How to Use a Stick Welder: The Complete Beginner-to-Confident Guide (SMAW)

What Stick Welding Actually Is (and Why It Still Rules the Field)

You clamp the ground, flip down your helmet, and drag the rod across the plate. It sticks. You wrench it free, try again, and this time — crack — the arc catches, the puddle blooms, and a bead finally forms. That first clean arc is the moment stick welding stops feeling like a fight and starts feeling like a skill.

Stick welding — formally Shielded Metal Arc Welding, or SMAW — is the original and still one of the most widely used manual arc processes in the world. The setup is almost absurdly simple: a consumable, flux-coated electrode (the “stick”) is held in a stinger, an electric arc jumps from the rod tip to the workpiece, and that arc melts both the rod and the base metal into one shared molten pool.

The clever part is the flux coating. As the arc burns, the flux creates its own shielding gas that pushes away the oxygen and nitrogen in the air, which would otherwise contaminate the weld. It also forms a protective layer over the puddle. That self-generated shielding means stick welding needs no external shielding gas — no bottle, no regulator, no hose.

The Arc, the Puddle, the Slag, and the Crater

Here’s the physics in plain terms. Current flows from the electrode tip to the workpiece, generating intense heat. The rod’s core wire melts and fills the joint while the flux coating vaporizes into shielding gas. As the puddle solidifies behind you, the molten flux cools into a hard slag blanket that insulates the weld and slows cooling. The finish point leaves a shallow depression called a crater, and the slag chips off once everything cools.

Stick welding’s roots reach back to the late 1800s, when Nikolay Benardos patented a carbon-arc process and C.L. Coffin earned a U.S. patent for a metal electrode. In the early 1900s, Oscar Kjellberg added a flux coating to the electrode — the breakthrough that made SMAW practical, portable, and commercial.

Why Stick Still Rules the Field

That portability is why stick remains the go-to for pipelines, construction sites, field repair, shipyards, and remote locations. It runs off a generator, needs no gas bottle or wire feeder, and works outdoors in wind because the flux shields the arc — something gas-shielded MIG and TIG struggle with. OSHA classifies arc welding among the most widely used fusion welding types, and the 1910.252 welding standard exists precisely because this process is so common.

By the end of this guide you’ll understand how the arc, flux, slag, and puddle work together, how to set up your machine, which electrode to grab, and how to strike and hold an arc that actually travels. Stick has a real learning curve — most instructors estimate roughly 20–40 hours of focused practice to build basic consistency — but it’s the most forgiving process to learn on. When you’re ready to put in those hours, our guide to building real welding skills shows you how to practice deliberately instead of just burning rod.

How SMAW Works: Arc, Flux, Slag, and the Molten Puddle

Stick welding looks like magic the first time it works. You drag a coated rod across steel, a blinding arc flares, and a molten pool appears out of nowhere. But every bit of that is predictable physics — and understanding it is what separates a welder who guesses from one who controls the bead.

From Holder to Arc: The Current Path

The electrode holder clamps the bare end of the rod, passing welding current from the machine’s lead into the metal core. The ground clamp completes the circuit through the workpiece. When the rod tip touches the base metal, current flows freely — then you lift slightly, and the circuit breaks across a tiny air gap. That gap is the arc: electricity jumping the air, ionizing it into plasma hot enough to melt steel at roughly 6,500°F (3,600°C).

The arc gap is roughly equal to the electrode diameter for a proper arc length. A 1/8-inch rod wants about a 1/8-inch gap. Get it right and the arc hums with a steady crackle.

The Three Players: Core, Flux, and Base Metal

Three elements do the work:

• Metal core — the filler metal that melts into the joint.
• Flux coating — the real genius of the process. As it burns, it decomposes into a shielding gas blanket that pushes oxygen and nitrogen away from the puddle, forms slag that floats up and protects the cooling weld, stabilizes and directs the arc, and adds alloying elements that tune the deposit’s chemistry — differences the American Welding Society codifies in its electrode classifications.
• Base metal — the parent metal you’re joining. It melts and mixes with the filler to form the fusion zone.

Once the weld cools, you chip and brush off the slag. What’s left underneath is solid, shielded metal.

The molten puddle is where it all converges. Filler, melted base metal, and flux byproducts churn together while slag rises to the top. Watch the puddle, not the arc.

