Welding amperage chart
This welding amperage chart matches amps to metal thickness for MIG, TIG, and stick. Pick your process, base metal, and thickness to get starting amps, voltage, wire speed, gas flow, and consumable recommendations. Every number is a conservative starting point cross-referenced against Lincoln, Miller, and Hobart data. Run a test bead on scrap before you run production.
Updated September 2026
Quick answer
1/4 inch mild steel MIG, short circuit: 155–170 A, 19–22 V, .035" wire at 245–290 IPM, C25 at 30–35 CFH, multi-pass. One-pass fillets on 1/4 need .045" spray with 90/10 gas at 260–300 A. Use the selector below for other processes, metals, and thicknesses.
MIG mild steel short-circuit settings
ER70S-6 wire, 75/25 Ar/CO₂ (C25) shielding gas. The most common shop thicknesses in short-circuit transfer, from Lincoln’s published procedures. Heavier plate runs spray with 90/10 gas; see the MIG page.
Settings assume flat or horizontal position on clean steel. For vertical-up and overhead, start with the settings for one thickness thinner. That means less wire speed (and so fewer amps) and about a volt less than flat. Add about 5 CFH of gas in a drafty shop.
TIG mild steel DCEN settings
ER70S-2 filler rod, 100% argon shielding gas, DCEN polarity. 2% lanthanated (blue band) tungsten, sized to the top of the amp range.
Rule of thumb for steel TIG: ~1 amp per 0.001" of thickness. A 1/8" piece (0.125") needs about 125 amps as a starting point.
Stick electrode amperage by rod diameter
Amperage ranges for the six most common stick electrodes. Pick your electrode, find your rod diameter, and start in the middle of the range.
E7018 is the default for structural work. E6010 for root passes and dirty metal. Start in the middle of the range and adjust by 5–10 amps based on position and fit-up.
Printable welding settings charts
One letter-size PDF per process with every table from its page: MIG for steel, stainless, and aluminum in short-circuit and spray, TIG with tungsten sizing, and stick amps by rod and by metal thickness. Sources are printed at the bottom.
Full settings by process
The tables above cover mild steel. For stainless, aluminum, spray transfer, and detailed electrode guides, see the full process pages:
Questions welders keep asking
What amps should I use for 1/4 inch steel MIG?
With .035 wire and C25 in short-circuit: 155–170 A, 19–22 V, .035" wire at 245–290 IPM, C25 at 30–35 CFH, and more than one pass. That is the top of what .035 short-circuit can do on 1/4 plate, so bevel butt joints and check fusion on a test piece. Short-circuit MIG is not prequalified under AWS D1.1, so code work needs a qualified procedure. If your machine has the power, .045" wire in spray with 90/10 gas runs 260–300 A at 26–28 V and lays a 1/4 fillet in one pass, flat or horizontal. Burning through: slow the wire down a notch and speed up travel. Bead sitting on top with no tie-in: more wire speed and a volt more.
How do I know my voltage is right?
Listen. A smooth, steady crackle (like frying bacon) means you are in the sweet spot. If it sounds like a machine gun with loud pops, voltage is too low for the wire speed. If the arc is lazy and hissy with lots of spatter, voltage is too high. On short-circuit MIG, voltage controls arc length. Dial it in by ear, then fine-tune by looking at the bead profile.
What is the difference between short circuit and spray transfer?
Short circuit is the default mode on most shop MIG machines. The wire touches the puddle 20 to 200 times per second, and each short melts off a drop. Low heat, works in all positions, best for sheet up through about 3/16. Spray transfer starts above a transition current (about 175 A for .035 wire with 90/10 gas) where a stream of fine droplets crosses the arc without shorting. More heat, faster fill, flat and horizontal only. Spray needs at least 82% argon (Lincoln puts the limit at 18% CO₂). Past that, the CO₂ breaking down in the arc shoves the droplet around and you get globular transfer, not spray. C25 has too much CO₂ to spray, so run 90/10 or 95/5 Ar/CO₂ on steel and 98/2 Ar/O₂ on stainless.
What TIG tungsten size do I need?
Size it to the top of your amp range. On DCEN (steel and stainless), 1/16" is rated to about 160 A, 3/32" to 235 A, and 1/8" to 400 A. On AC for aluminum, 1/16" goes to about 150 A and 3/32" to 250 A. If the tip is balling up or melting on DC, go up a size. If the arc wanders at low amps, go down a size. 2% lanthanated (blue band) runs steel, stainless, and aluminum on an inverter. 1.5% lanthanated is the gold band.
Which stick rod should I use?
E7018 is the go-to for structural and general fabrication. Low hydrogen, smooth arc, X-ray quality beads. E6010 for root passes on pipe and dirty metal that you cannot grind clean. E6013 for sheet metal and thin stock where you need a soft arc. E7024 for flat production runs where you want maximum deposition. If you only carry two rods, carry E7018 and E6010.
Do these settings work for stainless and aluminum?
The tables on this page show mild steel because it is the most common. For TIG, stainless runs about 10–15% less amperage than mild steel at the same thickness. Stainless MIG uses tri-mix for short-circuit and 98/2 argon/oxygen for spray, never C25. Aluminum TIG runs on AC and takes more heat: 1/8" aluminum starts around 120–160 A, where 1/8" steel runs 80–130 A. Aluminum MIG uses pure argon and runs spray only. Use the selector at the top of the page for all three metals.
Why do my actual settings differ from the chart?
Every chart is a starting point, not a prescription. Your actual settings depend on joint fit-up, position, material condition, machine brand, contact tip condition, and a dozen other variables. Start with the chart number, run a test bead on scrap of the same material and thickness, and adjust from there. If the bead looks good and the penetration is right, that is your setting regardless of what any chart says.
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