The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Can I use a "light" stick welder for patch panels?

I was wondering if I could use a stick welder to weld floor panels on a 66 step side.
I use to weld a while back mostely basic 6011 rods I foget the diameter.
I saw advertised a stick welder for sheet metal 18 guage to 1/8th thick.
I do not know the thickness of a average patch panel.
Becuase of price and expierence with stick I prefer to stay away from mig. Is that posible?
Thanks for any advice.

Not unless your an awfully good welder and even then you would have a problem. Better off spending a few hundred bucks and getting one of those cheapo mig welders. Other option is to gas weld them if you have torches. 65 now been welding since I was a pre-teen and have worked in and out of the welding field most of my life.
Denny Graham

Sandwich, IL

Freds,

If you are familiar with stick welding, and aren't picky about the finished weld looking like stacked quarters, you can do the job.

You can buy 1/16th inch 6013 which, if you are careful and prepare your joints well, will work fine.

Remember, before there was MIG, there was lots of 'stick'. If push comes to shove, you can use a air-arc carbon rod as a heat source and silicon bronze as filler rod...blowpipe people do this all day long. Good luck and git to welding!

Stuart

If you don't already own a welder, get a decent Mig with gas for the patch panels. It will cost you a bit more but you will save time, grinder discs, sweat, and swearing trying to fix the problems that the stick welder caused.

Freds...the problem with welding panels with stick as opposed to mig is that it takes so much heat to melt the stick and surrounding metals that you will end up with alot of burn through and lots of ragged holes to fill. Mig melts wire and metals at much less temp. so with a very little practice you can learn to weld panels neatly and the less heat also means less warpage to the surrounding panels. Nothing worse than welding in new panels to find they are warped, stretched, and out of shape and you still have lots of burned through holes to fill. I have been welding for probably 35 years and I wouldn't even consider welding panels with stick if mig was even a remote option. Second choice would be gas and brass rod but care needs to be taken because you can overheat the panels with gas too. I think anyone else with experiance with all 3 welding techniques will tell you pretty much the same thing. Good luck with your project either way you go.

Carl

give the guy a break ,it can be done with arc welder take your time don't try to weld big seams at a time ,get you a hammer and keep adjusting the panel as you go ,if need switch around to keep a certain area from getting too hot . MERRY CHRISTMAS

Ya, but point being, why suffer with it. I don't know what you're worth per hour freds, but unless it's minimum wage, the time spent cleaning up after a stick welder seems more costly than the cost of a mig...

plus you'll have that mig for future fun also!

Third, personally I am now spoiled by a one handed welder. It is nice to have another hand free for wet rags or whatever to help with the job.

Mig is great for the light stuff. Save the stick welding for the heavier stuff where you need good pentration.

here is a good solution for you.....especially since you already have an arc welder: http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/...412&iSubCat=1413&iProductID=1187

i personally prefer OA welding... it is a slower process than mig or arc, but i like the controlability of my henrob torch (dillon mk torches for the older guys)