welding shop? Are you welding
overhead or in a straight-up-and-down position, as you might in an industrial
setting or while making field repairs? Some electrodes are designed to weld
in only one of the positions referenced above, while other electrodes are
actually designed to work effectively in all positions.
Type of Metal
An electrodes filler metal should match the base metal used in your project.
Thickness of the Metal

The thicker the metal, the stronger the welds tensile strength should be, and
the deeper the penetration required to effectively bond the filler metal with
the base metal.
Matching Up the Right Electrode with Your Welding Project
Now that youve defined your project parameters, its time to go find the
right electrode. But how do you match your electrode with your welding
project's requirements?
The American Welding Societys (AWS) swoops in to the rescue with
their electrode numbering system.
Electrodes are assigned a four to six digit number which corresponds to their
specific properties, e.g., the tensile strength, weld position, power supply and
penetration.
The Old Standards
Many seasoned welding veterans and welding instructors alike recommend
certain electrodes, due to these electrodes versatility and general ease of
use, as go-to options for a wide variety of welding projects.
The No-Brainer Electrode Options Include:

6010

6013

7018
While these electrodes are incredibly flexible, dont end your search here,
because as this post illustrates, there are a number of very important factors
to consider when selecting the right electrode for your welding project.
Additional Electrode Resources
To learn more about the electrode selection, including an electrode's affect
on the formation and physical appearance of a weld, check out Miller
Weldings article on selecting the right electrode.
To gain a better understanding of AWS electrode numbering system, cruise
over to my latest post:Consumable Electrode Numbering System Quick
Tutorial.
And for a comprehensive and highly educational overview of electrode rods
(both consumable and non-consumable), Bakers Gas and Welding Supply
published an outstanding article: How to Choose the Best Electrode.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Choose the Best Electrode

An electrode is one of the most important materials in welding, and the wide selection of
electrodes can make a choice quite overwhelming. With some basic information about the factors

to consider, choosing the right electrode doesn't have to grind a welder's productivity to a halt.
For starters, there are two basic kinds of electrodes. Consumable electrodes are used up during
the stick and MIG welding processes, as they supply the filler metal used in the weld. Nonconsumable electrodes are used during the TIG welding process and are typically made of
tungsten, which is not burned up during the process. The tungsten electrode helps generate heat
with the electrical current and is ground to form a point much like a pencil (though it's flat, not
sharp at the end). The welding arc is conducted from the point of the electrode in TIG welding.
While a good deal of information about selecting the right electrode follows, there are many stick
welders and instructors who highly recommend certain electrodes for their versatility and ease of
use. For stick welders looking to make a quick start, the 6010, 6013, and 7018 electrodes are
routinely mentioned as excellent choices. However, choosing the best electrode involves an
understanding of the kind of metal it will be used on, the welder's settings, and the specifications
for the job.
We'll begin by looking at consumable electrodes for Stick and MIG welding, and then follow
with non-consumable electrodes for TIG welding.
Consumable Electrodes

While stick and MIG welding both use a consumable electrode, each process is quite different.
Stick welding uses a consumable electrode coated in flux to lay the weld, while MIG welding
uses a continuous and consumable wire electrode and a shielding gas that are fed through a
welding gun (though MIG also offers flux cored wire). Stick offers versatility and portability,
and MIG offers a clean, simple, and functional welding process.
Consumable Electrodes for Stick Welding

