Arc Welding Stick Chart: Amps, Rod Sizes & Settings

A beginner burns through three tabs of 1/8-inch steel in five minutes, convinced the welder is broken, while an old shop hand sets the same machine to 110 amps and lays a bead that looks machine-made. The difference was never the machine or the talent — it was a scuffed, oil-stained stick chart taped to the side of the toolbox.

What an Arc Welding Stick Chart Actually Is (and Why Every Welder Needs One)

The machine was fine. The rod was fine. The steel was fine. After three ruined tabs of 1/8-inch plate, a beginner is convinced his welder is broken. The shop hand walks over, turns the dial to 110 amps, and lays a bead that looks like it came off a production line. Nothing changed except one number on the dial, and he read that number off a battered chart zip-tied to the toolbox. That chart is the difference between burning through your material and burning it in.

If you have spent any time around arc welding, you have seen one of these sheets: a grid of rod classes, diameters, and amp ranges, usually printed on cardstock, greasy at the corners, and stubbornly accurate. Here is what an arc welding stick chart really is, why it exists, and what it can and cannot tell you.

Stick Welding in Plain Language

Stick welding is formally called Shielded Metal Arc Welding, or SMAW. You clamp a ground, hold a consumable electrode covered in a flux coating, strike an arc, and melt it into the joint. The rod’s core wire becomes your filler metal, and the burning coating turns into gas and slag that shield the puddle from the atmosphere. One rod does two jobs at once: it is both the filler and the shield.

That coating is also why stick welding makes more visible smoke than other common processes. OSHA’s welding fact sheet notes that SMAW produces more fume than GMAW (MIG) but less than FCAW (flux core). What that means for your lungs comes later, under setup and safety. For now the point is simpler: stick welding is a hot, coated, consumable-rod process, and every one of those variables affects where you set the machine. Our Advantages of Stick Welding: Why SMAW Still Wins guide covers why it remains the go-to process outdoors, in the field, and on dirty plate.

Defining the Stick Chart

An arc welding stick chart, sometimes labeled an electrode amperage chart or rod chart, is a lookup table. You find the row for your rod, follow it across, and read back the settings your machine should be near before you ever strike an arc. The columns it links together are:

• AWS electrode class — E6013, E7018, E6010, and so on.
• Rod diameter — usually in inches, often with the metric equivalent (1/16 in ≈ 1.6 mm up to 1/4 in ≈ 6.35 mm).
• Recommended amperage range — a minimum and maximum, not a single number.
• Compatible polarity — AC, DCEP (DC+), or DCEN (DC−).
• Base-metal thickness — the plate range that diameter is suited to.

So the question answers itself quickly: a stick chart tells you where to set your machine before you strike an arc. Not after the rod sticks three times. Before.

Why a Chart Is Needed at All

Because the windows are wide. This is the fact that surprises most beginners. In the AWS Everyday Pocket Handbook for Arc Welding Steel, a single E6010 electrode lists these ranges:

Rod Diameter	AWS Listed Amperage Range
3/32 in	50–70 A
1/8 in	100–130 A
5/32 in	140–170 A

Look at the middle row: one 1/8-inch rod spans 30 amps. Across the sizes above, the spread from thinnest to thickest is roughly 120 amps, and common shop charts run from 1/16 in (1.6 mm) to 1/4 in (6.35 mm), with 3/32 in, 1/8 in, and 5/32 in the three diameters most hobbyists and repair shops actually stock. Guessing between 90 and 130 amps on the same rod is the difference between a cold, pasty puddle and a clean tie-in. The chart compresses that uncertainty into a number you can dial in on the first try.

What the Chart Does Not Contain

Being clear about limits keeps the tool useful. A stick chart does not give you travel speed, arc length, weave width, heat input calculations, interpass temperature, or joint design. It does not know your position, your wind, your machine’s actual output, or how old your rod is. It will not tell you which electrode fits stainless, cast iron, or an aluminum job. For that you need a material-specific selection guide, and for aluminum processes our Aluminum Flux Welding: How It Works and When to Use It article is the better starting point.

It is also not a rod selection guide, though beginners often confuse the two. A rod selection guide answers which electrode for this job, considering base metal, position, service conditions, and code requirements. The stick chart answers the narrower, more immediate question: given this rod I already chose, what do I set the dial to? Selection comes first; the chart is what you consult once the rod is in your hand.

Who Actually Uses One

Everyone, at different stages. Beginners use it to stop sticking rods and burning holes. Hobbyists keep it taped inside the cabinet door for quick repairs. Pros use it as a sanity check when switching processes or training an apprentice, and as a baseline when a new rod brand behaves differently than the last box. Read the box, set the dial, run three inches on scrap, then adjust. That is the whole philosophy behind every number in this article.

How to Read an Arc Welding Stick Chart, Column by Column

Open a stick chart for the first time and it looks like a spreadsheet somebody forgot to format: rows of odd codes, two sets of numbers for every rod size, and a scatter of polarities. Give it ten minutes and you realize it is the most useful page taped anywhere in the shop. The trick is knowing what each column is actually telling you.