Arc Length: The Variable You Feel

Arc length controls voltage more directly than any knob on the machine. Lengthen the gap and voltage climbs, which widens the puddle, splatters more metal, and lets the shielding gas drift away — a recipe for porosity. Push the rod too close and the puddle shorts against the tip, sticking the rod to the work and momentarily killing the arc.

AC vs. DC: Taming the Arc

The type of current changes how the arc behaves. DC holds a stable, directional arc that’s easier to control and preferred for thin material and out-of-position work. AC reverses direction every cycle, which naturally re-strikes the arc and resists arc blow, but it’s louder and a little less smooth. Direct current electrode negative (DCEN) drives more heat into the work for deeper penetration; electrode positive (DCEP) drives it into the rod for faster melt-off. For a deeper look at how polarity shapes the arc, compare it with TIG welding polarity, where the same principles govern a very different process.

Melt-Off, Deposition, and Duty Cycle

Melt-off rate is how fast the rod burns down, and deposition rate is how much usable weld metal lands per hour. Higher amperage speeds both. Duty cycle is the percentage of a 10-minute period a machine can run at a given amperage without overheating. A 60% duty cycle at 150 amps means six minutes of welding, four minutes of cooling — exceed that and a thermal switch shuts you down.

Read all four together and the machine stops being a mystery box. You’ll know why a rod freezes, why a bead suddenly goes porous, and why your welder trips offline on a long pass.

Setting Up Your Stick Welder: Machine, Leads, Ground, and PPE

Before you strike a single arc, set up your machine and your body for the work. A good setup makes striking an arc easier; a sloppy one makes you fight the process and the safety risks at the same time. Work through this checklist in order.

Pick the Right Machine for the Job

Stick welders come in three broad flavors, and each has a place:

• AC “buzz box” transformer. The classic inexpensive shop machine. AC-only means it runs basic electrodes like 6011, 6013, and 7018AC well, but some rods (like standard E7018) run better on DC. Great for learning on thick steel.
• DC inverter. Lightweight, smooth, and usually selectable between DCEN and DCEP. This flexibility matters because polarity controls penetration and how the rod behaves. It’s the best all-rounder for a home shop.
• Engine-driven. A generator and welder in one, common for field and pipeline work where grid power is unavailable. It can run DC stick, and often TIG or wire feed too.

Beginners are usually best served by a small DC inverter: it’s light, smooth on 6010 and 6011, and lets you experiment with polarity. If polarity confuses you now, don’t worry — the DCEN vs. DCEP logic shows up in TIG welding polarity too.

Leads, Ground Clamp, and Electrode Holder

Two cables do the work: the electrode lead (holder end) and the work lead (ground clamp end). Check both for clean, tight connections — a loose lug or a dirty ground clamp is one of the most common causes of a weak, sputtering arc. Inspect the cable jacket for cuts and cracks; exposed copper near a hot, moving electrode is a genuine hazard.

Match the electrode holder to the amperage you plan to run and to the rod diameter. A holder rated for 200 amps will struggle and overheat if you push 250. Twist the rod firmly into the jaw so it contacts metal-to-metal — a loose rod sputters and sticks.

Ground the work properly: clamp directly to clean, bare metal on the workpiece, close to the weld. Painted, rusty, or greasy surfaces block current. If you’re running long cables repeatedly, quick-connect welding leads make machine changes fast.

PPE Before Anything Else

Put your gear on before the machine is switched on. OSHA 1910.252(b) requires helmets or hand shields during all arc welding, with the correct filter lens for the process.

Eye protection standards are set by ANSI Z87.1 (basic eye protection) and the Z49.1 welding safety consensus standard, which both feed into OSHA’s requirements. See our guide to protective eyewear for welding for shade selection detail.

The OSHA welding fact sheet flags fumes and gases as a real concern — galvanized coatings, paints, and degreasers can all produce hazardous fumes when heated. Weld in the open or with extraction, and wear a respirator rated for metal fume when you can’t.

Set Up a Safe, Clear Workspace

Clear a work area before you weld. OSHA 1910.252(a) requires combustible floors to be kept wet, covered with damp sand, or protected by fire-resistant shields. The agency also recommends a 35-foot (10 m) fire-watch radius, with movable fire hazards removed before welding begins. Keep a fire extinguisher within reach and never weld near fuel, solvents, or paper.

With the machine set, leads checked, ground clamped tight, and PPE on, you’re finally ready to make sparks.

