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Find Your Setup

The Amp Lab

Process, material, thickness, position — get your amperage, wire size, voltage, gas, and machine class before you strike an arc.

THE AMP LAB

Welding Amperage Calculator

Process

MIGgas-shielded
Flux-Coregasless FCAW
TIGGTAW
StickSMAW

Material

Mild Steel
Stainless
Aluminum

Thickness

Rule of thumb baseline: ~1 amp per 0.001″ of steel. The calculator adjusts for material, process, and position on top of that.

Position

Flat / Horiz.
Vertical-Up
Overhead
Out-of-position work runs ~10% cooler to keep the puddle controllable.
075 150225300 AMPS
Amperage
Wire
Voltage
Gas
Polarity
Machine Class

Recommended Setup

Settings are starting points from standard amperage charts — always dial in on scrap first and check your machine and consumable manufacturer charts. Amperage assumes single-pass butt joints on clean material; dirty, painted, or galvanized steel changes everything (and galvanized fumes are toxic — grind the coating off).

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Guides, Reviews & Real Talk

Our blog covers everything from choosing your first welder to mastering overhead joints. No gatekeeping — just the knowledge you need to lay better beads.

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  • TIG vs MIG: Which Process to Learn First
  • Auto-Darkening Helmet Buyer's Guide
  • Flux-Core vs Gas-Shielded MIG Explained
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