Tig Welding 18 Gauge Sheet Metal

For thinner gauge sheet metal like 18 or 20 gauge we suggest 023 6mm wire in your mig welder.

Tig welding 18 gauge sheet metal.

Continue the same way along the sides of the piece of sheet metal. Tig welding takes allot of practice to master so don t get discouraged. Because it will have you a lot more control over the whole process and it is more forgiving in. Enjoy the videos and music you love upload original content and share it all with friends family and the world on youtube.

If you are working on auto body sheet metal you may want to buy a 120 volt mig welder. The best two electrodes for welding auto body sheet metal is either ceriated tungsten or thoriated tungsten. I use a 1 16 red electrode and either 030 or 035 tig filler rod. With the pedal i m able to fluctuate the amperage to get exactly the size weld and penetration i need.

However if you are dealing with materials that are 18 gauge or thicker one should be able to use 030 inch welding wire. Holding the tip too far from the surface will cause the wire to have to come out too far to touch the metal. Ditch a 1 8 inch tungsten electrode for something much smaller like 1 16 inch tungsten. How to weld auto body sheet metal with a tig welder.

Practice on some scrap steel till you get the feel for the melting point of the steel. Say if you are welding an 18 gauge stainless steel sheet that is 2 2 feet in size to repair the side of your tank start by creating a weld that is 1inch long then skip 6 inches and then create a 1 inch long weld. I have a hobart 135 with 023 wire that works perfectly on 22 gauge body panels. If using the finger switch on the tig welder i like to set the machine to a fixed 50 60 amps for sheet metal work.