The Six Columns of a Typical Chart

Column	What it tells you	Example entry
Electrode class	AWS A5.1 designation for the consumable	E7018
Diameter	Rod thickness in both inches and millimeters	1/8 in (3.2 mm)
Amperage range	Minimum to maximum setting window	110–165 A
Polarity	Currents the coating is formulated for	AC, DCEP (DC+)
Welding position	Where the rod can legally be used	F, H, V, OH
Plate thickness	Steel thickness the size is suited to	1/8–1/4 in

Diameter appears twice on almost every chart because shop stock is quoted in fractions while machine dials, European boxes and mm-based rod are not. If a chart says 3.2 mm, that is simply 1/8 inch, and 2.5 mm is 3/32 inch. The polarity column matters more than beginners expect: DCEP (direct current electrode positive, also printed as DC+ or reverse polarity) and DCEN (DC−, straight polarity) are not interchangeable settings. A rod written for AC and DCEP will run on an AC “buzz box,” but a DCEP-only rod such as a 6010 will stutter and sputter on AC no matter how carefully you set the dial.

The position column uses standard abbreviations: F for flat, H for horizontal, V for vertical, OH for overhead. A rod rated “F H V OH” is an all-position electrode; one rated “F H” is a flat-and-horizontal rod that will sag and wash out overhead.

Decoding the AWS Electrode Name, Digit by Digit

Every row starts with a code like E7018, and each character in that code is doing real work. The AWS A5.1 specification builds it from four pieces of information:

• E — it is a covered stick electrode, not a bare wire or a TIG filler.
• 70 — the minimum tensile strength of the weld metal, 70,000 psi (70 ksi). A 6010 or 6013 rod delivers 60,000 psi, which is why structural drawings usually call for 70-series rods.
• 1 — welding position. The third digit is 1 for all positions, or 2 for flat and horizontal only. That single digit tells you whether a rod belongs overhead or stays on the bench.
• 8 — coating type and usable current. This fourth digit is the one that catches people out.

The fourth digit defines both the flux chemistry and which currents the rod will tolerate. A 0 means high-cellulose sodium coating, and those rods are DCEP-only. An 8 means low-hydrogen iron-powder coating, and a 7018 will run happily on AC or DCEP. The others sit in between: 1 is cellulose potassium (AC or DCEP), 3 is rutile (all currents), and 4 is iron-powder rutile. Read the polarity wrong and the arc will be unstable even when the amperage is perfect, which is exactly the kind of mystery problem that sends people blaming the machine. The same digit logic carries over when you move into alloy steel welding electrodes, where suffix letters such as A1 or B2 indicate the alloy additions behind the base number.

Two more habits make the chart easier to use. First, convert metric in your head: millimeters divided by 25.4 gives inches, so 4.0 mm is 5/32 in and 5.0 mm is 3/16 in. Second, treat every number as a window rather than a target. A range like 110–165 A exists because the right setting inside it depends on plate thickness, welding position, travel speed and whether you are running a root pass or a cover pass. The middle of the window is a safe launch point, not a destination.

Read the six columns in order — class, diameter, amperage window, polarity, position, thickness — and the chart stops being a wall of numbers. It becomes a quick pre-flight check you can run in fifteen seconds before striking the next arc: is this the right rod, is the selector in the right place, and does my starting number sit in the middle of the range the maker actually printed?

The Master Stick Electrode Amperage Chart (6010, 6011, 6013, 7014, 7018, 7024)

Here is the reference you came for. Everything below is a starting window for carbon-steel Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) on mild steel plate, compiled from manufacturer electrode data sheets such as Lincoln Electric’s published consumable charts, the ranges collected in the Kings of Welding rod size and amperage chart, and the classification framework defined in the AWS electrode classification handbook. Read it the way a welder reads a map: it tells you roughly where you are going, not the exact road conditions under your wheels.

The Core Stick Electrode Amperage Chart

AWS Class	Diameter	Amp Range	Polarity	Positions	Typical Use
E6010	3/32 in	40–85 A	DCEP (DC+)	All	Deep-penetration root passes, pipe
E6010	1/8 in	75–125 A	DCEP (DC+)	All	Fast-freeze fills, open-root joints
E6010	5/32 in	110–165 A	DCEP (DC+)	All	Heavy root and fill on thicker plate
E6011	3/32 in	40–85 A	AC / DCEP	All	Rusty, painted or dirty plate on AC machines
E6011	1/8 in	75–125 A	AC / DCEP	All	Farm repair, maintenance, buzz boxes
E6011	5/32 in	110–165 A	AC / DCEP	All	Heavy-duty repair on contaminated steel
E6013	1/16 in	20–45 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Thin sheet, tack welds, body panels
E6013	3/32 in	40–90 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Light fabrication, hobby work
E6013	1/8 in	80–130 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	General sheet and light plate, beginners
E6013	5/32 in	105–180 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Cosmetic beads on clean mild steel
E7014	1/8 in	about 110–165 A	AC / DCEP	All	Fast, smooth welds with easy slag release
E7018	3/32 in	65–100 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Structural work, positional passes
E7018	1/8 in	110–165 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Structural fillets and butt welds
E7018	5/32 in	150–220 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Production structural welding
E7018	3/16 in	200–275 A	AC / DCEN / DCEP	All	Heavy plate, multi-pass fills
E7024	1/8 in	140–190 A	AC / DCEP	Flat & horizontal only	High-deposition production welds