Choosing Stick Electrodes: Reading AWS Classifications Like a Pro

The rod is half the weld. Choose correctly and even average technique produces a sound joint; choose badly and flawless travel speed won’t rescue you. Every common mild-steel stick electrode carries a short code stamped on the flux, and under the American Welding Society‘s A5.1 specification that code tells you the strength, the positions it runs in, the coating chemistry, and the current it needs. Read it once and electrode selection becomes a decision, not a guess.

Decoding the AWS A5.1 Number

Take E7018. Each character carries meaning:

• E = electrode.
• 70 = minimum tensile strength in ksi, so 70,000 psi. A 60 rod is 60,000 psi.
• 1 = welding position.
• 8 = flux coating and current type.

The position digit trips up beginners most, so memorise it:

The final digit identifies the coating and the current it prefers. Match it to your machine’s output or the rod simply won’t run. The common values on mild-steel rods:

Notice how position and coating overlap. E7024 uses the same iron-powder-titania coating as E7014, but its position digit of 2 restricts it to flat and horizontal fillets, where the fast-freezing slag can’t run ahead of the puddle.

The Three Coating Families

Cellulosic coatings (E6010, E6011) are thin and water-based. They burn off to shield the arc with gas and produce a forceful, digging arc that bites through rust and paint. Flux is minimal, so penetration is deep and the puddle freezes fast, ideal for root passes and vertical-up work.

Rutile coatings (E6013, and the iron-powder titania E7014) are rich in titanium dioxide. The arc is soft and stable, spatter is low, and the slag practically lifts off. This is the friendly territory where beginners should live.

Basic or low-hydrogen coatings (E7018, E7024) use lime-based flux that keeps hydrogen out of the weld, delivering tough, ductile deposits for code work. Hydrogen is the enemy of high-strength steel: it migrates into the weld and can cause underbead cracking days after you finish.

The Workhorse Rods

• E6010 — cellulosic, DCEP only. It will not run on AC. Deep-digging penetration makes it the classic pipeline root rod.
• E6011 — cellulosic potassium, the AC-capable alternative to E6010. Runs on AC or DCEP and shrugs off dirty, rusty steel.
• E6013 — rutile, all-position, easy to strike and restart. With its high-titania coating it’s the most forgiving beginner rod and works on AC or DC in either polarity.
• E7014 — iron-powder titania. Smoother, higher deposition than E6013 while staying easy to run on AC or DC.
• E7018 — low-hydrogen iron powder, the structural standard. Runs on DCEP or AC and delivers strong, ductile welds; see our 3/16 E7018 amperage guide for settings. It demands careful handling.
• E7024 — high iron powder for flat and horizontal only. Huge deposition rates for big fillets.

Polarity confuses many newcomers, and the logic carries across processes — our guide to DCEN vs DCEP explains how electron flow shapes penetration and bead profile.

Matching the Rod to the Job

If you’re staring at a shelf of rods and unsure what to grab, use this shortcut:

• Learning on clean steel? E6013.
• Rusty, painted, or fit-up gaps? E6011.
• Root pass on pipe? E6010 (DCEP) or E6011.
• Structural, code-inspected work? E7018.
• Burying a big flat fillet fast? E7024.

One last habit: read the box, not just the rod. Manufacturers print the AWS classification, the recommended current, and the storage requirements on every package. When in doubt, that label outranks advice from the next bench over. Start with E6013 to learn the arc, add E6011 for dirty steel and roots, then graduate to E7018 when your projects need code-quality strength.

Getting Your Settings Right: Amperage, Polarity, and Rod-to-Thickness Match

Two dials decide whether your stick welder sings or stutters: amperage and polarity. Get them right and the rod runs smooth, the slag curls off, and the puddle behaves. Get them wrong and you spend the afternoon fighting sticking rods, spatter, and porosity. Here’s how to dial in your machine the way experienced welders do.

Amperage: The Heat Dial

Amperage is heat. More amps means a hotter arc, deeper fusion, and faster travel. Too little and the electrode sticks, stubs out, and piles up cold, lumpy metal. Too much and you blow holes through thin steel, undercut the edges, and burn the flux right off the rod. Start with the ranges below, then adjust up or down by five to ten amps as you watch the puddle. A rod that runs with a steady, bacon-frying crackle is usually dialed in; one that hums, pops, or stubs is not.

Polarity: Where the Heat Goes

Current type and polarity decide where the arc’s heat concentrates. On a stick machine you’ll meet three modes, and they change how a rod behaves as much as amperage does.