The speed, power supply, and position of the weld as well as the metal being welded are all
factors to consider when selecting an electrode for stick welding. Since stick welding is
particularly portable and versatile, there is a wide variety of electrodes available for each
situation.
The electrode in stick welding is coated in a metal flux that helps purify and protect the weld.
The flux creates a protective layer of slag that must be chipped off. This is quite unlike the
consumable electrode wire in MIG welding that is protected by shielding gas and does not
require flux or create slag.
There are three primary categories of electrodes for stick welding. Stick electrodes such as
E6010 are fast-freeze electrodes designed to solidify quickly, making them ideal for all
welding positions since the melted electrode won't run. There are fast-fill electrodes that melt
quickly and offer improved welding speed. There also are intermediate electrodes known as "fill-

freeze" or "fast-follow."
It's also critical to remember that the electrode must match or at least be compatible with the base
metal that is welded. For example, mild steel works best with an electrode that begins with E60
or E70. In addition, the kind of joint and the amount of weld penetration required will be key
factors to consider. While E6013 is an excellent overall choice for an electrode, it's particularly
useful for wider weld joints.
The Fabricator provides a helpful guide to the stick electrode classification system used by the
AWS with an example of the code used for mild steel electrodes:
The letter E indicates an electrode.
The first two digits represent the resulting weld's minimum tensile strength,
measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). For example, the number 70 in a E7018
electrode indicates that the electrode will produce a weld bead with a minimum
tensile strength of 70,000 PSI.
The third digit represents the welding positions for which the electrode can be
used. For example, 1 means the electrode can be used in all positions and 2 means
it can be used on flat and horizontal.
The fourth digit represents the coating type and the type of welding current
(AC, DC, or both) that can be used with the electrode.

Learn more about selecting the right Stick electrode.

Consumable Electrodes for MIG Welding

Unlike the electrode sticks used for stick welding, MIG welding uses a consumable wire that is
fed through the welding torch. Much like stick welding, the proper MIG wire or electrode needs
to be matched with the type of metal being welded.
Though most welder manuals will specify which wires to use in each situation, the most common
MIG wires typically fall into the following range of thickness: .023, .030, .035, and .045. Larger
projects, especially industrial ones, may require a thicker wire, but these are the first ones to
consider for most projects.
MIG welding has its own classification system for wire electrodes that can be illustrated in the
following example for ER 70S-6:
ER: Electrode or filler rod for MIG or TIG welding.
70: 70,000 pounds minimum of tensile strength for each square inch of weld.
S: Solid wire.
6: Amount of deoxidizing and cleansing agent on electrode.

There are many factors to consider for MIG wire since wires must be chosen based on the metal
being welded and the type of weld, but in addition, certain wires require different shielding
gases.

Learn more about selecting the best MIG wire electrode.

Non-Consumable Electrodes

TIG welding uses a non-consumable electrode made primarily of tungsten (sometimes only
tungsten) and conducts the heat and forms the arc. Since the electrode is not melting and forming
the actual weld, it's far more important to consider the power settings of the welder and the
matching size of the electrode. For example, the higher power of AC welding requires a larger
electrode than lower power DC welding. The nature of the weld and the type of material being
worked on will determine the appropriate welding set up, which subsequently dictates the best
electrode.
The wrong electrode may deteriorate, fall into the weld, and contaminate the weld if the power is
too high, while the welding arc will be difficult to control and maintain if there is too little
power. It's tempting to use smaller diameter electrodes for TIG welding because the arc is quite
easy to start with them, but the quality of the final weld is a higher priority.
Tungsten comes in 5 commonly used grades that are color coded:
The pure grade of tungsten is color coded green and provides good arc
stability for arc welding and is the least expensive.
Ceriated is color coded orange and also permits easy arc starting, good arc
stability, and longevity.
Thoriated is color coded red and has a higher current capacity than Ceriated
and has a high resistance to weld pool contamination, however it is more difficult to
maintain a balled end on AC.
Lanthanated is color coded gold and works much like the thoriated.
Zirconiated is color coded brown and is probably the most preferred over all
of them. It is excellent for AC welding. The higher quality tungsten will always give
the best results.

Unless you plan on welding with a respirator, avoid electrodes that produce radiation such as
thoriated. Ceriated and lanthanated are both good alternative choices. In fact, ceriated and
lanthanated tungsten electrodes offer many of the same advantages as thoriated electrodes with
none of the risks of radiation.
Learn more about selecting the best TIG electrode.