The welding current, if properly adjusted, will simplify and improve welding at times. But it is not easy for a beginner to do this, because he still has no idea what this welding current should be.
There are tables with the recommended current for the diameter of the electrode, but there the ranges from and to are quite wide, so you should not particularly focus on them. I will show you a simple and effective way to select a current, based on many years of experience in welding, which is quite easy to repeat any beginner self-taught in welding.
First you need to know that different metal thicknesses are best welded with suitable electrode diameters. Your best bet is to target values:
- Electrode with a diameter of 2 mm - we cook 1.5 mm, 2 mm thick.
2. An electrode with a diameter of 2.5 mm - we cook a thickness of 2 mm, 3 mm.
- 3. Electrode with a diameter of 3 mm - we cook the thickness from 3 to 5 mm.
Another important tip, it is better to weld metal up to 3 mm thick by connecting the holder with the electrode to the minus of the welding machine - direct polarity, so there is less chance of burn-through. Thicker than 3 mm, connect the holder to plus-reverse polarity, better penetration of the metal.
Let me show you a simple analogy, this pipe is an electrode. We look at the minimum values of the recommended current for the electrode, set it. We strike with an electrode on metal, start welding and look at the thickness of the welding seam behind the electrode - a fire train.
We adjust it on an unnecessary tuning piece of the same thickness.
Suppose the thickness of this loop does not go beyond the thickness of the coated electrode, this is too small, we add current.
We bring the width of the loop so that it is 2 times wider than the electrode, this will be an excellent current for a butt joint in the lower, vertical and overhead positions.
Most current is required for fillet welding. We will get it on a tuning piece of iron of the required thickness if the width of the loop is 3 times the electrode. These patterns work very well.
In our example, I set up the current in this way for welding metal 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm. Now I will show the result, the welding current in this way is what you need.
Friends, there is a lot of information and for the sake of completeness I made a video for you, where I told and showed everything in detail, the topic is important, let's see.