What Is Stick Welding?- Equipment, And How to Do it

Stick welding is one of the oldest forms of welding and is still used today on a variety of applications, from construction to earth-moving equipment; all due to its simple welding technique.

It may not be quite as easy as MIG welding for a beginner, but stick welding-is certainly not as difficult or complicated as TIG welding.

Stick welding is a pretty good mid-ground, especially for those who want to avoid the hassle of having a gas tank, or who need to weld thicker pieces of metal.

What is Stick Welding (SMAW)?

Stick welding, whose formal terms may also include: manual arc welding, manual electrode welding, manual metal arc welding or, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), is usually the first welding process they teach to welders when they start their training.

It is easy to learn and already gives an insight into how welding systems work and about the ratio of metal to electrical voltage.

Stick welding is accomplished by striking an electric arc between a metal electrode and the work. When you run electric current through the electrode, it melts itself into the workpiece and creates a weld pool.

The electrode has a covering of flux which when melted, protects the weld pool, or molten metal, from atmospheric contamination.

The flux provides a layer of slag that will build up on top of the weld bead and must be chipped off and brushed down once the weld is completed.

An electric current (either alternating or direct) from a welding power source is used to create an electric arc between the electrode and the metals to be joined.

The electrode and workpiece melt creating the pool of molten metal (the weld pool) that then cools and provides a joint.

While the weld is made, the flux on the electrode burns off, producing vapors that provide a shielding gas, and a layer of slag, that all keep the weld zone shielded from the atmosphere.

Because of the versatility of the process and the simplicity of equipment and operation, shielded metal arc welding is among the world’s oldest and most popular welding processes.

As a simple process to perform, it is popular with all outdoor welders – because it is not affected by wind, like welding with gas (MIG or TIG).

It has a significant prevalence over all other welding processes in the maintenance and repair sector, and while flux cored arc welding (FCAW) is becoming more popular; SMAW is still widely used for heavy steel structure assembly, and in the industrial manufacturing sector.

Although primarily used to weld iron and steel (including stainless steel), iron and steel can also be welded using the SMAW process. The process can be used to weld aluminum, nickel, and copper alloys as well.

Stick Welding Diagram

What do You need to Start Welding?

1. Safety Equipment

When welding, the most critical factor is always your personal safety. You should read and follow every safety information and instruction in the manual that comes with any equipment you may use when stick welding.

When you are welding, you will need to use body protection to protect you from heat, ultraviolet rays, and sparks generated by the arc. Fire-retardant long-sleeve clothing will protect your body, and safety glasses and a welding helmet will protect your head and eyes.

Welding will only be performed when enough ventilation is available. Fumes will be generated just from welding. If you are outside and there is a breeze you should be fine, but indoors you will need full access to ventilation. Exhaust is the most effective way to get fumes out of an area.

2. Stick Welder

You won’t be capable of any stick welding without a stick welder. You can use a multipurpose welder that will allow you to weld with more than one type- MIG, TIG & Stick for example, or you can just use a stick only welder, which is considerably cheaper.

There are many welders on the market. Refer to our full guide on selecting a stick welder for more on this.

3. Ground Clamp

Your ground clamp will usually come with the welder. if should be plugged into the stick welder and clamped to the workpiece.

4. Slag Removing Tools

The weld results in a layer of slag over the top of your weld when you use stick welding. Because of this, you need to clean the weld after you’ve completed it. You can chip the slag away cleanly with a slag chip and hammer, and afterwards, scrub it with a wire brush.

5. Choosing your Electrode

There are hundreds upon hundreds of different brands of stick electrodes, and you will need to decide which one is appropriate for your welding project. They are most commonly referred to as 6010, 6011, 6012, 6013, 7014, 7024, and 7018.

When welding mild steel, any E60 or E70 will be suitable. 7018 is probably the most popular electrode out of all of them and will provide the strong welds, but as a beginner I would recommend starting with6013.

To understand which to choose, you will need to understand what each of the 4 numbers means.

• The first two digits denote the minimum tensile strength of the electrode, for example a 60,000-psi tensile strength electrode would start with 60. This value would have to be equivalent to the strength properties of the base metal.
• The third digit indicates the position of the electrode while welding. The number one means it can be used in all positions, whereas number 2 only welds in flat position.
• The fourth digit indicates the current you can use for the electrode and the coating on the electrode. We have a reference chart for that below.