Two things jump out of that table. First, E6010, E6011, E6013, E7014 and E7018 are all-position rods, which means they will run in flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead orientations. E7024 is not. Its thick iron-powder coating makes it deposit metal very fast, but the puddle is far too fluid to hold overhead or vertical, so it is restricted to flat and horizontal work. If your project lives on a wall or a ceiling, you can cross E7024 off before you even look at the amps. The all position welding rod guide breaks down what each position actually demands from your hands and your heat.

Rod Diameter vs Steel Thickness

Rod Diameter	Metric	Best Steel Thickness	Notes
1/16 in	1.6 mm	Up to about 3/16 in sheet	Very low amps; practice rod for thin work
3/32 in	2.4 mm	Under 1/8 in (16 ga–1/8 in)	The thin-plate workhorse
1/8 in	3.2 mm	1/8 in to 1/4 in	Most-used shop size overall
5/32 in	4.0 mm	1/4 in to 3/8 in	Needs a machine with real output
3/16 in	4.8 mm	3/8 in to 1/2 in	200 A and up; multi-pass territory
7/32 in	5.6 mm	1/2 in and heavier	Production and heavy structural work

Notice that the 3/16 in and 7/32 in rows carry the same warning for every rod class: at those diameters you are asking a welder for 200 amps or more, which means a 120-amp hobby machine simply cannot run them no matter what the chart says. Check your machine’s duty cycle and output curve before you buy a box of rod.

Low-Hydrogen Rods and the Electrode Oven

E7018 deserves its own warning because it behaves differently from everything else on the chart. The “8” in its designation signals a low-hydrogen coating, and that coating absorbs moisture from ordinary shop air within hours of coming out of a sealed wrapper. A damp E7018 deposits hydrogen into the weld pool, which is the classic recipe for porosity and hydrogen-induced cracking in structural steel. Professional shops keep these rods in a holding oven set around 250°F (120°C) and discard rods left exposed beyond the manufacturer’s published limit, which Lincoln Electric’s electrode data sheets spell out rod by rod. If you buy E7018 for a one-day job, buy only what you will use and re-bake or discard the rest.

One final discipline point: treat every amp figure here as a mid-range starting window, never as gospel. Manufacturers publish ranges because rod chemistry, coating thickness, machine calibration and line voltage all shift the ideal setting by 10 or 15 amps in either direction. Miller’s stick welding technique guide puts it plainly: run a test bead on scrap of the same thickness, look at it, then adjust. The box the rod came in is the final authority, and the chart is only the shortcut that gets you close enough to start.

And remember that this entire chart covers mild carbon steel. Stainless, cast iron, hardfacing and aluminum all use their own classifications with different amperage behavior; alloy steel welding electrodes covers how those selections diverge from the six rods above.

Matching Rod Diameter to Metal Thickness: The Golden Rule

Once you can read the columns of an arc welding stick chart, the next question is personal: which rod do you actually load for the metal in front of you? The answer follows one of the oldest rules in the trade, and it shows up on nearly every rod size amperage metal thickness chart printed in a shop: match the electrode diameter to the plate, never the other way around.

The Standard Thickness Bands

For mild steel, the common shop rule breaks down into three simple bands:

• 3/32 in rod — material under 1/8 in thick
• 1/8 in rod — material from 1/8 in to 1/4 in thick
• 5/32 in rod and larger — anything over 1/4 in thick

Those bands exist because of heat balance. On thin metal, a fat rod dumps more heat into the joint than the sheet can absorb, so you get burn-through, warped edges, and a puddle that runs away from you. Flip it around and the problem reverses: a 3/32 in rod on half-inch plate can’t deliver enough total heat to melt the base metal, so the bead sits on top like a caterpillar instead of tying into the joint. That’s cold lap, and no amount of technique fixes an undersized rod.

The Heat-Sink Effect: Why Thick Metal Drinks Amps

Steel is a excellent conductor of heat, and thick sections act like a radiator. The more mass surrounding your arc, the faster heat is pulled away from the puddle, so the machine has to work harder just to keep the metal molten. That’s why a setting that produces a beautiful bead on 1/4 in plate looks completely dead on 3/4 in plate.

ESAB’s training material puts a useful number on this: you need roughly 1 amp of machine output per .001 in of steel thickness. Translate that into machine shopping terms and it’s very practical. A 200-amp welder can handle about 5/16 in steel, while a 250-amp unit reaches about 1/2 in. If you’re selecting a machine for a specific job, this rule tells you whether your welder has enough headroom before you buy the plate.

