Category
Wire, Rods & Gas
Wire, rods, tungsten and gas: which one your machine and metal need, and how the makers say to store them.
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7018 welding rod: which one runs on your machine, and how to keep it dry
7018 is a low-hydrogen rod: what H4R and MR mean, which 7018 runs on a small AC welder, and Lincoln, Hobart and ESAB storage and re-dry temperatures.
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Flux core wire: which gasless wire your machine needs, and what GS and -11 mean
E71T-GS and E71T-11 are gasless; E71T-1 and dual shield need gas. Single pass versus multi pass, DC negative polarity, and makers' published thickness limits.
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Tungsten electrodes: which color for which metal, and which suits your machine
The AWS tungsten color code, what CK, Lincoln and Miller recommend for AC and DC, why pure and thoriated are fading, and six 10-packs to buy.
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Welding rods: what 6010, 6011, 6013, 7014 and 7018 mean, and which runs on your machine
The AWS rod number decoded, which rods run on an AC buzz box and which need DC, what Lincoln and Hobart say each rod is for, and how to store each group.
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Mig welding wire: ER70S-6 decoded, which diameter, and which spool fits your machine
What ER70S-6 means and why it beats S-3 on rusty steel, which diameter for which thickness, and whether a 2 lb or 10 lb spool fits your mig welder.
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Mig welding gas: which gas, which cylinder, and how to buy it
Which shielding gas a mig welder needs for mild steel, stainless and aluminum, how cylinders are sold, what else to buy, and how to handle one.