6. Stick Welding Setup

Setting up a stick welder is a pretty simple one. Keep in mind that your polarity settings depend upon what electrode you will be using so you should make sure you check if you have AC/DC-/DC+. To begin with, you can try some 6013 electrodes on DCEN on some 3/16-inch steel plate.

How to Lay Your First Stick Weld

You have done everything and you are ready to weld. Please double check your settings and take a couple pieces of scrap metal, and place them down as a butt joint. Stick welding is a skill so it’s best to practice on some scrap metal before jumping in there to weld on an actual project.

Striking the Arc

After the entire electrode has been inserted into the electrode holder, turn the welder on. To strike the arc, place the tip of the electrode onto the metal surface and quickly drag it across similar to how you would when striking a match. If the arc is struck, raise the electrode slightly and you can start to move it across the metal.

If the electrode sticks to the metal, twist it slightly to break it free. If the arc did cut out, you had lifted the electrode too high above the surface and you should have kept it lower.

Once you have struck the arc, it should sound similar to frying bacon; if it sounds loud and aggressive, you need to turn the amperage down.

Moving the Electrode

Once the arc has been established you can start moving the electrode across the joint and carry out the weld. Before moving, however, ensure that the electrode is at the appropriate angle which is between 15 and 30% to the vertical.

Stick Welding Angle

Once you have found the correct angle you will need to slowly pull the electrode back towards you. You cannot push the electrode because the slag will get trapped in the weld pool and cause porosity.

You will need to keep a steady hand so I recommend resting your other elbow on the table and holding your hand that is holding the electrode in place to steady it. Try it out a few times and troubleshoot using the troubleshooting section at the end of this post.

Other Welding Positions

If you are welding a fillet in the upside down T weld configuration, you will want to adjust the angle to about 35% up from the horizontal tonal angle.

This is due to the fact that the weld will start to fall slightly because of the effects of gravity (and you will need to make some angle adjustment to help push the bead back up against gravity effects).

The more slag that is generated, the larger angle you will need. If your angle is too small, the slag would fall into the weld pool and cause a weld defect.

Common Mistakes and How to Reduce Them

As a beginner stick welder, it is highly likely you will mess up from time to time, even if you have welding experience with MIG or TIG processes.

The most common mistakes I see are having too long of an arc, having the improper drag angle, having the wrong travel speed, and having the wrong amperage.

• A lot of spatter: There are numerous reasons for spatter during welding. One of the most common is long arc length. Make sure to hold the electrode very slightly up from the workpiece, otherwise the arc cannot focus and deafens the noise it makes as it jumps around wildly instead of creating a smooth arc. If there is spatter and the arc makes a loud screeching sound, then you almost certainly have the amperage set too high and need to reduce it.
• Porosity: Parasto of a stick weld is usually caused by the electrode angle being too steep. If you do not keep the slag at the back of the weld pool by pulling the electrode back at an angle, the slag gets mixed into the puddle as the puddle forms, resulting in porosity.
• Undercut: Undercut appears as a dimple at the toe of the weld between the weld and the plate, making the weld weaker. If you have an undercut and the weld looks burnt out, then try turning it down because it is too hot.
• Thin weld bead: An ideal stick weld bead is approximately 2.5 times the diameter of the electrode. If the weld is very thin, then it will not provide sufficient penetration. See if slowing down to 1/2 the rate you were previously taking the electrode will provide a wider weld bead.
• Lumpy weld bead: If you are moving the electrode too slow the filler metal will puddle up and be lumpy. If you are using too low of amperage then the penetration is limited, the filler only sits on top of the joint.
• Trouble starting arc: Trouble starting the arc often means you have the amperage too low for the base metal size, creating a weak arc because it is too cold. Try turning up the amp, around 15 amps and see if it is easier to start a steady arc.

Five Steps to Improving Your Stick Welding Technique

Stick welding, commonly referred to as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), is for many people, particularly beginners, the hardest welding process to learn, or to make produce consistently good results.

Experienced welders can simply pick up a stinger, plug an electrode in, and produce nice welds over and over again. This can fill the rest of us with envy and awe at how they can so easily and naturally make stick welding look like an effortless and almost downright easy undertaking.

Of course we do not have to struggle with stick welding, as long as we pay attention to, and keep in check, five basic elements of our technique: current setting, arc length, the angle of the electrode, manipulation of the electrode, and travel speed (current setting, arc length, angle, manipulation of the electrode, and travel speed (CLAMS)).