The same logic sets expectations for what a chart can’t fix. If the required amps exceed your machine’s output, no chart row will save you. You either reduce thickness, change processes, or preheat — you don’t crank the machine past its duty cycle and hope.

Bevel and Multi-Pass: The Professional Answer

Here’s where beginners go wrong: they see a thick joint and reach for the biggest rod in the box, assuming one hot pass will handle it. It doesn’t. On plate 1/2 in and thicker, the economical and structurally sound approach is low-hydrogen electrodes in multiple passes rather than one large-diameter hot bead.

Multiple passes give you three things a single fat bead can’t:

1. Penetration you can verify — each pass melts into clean, already-deposited metal.
2. Heat control — smaller, repeated inputs reduce distortion and residual stress.
3. Toughness — low-hydrogen fillers like E7018 keep hydrogen cracking risk down in heavy sections.

For thick plate, bevel the edges to create a V or J groove, root-pass it with a smaller rod, then fill and cap in layers. That’s the standard procedure on structural work, and it’s exactly what the Alloy 20 Welding: Procedures, Filler Metals, and Best Practices approach illustrates for specialty metals: joint prep and pass sequencing matter more than raw amperage.

If you want to see how this plays out in everyday all-position work, our All Position Welding Rod Guide: Types, Uses & Tips covers which rods hold up when you can’t put the work flat.

A Note on Thin Sheet and When to Switch Processes

Stick welding has a floor. Below roughly 1/8 in, SMAW gets genuinely difficult: the arc is aggressive, the puddle is small, and undercut shows up easily. Hobbyists welding sheet metal car panels or thin duct often fight a losing battle with a stick welder that’s perfectly fine for everything else.

If your work regularly lives below 1/8 in, consider switching rather than suffering. Aluminum MIG Welding: The Complete Practical Guide explains how wire processes handle thin material with far less input heat, and Advantages of Stick Welding: Why SMAW Still Wins lays out where stick genuinely outperforms everything else — outdoors, dirty metal, field repairs, heavy section.

For a printable reference covering rod diameter against plate thickness, the Kings of Welding rod size, amperage and metal thickness chart is a clean shop-wall version of these same bands, and Lincoln’s electrode selection literature (gasandsupply.com) restates the thickness-to-diameter guidance in manufacturer terms.

Get this one rule right and half your welding problems disappear before you strike an arc. The next step is turning the chart’s amperage range into a dial setting you can trust.

Amperage Rules of Thumb and How to Fine-Tune the Setting

A stick chart gives you a window, not a dial position. A 1/8-inch E7018 row might read 110 to 160 amps, which still leaves fifty amps of guessing room. The rules of thumb in this section exist to shrink that window to a single number before you ever strike an arc, and then to teach you how to fine-tune from there.

The 1 Amp Per .001 Inch Rule

The most reliable starting formula in stick welding is almost comically simple: use one amp of output for every .001 inch of electrode diameter, unless the rod manufacturer says otherwise. That comes straight from Miller Electric’s stick welding technique guide, and it works because electrode diameter is what drives how much metal has to be melted per inch of travel.

Convert the fractional diameter to decimals and the math does itself:

Rod diameter	Decimal equivalent	Rule-of-thumb starting amperage
1/16 in	0.062 in	About 65 A
3/32 in	0.094 in	About 95 A
1/8 in	0.125 in	125 A
5/32 in	0.156 in	About 155 A
3/16 in	0.188 in	About 190 A
7/32 in	0.219 in	About 220 A

Notice that each calculated number usually lands inside or very near the amperage range printed on the chart and on the rod box. That overlap is the point: the formula gets you close, the manufacturer’s range confirms it, and the test bead settles the debate.

Adjust in Five- to Ten-Amp Steps

Once the dial is at the calculated value, resist the urge to chase a perfect bead with big swings. Refine in 5 to 10 amp increments instead, because on thin material the gap between slightly cold and blowing through can be as little as 10 amps. The fine-tuning loop is short and repeatable:

• Set the dial to the rule-of-thumb value, or to the midpoint of the chart range if the two disagree. When they conflict, trust the rod box.
• Strike an arc on scrap cut from the same thickness and alloy as the real joint. Testing on plate while welding sheet proves nothing.
• Run two or three inches, let it cool, then knock the slag and look at the bead.
• Judge the edges. Flat and wetted in means stop adjusting. Crowned and narrow means add 5 amps. Washed-out edges with excessive spatter means drop 5 amps.
• Write the keeper setting in sharpie on the machine case or in a notebook so you never re-guess that rod again.

