Choosing the correct type of welding wire for steel is important for the look and strength of the welds you create. Welding wire selection depends on the welding machine and method used. Keep in mind that the type of wire you choose is going to be a large part of the weld you create. Welding wire can be found where you purchase your welding materials or online.
The first thing you should do when choosing a welding wire is to choose a flux-cored wire if you’re not going to be using a shielding gas during welding. This type of wire tends to be silver steel on the outside with a flux inner core that will burn, protect the weld area, and also help prevent contamination from occurring. Flux-core welding wire will typically provide deeper weld penetration than a solid wire will. When choosing welding wire, you should also base your selection on the type of shielding gas you will be using. For instance, if you are using argon gas, the gas flows from the MIG gun as you weld, which generally provides the same type of protection that flux-core wire offers. The argon gas provides the same protective shield as the flux-core wire. When welding with a shielding gas outdoors, you should take proper precautions because even the smallest breeze may cause the gas to blow away from the weld area, which can compromise your weld.
You should also take into account the type of material you will be welding. If you are going to be welding on thin metals, a wire size of.030″ will be sufficient. However, if you are working on skinny steel, such as automotive sheet metal, you may want to go thinner and use a wire that is 024″. The smallest size flux-core welding wire is 030″. Don’t forget that the tip size of your welding gun must also correlate to the size of the wire that is being used. If you need to change the tip on your welding gun, all you need to do is unscrew it using pliers or your hands, fit or load the right size tip, and tighten it. The same method should be followed if you are going to use a thicker size of welding wire. If you are required to weld on thicker steels, you will need to use welding wire that ranges from.035″ to.045″. If the steel you are welding is 3/16” or thicker, you may need to make multiple passes to ensure the weld has penetrated deep enough. Making multiple passes on thicker steel will also ensure that you have created a good, strong weld.