• DCEP (electrode positive, or reverse polarity) drives more heat into the workpiece for deeper penetration and a wider fusion zone. It’s the default for most electrodes.
• DCEN (electrode negative, or straight polarity) sends more heat into the rod instead. You get lighter penetration and higher deposition, which suits thin material and helps fill faster.
• AC alternates between the two many times a second. It resists arc blow, runs on simple transformer “buzz box” machines, and is often the choice for outdoor or magnetic-heavy work.

Not every rod likes every polarity. E7018 is designed to run on DCEP or AC; run it on DCEN and you get a poor, unstable arc that can leave porous welds. E6013’s rutile coating is the flexible one, running happily on AC, DCEP, or DCEN. Similar rules govern other processes, so if you want the wider picture, see how TIG welding polarity handles DCEN, DCEP, and AC for precision work, and when DC welding aluminium is the right call.

Changing polarity is mechanical, not magical. To switch from DCEP to DCEN, swap the electrode holder lead and the ground clamp lead at the machine terminals. DCEP puts the holder on positive and the ground on negative; DCEN reverses that. If your machine uses plug-in connectors, you’re simply moving one lead to the other socket.

Matching Rod Diameter to Metal Thickness

A simple rule: the rod diameter should never be larger than the thickness of the metal you’re welding. Oversized rods need more current to melt, which overheats thin stock and burns through. Smaller rod, thinner metal.

• 14–16 gauge sheet: 3/32 in rod
• 1/8 to 3/16 in plate: 1/8 in rod
• 1/4 in and thicker: 5/32 or 3/16 in rod

When the metal gets heavier, reach for a bigger rod and multiple passes instead of forcing high amps through a small electrode. Our guide to 3/16 E7018 amperage covers settings, polarity, and technique for thick stock.

Reading the Arc: Too Hot or Too Cold?

The puddle tells you everything. Learn the signs and you can tune amperage in seconds.

• Too cold: the rod sticks and stubs, the arc crackles weakly, and the bead sits high and narrow with poor fusion at the edges.
• Too hot: the arc roars, the bead spreads flat and wide, undercut forms along the toes, and thin metal blows through.

Nudge the amps in small steps, keep your arc length tight, and practice on scrap until the sound and the puddle finally line up. That feel is what separates a welder from a welder who owns a machine — and our guide to welding practice shows how to build it fast.

Striking and Holding the Arc: Scratch Start, Tap Start, and Arc Length Control

Every other stick welding skill sits on top of about two seconds of coordination: getting the arc to light, and keeping it lit at the right distance. Get those two things right and the puddle takes care of itself.

Scratch Start: The Beginner’s Best Friend

Scratch starting is exactly what it sounds like. You drag the rod tip lightly across the surface the way you’d strike a match, then lift to arc length the instant it catches. The drag gives the tip a moment to heat and ionize the air, which is why beginners find it far easier than anything else. It’s the natural fit for E6013 and other rutile rods, which shrug off the scraping motion.

The catch is that scratching scrapes across the flux coating, and on a low-hydrogen rod like E7018 that coating is doing real work. Chip it and you’ve compromised the very thing you paid for.

Tap Start: The E7018 Standard

Tap starting replaces the drag with a quick, straight-down tap followed by an immediate lift. The rod touches, the arc strikes, and you’re at arc length before the coating has time to suffer. This is the method required for E7018 and most low-hydrogen electrodes, precisely because scratching can damage the coating and let moisture and contaminants into the weld. Tap a little too hard and the rod sticks; tap too softly and it just bounces. A few dozen reps and it becomes automatic.

Arc Length: The Gap You Can’t See

Arc length is the distance between the tip of the rod and the molten puddle, a gap that lives behind your helmet’s darkest lens. The rule of thumb is simple: keep it about one electrode diameter. A 1/8-inch rod should ride roughly 1/8 inch off the metal.

Too long, and the arc spreads: heavy spatter, a wandering, unstable arc, and porosity as the arc loses shielding and pulls in air. Too short, and the rod stubs into the puddle, sticks, and cuts out. E7018 in particular wants a genuinely short arc to preserve its low-hydrogen shielding properties, which is one reason it’s a rod that rewards practice.