Position Adjustments: Overhead and Vertical Take Less Heat

Gravity is the one variable no chart column can see. Overhead welding wants roughly 15% less heat than the same joint flat, because the molten pool is fighting to stay off your shoulder. Vertical-up takes about 10% off flat for the same reason: the solidified weld underneath supports the pool, and excess amps make it collapse into a sagging, convex mess. So 1/8-inch E7018 at 125 amps flat becomes roughly 105 amps overhead and 110 to 115 amps vertical-up. Rods marked all-position, whose third digit is a 1 (E6010, E6011, E6013, E7018), carry fluxes formulated to hold the pool in these orientations. Flat-only rods such as E7024 have no business off flat at any amperage. Our all-position welding rod guide breaks down which rods hold up where.

Polarity Changes Where the Heat Goes

Amperage tells you how much heat the arc contains. Polarity tells you where it lands. On electrode positive (DCEP), roughly 70% of the arc heat concentrates at the rod tip, which drives deeper fusion. The penetration advantage over AC at identical amperage runs about 10%, as covered in this open welding curriculum chapter on SMAW polarity. Flip the leads to DCEN and the balance shifts toward the plate, putting more heat into the base metal than into the electrode, which is why DCEN handles thin sheet more gracefully. AC splits the heat evenly, which makes it the versatile choice on a simple buzz box but slightly less efficient than DC in either configuration. The practical consequence: move a 6011 from AC to DCEN and the same dial setting will feel noticeably hotter on the plate.

Material Adjustments: Not Everything Behaves Like Mild Steel

The steel-centered formula needs corrections once you leave mild steel. Stainless generally calls for 10 to 15% less heat input because it conducts heat slowly and stays hot, letting the puddle run ahead of your arc; out-of-position stainless work sits at the low end of that band. Aluminum swings the other way: expect roughly 25% more amperage than a comparable mild-steel setup, because aluminum’s high thermal conductivity bleeds heat away so fast that the arc feels sluggish and refuses to wet. If aluminum is where you are headed, prep matters as much as dial settings, and the cleaning and heat-control habits in our aluminum MIG welding guide translate directly to stick work. For fillers beyond carbon steel, see our alloy steel welding electrodes guide.

None of these corrections override the rod manufacturer or the test bead. Dial in the calculated number, burn two inches, read the bead, move five amps, and burn two more. Run that loop for a few evenings and your hand will learn the machine faster than any table on paper ever could.

Choosing the Right Electrode: What the AWS Classification Tells You

Before you can trust any row of an arc welding stick chart, you have to be able to read the electrode’s name. That five-digit code stamped on the coating is a compressed spec sheet, and once you decode it, half the chart’s columns stop being mysterious.

Decoding E6013, E7018 and Every Rod In Between

Take E7018 and break it apart:

• E stands for electrode — a consumable stick that also carries the welding current.
• 70 is the minimum tensile strength of the deposited weld metal in thousands of pounds per square inch. So a 70-series rod (E7010, E7014, E7018, E7024) is rated at 70,000 psi, while a 60-series rod such as E6010 or E6011 is rated at 60,000 psi. Match or exceed the strength of the base metal you’re joining.
• The third digit describes welding positions. A “1” means the rod works in all positions — flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead. A “2” means flat and horizontal only, which is exactly why the position column on a stick chart matters: E7024 is a powerhouse in the flat position and useless overhead.
• The fourth digit identifies the coating type and the currents the rod will run on, from fast-freeze cellulose coatings to low-hydrogen iron powder formulas.

That last digit is where behavior comes from. Cellulose-coated rods like E6010 and E6011 burn with a deep, forceful, fast-freezing arc. Iron-powder coatings like E7014 and E7024 dump extra metal into the puddle, so they run faster and smoother but also travel differently.

The Big Five Rods Side by Side

Rod	Penetration	Deposition	Cleanup	Best use
E6010	Deep, narrow	Moderate	Thin, easy slag	Pipe roots, dirty or rusty steel, DCEP only
E6011	Deep	Moderate	Easy slag	The AC version of 6010 — ideal for buzz boxes and poor fit-up
E6013	Shallow to moderate	Low to moderate	Smooth, light slag	Sheet metal, beginners, clean steel, all positions
E7014	Moderate	High (iron powder)	Light slag, minimal grinding	Fast all-position production work on clean steel
E7018	Moderate to deep	High	Smooth bead, easy slag	Structural, low-hydrogen, all positions, critical joints
E7024	Moderate	Very high	Light slag	High-speed flat and horizontal fillets only

The deposition numbers are worth appreciating. The AWS Pocket Handbook lists E6010 deposition rates climbing from roughly 1.2 lb/hr at 3/32 in to about 5.1 lb/hr at 7/32 in, with around 60% deposition efficiency after stub loss. E7014 and E7024 gain their speed the honest way — iron powder in the coating — which is why they feel so much quicker on long runs. If you want the full reasoning behind why stick still competes with newer processes, see our take on advantages of stick welding.

Storage Rules: The 7018 Exception

Most rods tolerate a little humidity. E7018 does not. Its low-hydrogen coating absorbs moisture from the air, and that hydrogen ends up in the weld as porosity or delayed cracking. Opened containers are normally sealed or held in a rod oven at roughly 250°F until use, and damp or atmospheric-exposed 7018 should be re-baked per the manufacturer’s instructions or scrapped. The chart tells you the amps; only proper storage keeps those amps producing sound metal.