If we can succeed at addressing those basic areas, we should see positive improvement.

1. Pre-Preparation

Although stick welding may be the most forgiving process when dealing with dirty or rusty metal, this should not be an excuse for cleaning the metal before welding. Use a wire brush or grinder to remove dirt, rust, or other contaminates from the welding area.

Skipping these steps (cleaning the metal, proper location for work clamp) could decrease your chances for making a good weld in your first pass.

Dirty conditions can create cracks, porosity, lack of fusion, inclusions, and/or other defects in the weld. Also, while you are in the wled, ensure you have a clear area for the work clamp. Again, a good, solid electrical connection is necessary to maintain quality of the arc.

Position yourself to see the weld puddle clearly. It may be helpful to keep your face slightly off to the side to avoid welding fumes. This will ensure you are welding in the joint, and keeping the arc on the leading edge of the weld puddle. Ensure your stance allows you to comfortably support and manipulate the electrode.

Don’t be discouraged! There is a learning curve to stick welding; it is often said that stick welding received its name because when everyone is learning how to weld, they stick the electrode to the workpiece.

2. Current setting

The electrode you choose will dictate if your machine is setup to run on either DC positive, DC negative, or AC.

Make sure you have it set up properly for your application. (Electrode positive has about 10 percent greater penetration at a given amperage over AC and DC straight polarity, electrode negative welds well on thinner metals.)

The proper amperage setting depends mostly on the diameter and type of electrode you select. The manufacturer of the electrode will generally provide the operating ranges on the outside of the box (or in some at least some enclosed material).

Set your amperage based on your electrode (a general rule of thumb is 1 amp for each .001 inch of electrode diameter), welding position (15 percent less heat as compared to flat work on overhead work) and a visual check of the finished weld.

When adjusting your welder, make adjustments of 5 to 10 amps at a time until you reach the right manufacturing specification.

3. Length of arc

The correct arc length differs from electrode to electrode and application to application. As a general rule, the arc length should not be greater than the diameter of the metal component (core) of the electrode. For example, the 1/8-inch 6010 electrode held about 1/8 inch away from the base material.

4. Manipulation of electrode

Each welder manipulates their electrode differently. This is why the idea of developing your own style comes into effect. It is by watching others, practicing, and determining which techniques create the best outcomes.

For thickness’ of 1/4 inch and less, in most situations, weaving the electrode isn’t needed, as your bead will seem overly wide. There are times, a straight bead is all that will be need.

To create a wider bead on a thick material, manipulate the electrode from side to side creating a series of circles that partially overlap in a ‘Z’ semi-circle or step pattern.

Don’t move side to side further than two diameters of the electrode core. To cover a wider area, you can do multiple passes or make use of stringer beads.

When you are welding vertically up, focus on the sides of the joint, and the middle won’t be an issue. Just move across the middle of the joint slowly enough to allow the weld puddle to get caught up.

At the sides of the weld, pause just a little longer to allow the tie-in to solidify. If you have fish scales in your weld, then you moved too quickly to advance and didn’t hold long enough on the sides.

5. Speed of travel

While maintaining the arc in the leading one third of the weld pool should come easily at the speed you are traveling, a slower travel speed will create a wider bead with a convex appearance and shallow penetration, which can lead to cold-lap, in which it appears as though the weld was simply resting on the surface of the material.

Traveling too quickly will also lessen the penetration and create a narrow and/or highly crowned bead, and may produce underfill or undercutting, in which the area surrounding the weld was concave or recessed.

In the image below notice how at the end of the bead there is an inconsistent appearance of the bead, as if the puddle was attempting to catch up.

Advantages of Stick Welding

• No separate shielding gas are required.
• Basic equipment is used.
• A wide range of types and sizes of electrodes are available.
• It can be used with a variety of metals. …
• It works well outdoors and indoors.
• It can be learned fairly easily.
• It’s good for a range of projects.

Disadvantages of Stick Welding

• Stick welding is slower than other methods of welding.
• It is a complex process that requires a welder who is skilled and experienced with stick welding
• It takes time to chip the slag that is created during the weld
• It is difficult to weld thinner metals
• The welding rods must be changed out many times more than in other forms of welding
• There can be excessive spatter, rough surfaces, and porosity when stick welding

FAQs