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Welding: The DIY Guide > TIG Tutorial > TIG Amp Calculator

TIG Calculator

The TIG calculator is intended as a print out reference for DIY TIG welders but is only intended as a starting
point. Once you get the hang of TIG welding you might find you prefer to weld at higher or lower amps
depending on technique and travel speed. Complete beginners might prefer to run maybe 10% lower amps to
compensate for slower speed, but if you find you need to reduce amps much more then your arc gap is
probably too long.

We've only covered up to 3mm in the chart. Beyond that thickness (apart from for specialist applications)
you would tend to do multiple runs or just use TIG for the root weld and use Arc or MIG for filling in the
remainder of the joint.

Mild Steel

Open root butt joint

(gap is half of
material thicknesss)

Practice beads
Steel Filler
Tungsten
Thickness Rod Lap joint
(mm)
(mm) (mm) Fillet joint
Closed root butt
joint

Outside corner joint

Amps Amps Amps

0.8 1.0 1.0 or 1.6 25 30 20

1

1.0 1.0 1.0 or 1.6 30 35 25

1

1.2 1.0 1.6 35 45 30

1.5 1.0 1.6 45 55 40

1.0 or
2.0 1.6 60 75 55
1.6 2

3.0 1.6 1.6 90 110 80

1
A 1.6mm tungsten is OK down to about 30 amps. It can be used on thinner material if the tip is kept very
sharp. Reduce the amps a little if using a 1.0mm tungsten.
2
2mm is the transition between 1.0mm and 1.6mm filler rod. The larger filler rod cools the weld pool more
than the smaller rod so you might add about 5 amps if using 1.6mm filler rod.

1 of 3 22/04/2013 12:04
 Stainless Steel

Stainless is less thermally conductive than mild steel, so heat does not flow away from the weld quite so
quickly. The amps required to weld stainless are about 10% lower than the amps used for mild steel.
Beginners might find the stainless chart handy for mild steel - the lower amps will compensate for a slower
travel speed.

Open root butt joint

(gap is half of
material thicknesss)

Practice beads
Steel Filler
Tungsten
Thickness Rod Lap joint
(mm)
(mm) (mm)
Closed root butt Fillet joint
joint

Outside corner joint

Amps Amps Amps

0.8 1.0 1.0 or 1.6 20 25 20

1

1.0 1.0 1.0 or 1.6 25 35 25

1

1.2 1.0 1.6 35 40 30

1.5 1.0 1.6 40 50 35

1.0 or
2.0 1.6 55 70 50
1.6 2

3.0 1.6 1.6 80 100 75

1
A 1.6mm tungsten is OK down to about 30 amps. It can be used on thinner material if the tip is kept very
sharp. Reduce the amps a little if using a 1.0mm tungsten.
2
2mm is the transition between 1.0mm and 1.6mm filler rod. The larger filler rod cools the weld pool more
than the smaller rod so you might add about 5 amps if using 1.6mm filler rod.

2 of 3 22/04/2013 12:04