For non-critical farm and hobby work on mild steel, E6013 and E7014 are forgiving choices that don’t demand an oven. For anything structural, E7018 is the standard, and dry rods are non-negotiable.

One more layer worth knowing: not every job is plain carbon steel. If you’re joining stainless, tool steel or something exotic, the tensile number alone won’t tell you if the rod fits. Our alloy steel welding electrodes resource explains how filler selection changes when the base metal isn’t mild steel.

Troubleshooting: What Your Bead Says About Your Chart Settings

A stick chart only helps you if you close the loop after the weld is done. The bead is readout: it tells you, in metal, whether the number you dialed in was right. Once you learn to read that feedback, the chart stops being a passive cheat sheet and becomes a diagnostic tool. Two welds on scrap will tell you more than twenty minutes of staring at a row of numbers.

Signs Your Amperage Is Too Low

Cold settings announce themselves immediately, and usually in the most annoying way possible. Watch for this cluster of symptoms:

• The rod sticks. You strike the arc, and the electrode freezes to the plate like it was glued. This is the classic low-current symptom.
• The arc stutters or quits. It lights, falters, and drops out before you can finish a pass.
• The bead is narrow and heavily crowned. A tall, ropey bead sitting on the surface with shallow penetration means the machine is running cold.
• Cold lap (overlap). Weld metal rolls over the base metal without fusing at the toes, leaving a visible unfused edge.
• Slag lifts off too easily. If the coating peels away in one clean sheet with no effort, the weld underneath usually lacks heat and fusion.

Miller’s stick welding troubleshooting guidance lists the sticky rod and the arc that keeps going out or stutters as the top indicators of too-low amperage. The open textbook Introduction to Welding course adds the visual test: a narrow, high-crown bead with little penetration is the signature of a cold setting.

Signs Your Amperage Is Too High

Excess current is louder and less subtle:

• Excessive spatter spraying in every direction, leaving BBs you have to grind or buff off later.
• Undercut at the toes — a groove melted into the base metal beside the bead that never gets filled.
• A fluid, uncontrolled puddle that spreads faster than you can travel, so you’re chasing it instead of steering it.
• Burn-through, especially on thin plate or butt joints with no backing.
• The rod glowing cherry red well up past the flux, or an electrode charring and crumbling halfway through the weld.
• A teardrop-shaped, elongated puddle, which is a reliable tell-tale that too much heat is going in.

The open textbook guidance puts it plainly: a wide, flat bead with heavy spatter means the machine is too hot. Both undercut and burn-through trace back to excessive current or travel speed that’s too fast for the setting.

Arc Length: The Third Variable

Before you blame the chart, check the arc. A long arc does two things: it throws spatter and it lets the arc wander into undercut at the toes. An arc held too tight causes the opposite failure chain — lack of fusion and overlap first, then the rod sticking in the puddle. The quick rule is to hold the arc roughly one electrode diameter long, with a finished weld pool about twice the rod diameter wide. If your bead looks wrong but your amperage matches the box, the arc length is almost always the culprit.

The Five-Step Troubleshooting Loop

1. Read the range printed on the rod box and compare it to the chart row you’re using. The manufacturer wins any disagreement.
2. Lay a test bead on scrap of the same thickness, alloy, and position as the real joint.
3. Read the bead against the low and high symptoms above. Diagnose before you touch the dial.
4. Adjust in 5-amp steps (10 amps only for a gross miss) and run another bead.
5. Re-check the finished bead. Stop when the profile is flat-to-slightly-convex, the toes are tied in, and spatter is light.

Four Chart Mistakes That Keep Beads Bad

• Ignoring position. Overhead and vertical work need roughly 10–15% less heat than flat; running flat settings overhead is a leading cause of sagging beads. Our All Position Welding Rod Guide covers which rods tolerate which positions.
• Ignoring polarity. Setting a DCEP-only rod on AC (or vice versa) produces weak, unstable arcs no amperage can fix.
• Jumping rod sizes. Swapping to a thicker electrode without reworking thickness and amps usually means undercut on thin stock or cold lap on heavy plate.
• Treating the chart as gospel. The figures are starting windows, not laws. Altitude, cable length, machine duty cycle, and cable connections all shift real output.

Once the loop becomes habit, most “bad rod” complaints turn out to be settings problems. And if you’re starting to wonder whether stick is worth the fuss at all, our Advantages of Stick Welding piece makes the case for why so many welders still keep it as their first process.

Setting Up Safely: Chart Numbers in the Context of OSHA Rules

Everything up to this point has treated the stick chart as a weld-quality tool. It is also a safety tool, and that part rarely gets mentioned. Amperage controls how hard the arc burns, and a harder arc changes what goes into the air you breathe, how much spatter lands on your arms, and how stable the arc behaves the moment you strike it. Setting the machine from a chart is the first step of a safe setup, not a substitute for one.

What OSHA 1910.252 and 1910.254 Actually Require

Two OSHA standards frame almost every stick welding setup in a U.S. shop. 29 CFR 1910.252 covers general welding, cutting and brazing, and its central concern is the fume and gas hazard: employers must evaluate the process, keep exposures below the permitted limits, and provide ventilation sufficient to keep welding fume out of the welder’s breathing zone. The second, 29 CFR 1910.254, governs arc welding directly and says two things that surprise people.

• Open-circuit voltage limits. Manual arc welding machines are capped at 80 volts on AC and 100 volts on DC. Open-circuit voltage is what sits at the electrode holder before you touch the metal. If your machine reads well above those figures with the leads attached, that is a equipment problem to fix, not a number to ignore.
• Qualified operators. The standard requires that operators be properly instructed and qualified for the work they perform. A chart taped to the toolbox does not make anyone qualified; it makes a qualified person faster.

The same theme appears in OSHA’s welding fact sheet: correct settings, correct equipment condition and correct work practice are treated as one system.

Picking the Right Lens Shade

Filter shade is chosen after you know the process and the amperage, which is why it belongs in the same conversation as the chart. OSHA’s guidance in its eye protection fact sheet is deliberately simple: start with a shade too dark to see the weld zone, then move to a lighter shade that gives a sufficient view of the weld pool. In practice most stick work at 90–150 amps lands around shade 10, and darker rods and higher currents push the number up. The rule of thumb works because the wrong direction is the dangerous one — a shade that is too light lets the arc through, while a shade that is too dark only costs you a repositioning.

Fume Limits and What They Mean for Your Settings

The exposure numbers are worth knowing because they explain why over-amping a rod is more than a bead-quality mistake. Higher current increases fume generation, and a rod run far above its window burns its coating faster and hotter than it was designed to.

• Total particulate. NIOSH and OSHA record welding fume at 5 mg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average for iron, mild steel and aluminum. Exceeding it over a shift is what leads to metal fume fever, which produces delayed flu-like symptoms lasting one to two days.
• Hexavalent chromium. When welding stainless or other chromium-bearing metals, the limit drops dramatically: 5 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA under 29 CFR 1910.1026. OSHA’s fact sheet notes that prolonged fume exposure can cause lung damage and cancer.
• Manganese. Present in steel electrodes and flux, manganese exposure is associated with neurological effects, which is one reason chronic low-level exposure gets more attention than it did 20 years ago.

None of these limits change with your amp setting, but your dose does. Rod choice matters too: a low-hydrogen electrode run correctly produces different fume than a fast-freeze rod run hot on dirty plate. For deeper background on electrode chemistry, our Alloy Steel Welding Electrodes: Selection, Use & Safety guide walks through how filler composition affects both behavior and exposure.

Ventilation and Confined Spaces

The practical takeaway is simple. Use the arc welding stick chart to put the machine in its correct window, verify it against the rod box, dial your lens, and make sure the air is moving the right way. No amp setting, no matter how precise, justifies skipping gloves, leathers, a proper helmet or ventilation. The chart protects the weld; the rest of the setup protects you.

Practical Workflow, Common Chart Mistakes, and Final Takeaways

After covering every column, rule, and rod on this guide, the true value of an arc welding stick chart isn’t memorizing numbers, it’s building the habit of using them correctly. Charts are starting points, not gospel. With a little scrap in front of you, you can lock in solid settings for just about any carbon steel job you take on. Here’s how to put everything you’ve learned into practice.

Your Workflow To Use Tonight

Before striking your first arc for a job, run through this checklist. It’s quick, and it’ll save you a mountain of stuck rods.

1. Identify your rod. Read the rod class and diameter straight from the electrode box (Ex: E7018, 1/8 in). Don’t guess based off of leftover rods in your can.
2. Find your row. Locate that exact class and diameter on your chart to get its amperage window, polarity, and position ratings.
3. Start mid-range. Don’t set to the absolute maximum. Start at the middle of the manufacturer’s range — for E7018 1/8 in on 1/4 in plate that means roughly 110–125 A rather than the full 110–165 A window.
4. Test on matching scrap. Grab a piece of scrap that is the same thickness as your workpiece and run a short test bead. This is the most important step of them all.
5. Adjust in small increments. Dial your amperage in 5–10 A increments, making one change at a time until your puddle becomes controllable.
6. Verify position and polarity. Double check your polarity against the chart for your rod, as well as your position. Out-of-position and root passes run cooler than flat production welds, which is why a single chart number rarely fits every joint in the same job.
7. Inspect your bead. Compare your test bead to the good versus bad signs from the troubleshooting section before moving onto your actual joint.

Top Chart Mistakes To Avoid

Even with a solid chart, it’s easy to fall into these shop-traps. Be on the lookout for the following:

• Oversizing your rod. Never use an electrode larger than the thickness of the metal being welded on thin work; a 5/32 in rod on 1/8 in steel will blow through with little chance of control.
• Trusting the chart alone. A chart is a starting range, not a finished setting. Machine age, lead length, and even your ground connection can all shift your ideal amperage.
• Welding thin sheet too hot. Stick welding on thin sheet below 1/8 in is difficult by nature, so drop to a 1/16 in or 3/32 in rod and the bottom of the range, or choose a different process.
• Forgetting position. Running a flat setting for an overhead or vertical-up joint will almost always cause an uncontrollably fluid puddle. Expect to drop heat for out-of-position work.
• Using damp 7018. Low-hydrogen rods are extremely moisture sensitive. If your E7018 has been left open to the shop air for extended periods of time, it needs to be properly re-conditioned. No amperage change can fix hydrogen cracking from wet electrodes.
• Skipping the polarity check. Many of the most popular rods have very specific polarity requirements. Running the wrong polarity can ruin arc stability before you even get to tweak your amps.

Shop Tips, Limitations, & When To Ignore The Chart

Every shop is different, so it’s worth tailoring your reference to fit yours.

• Make a personal shop chart. Don’t rely solely off of a laminated poster. Grab a scrap of metal and log your ideal amps for your specific machine per rod. Write down polarity, position, and notes for each setting. This will be far more accurate than any generic printout.
• Work with limited output. For machines in the 110–140 V range, you simply won’t be able to reach the top end of larger diameter rods. Focus on smaller diameters (1/16 in or 3/32 in) and don’t be afraid to utilize the massive versatility seen within the advantages of stick welding to work around its power limitations.
• Know when to switch processes. The chart is designed for SMAW on steel. For non-ferrous materials such as aluminum, stick is not the ideal route. For repairs like these, it’s worth looking into resources such as alloy wheel welding or aluminum boat welding to utilize processes better suited for heat conductivity.
• Ignore the chart for extreme joint constraints. Root passes, tight backings, heavily contaminated surfaces, or repaired, unknown alloys may require settings well outside of the textbook window. When in doubt, lean heavier towards your test bead over the printed number.

Final Takeaways

At the end of the day, your arc welding stick chart will always be your roadmap, however, your puddle will always be your GPS. Take the time to build your workflow, avoid the common mistakes, and customize your reference to your own machine. Most importantly, never sacrifice safety to chase a setting. Always ensure proper ventilation and the correct PPE to remain in compliance with OSHA welding fume and hazard guidelines.

Start small, test religiously, and take notes with every job. With enough scrap passed underneath your hood, the chart will slowly become second nature. From there, the only thing left to do is to keep learning, keep testing, and keep laying beads one controlled puddle at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an arc welding stick chart?

An arc welding stick chart is a quick-reference table that matches stick (SMAW) electrode class and diameter to the correct amperage range, polarity, welding position and base-metal thickness. It tells you where to set your machine before striking an arc, and it works as a starting point rather than an exact command.

What amp should I set my stick welder at?

A reliable starting rule is 1 amp per .001 inch of electrode diameter, so a 1/8-inch rod starts around 125 amps. Then confirm against the chart’s range and the rod box, run a test bead on scrap of the same thickness, and adjust in 5–10 amp increments.

How do I choose the right rod diameter for my metal thickness?

Use 3/32-inch rod for material under 1/8 inch, 1/8-inch rod for 1/8 to 1/4 inch plate, and 5/32-inch rod or larger for anything over 1/4 inch. Never use a rod thicker than the plate on thin work, because the excess heat will burn through.

What is the difference between 6010, 6011, 6013 and 7018 rods on the chart?

6010 is a deep-penetration DCEP rod for roots and pipe, 6011 is the AC-friendly version for rusty or dirty metal, 6013 has a soft arc ideal for sheet and beginners, and 7018 is a low-hydrogen structural rod that requires dry storage. Each has its own amperage window, so the class column matters as much as the diameter.

Why does my welding rod keep sticking to the metal?

The usual cause is amperage that is too low, an arc length that is too short, or a strike technique that is too abrupt. Turn the machine up slightly, scratch the rod like a match, and keep the arc length about equal to the rod diameter.

How do I know if my amperage is too high?

Signs include heavy spatter, undercut at the weld toes, a fluid puddle that is hard to control, burn-through on thinner plate, and the electrode glowing cherry red. Back the setting down in small steps until the puddle is oval, controllable and tied into both sides.

Does polarity matter when using a stick chart?

Yes — many charts list AC, DCEP and DCEN because coatings are formulated for specific currents. DCEP typically gives about 10% more penetration than AC at the same amperage, and a DCEP-only rod like 6010 will run poorly on a machine that only outputs AC.

Do I reduce amperage when welding overhead or vertical?

Yes. Overhead generally needs about 15% less heat than flat, and vertical-up is commonly reduced roughly 10% to keep the puddle from sagging. Flat-position welds can use the upper part of the chart’s range for faster travel.

Is a stick chart’s amperage range a strict requirement?

No — AWS classifications specify electrode performance, not operating amperage. The numbers come from manufacturers as recommended starting windows, and the final setting must be tuned to your machine, plate thickness, position and travel speed.