Riding the Rod as It Burns Down

Here’s the part nobody tells you: every inch the rod burns, it gets shorter, and if your hand stays still, your arc length grows. A perfect start turns into a long, sputtering arc halfway down the rod. You have to consciously advance your hand, feeding the rod in, to hold a constant arc length and travel speed. Check it by sound. A steady bacon-frying crackle means you’re about right; a hissing, spitting sound means the arc has stretched.

Rod Angle and the Drag Technique

Hold the rod tilted slightly, around 10 to 20 degrees from vertical, leaning into the direction of travel. That’s drag, or backhand, technique. Dragging lets the arc force push the molten slag back behind the puddle instead of letting it run ahead and get trapped in the weld. Keep a drag angle for flat and horizontal work; switch to pushing only for vertical-up or overhead. The same visual logic applies to other processes, which is why reading a weld bead by eye transfers across machines so well.

Restarting a Hot Rod

When you stop mid-bead, the rod tip cools into a slag-covered stub. Strike the arc an inch or so ahead of the crater, then quickly bring the rod back into the puddle, long enough to remelt the crater, then continue. If the rod comes back wet or the flux has spalled off, break off the bad end or swap rods. If endless restarts feel brutal, that’s normal: wire welders hide this skill inside a trigger, but stick makes you earn it.

Travel Angle, Work Angle, and Welding Out of Position

Geometry separates a bead that looks welded from one that looks poured. Once the arc is lit, every change in angle and speed shifts where the heat goes and where molten metal lands. Get the angles right and gravity becomes an ally.

Work Angle: Aim at the Joint

Work angle is the tilt of the electrode toward the joint’s sides. In a fillet weld the classic setup is 45 degrees, with the rod bisecting the corner so both plates receive equal heat.

• T-joint fillet: 45 degrees, splitting the difference between the two legs.
• Butt joint: electrode perpendicular to the plate surface.
• Lap joint: bias slightly toward the lower or thicker plate to avoid cold lap.

If your work angle drifts, one leg of the fillet runs hot while the other stays cold. That produces uneven legs, undercut, and the kind of overlap defect that hides under paint. For a deeper look, see our guide to overlap welding defect causes, detection and repair.

Travel Angle: Push or Drag?

Travel angle is the fore-aft tilt of the electrode along the direction of travel. A push tilts the rod forward and shoves the puddle ahead; a drag tilts it back and lets the arc lead. For stick, the dependable default is a slight drag of about 5-15 degrees, which keeps the slag behind the arc and helps prevent slag inclusions.

Drag also tends to give deeper penetration and a narrower bead. Some welders push on thin sheet for a flatter profile, but for SMAW, drag is the standard.

Travel Speed Sets the Bead Shape

Travel speed decides bead width, penetration, and crown. Too fast and the arc outruns the puddle, leaving a thin crowned bead with cold edges and undercut along the toes. Too slow and heat builds, the puddle sags, and you risk burn-through on thin metal. A steady pace that matches rod burn-off to pool size gives even penetration and a crown that ties in cleanly.

Welding Out of Position: Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead

Position changes everything, because gravity keeps pulling the molten puddle down. Each position demands its own amperage and rhythm.

• Flat: the easiest and fastest. Gravity holds the puddle in the joint, so you can run the highest amperage and lay the most metal per pass.
• Horizontal: the puddle sags toward the lower plate. Keep a tight arc, angle slightly uphill, and watch the top toe for undercut.
• Vertical-up: cut amperage about 10-15% versus flat work. The puddle sags fast, so use a short arc and small steps, with a fast stringer or tight weave to let each puddle freeze.
• Overhead: the hardest. Use the lowest amperage, the shortest arc, and the fastest freeze you can manage to beat gravity before metal drips.

Matching Rods to Position

Not every electrode welds out of position. All-position rods like E6013 and the low-hydrogen E7018 are formulated to freeze quickly, which is why they handle vertical and overhead work. Flat-only rods such as E7024 carry a heavy iron-powder coating that boosts deposition but is designed for flat and horizontal fillet welds only — point it overhead and it rains metal.

Stringer Beads First, Weaves Later

Beads come in two basic shapes. Stringer beads are narrow and straight, laid with no side-to-side motion, and they are the foundation skill before you attempt weaving. Weave beads move the electrode side to side to build width and fill large joints, but they only work once a steady stringer already looks clean. Building that consistency is deliberate repetition, and our guide to welding practice shows how.

Common Stick Welding Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Every stick welder’s bead tells a story, and most bad beads trace back to one of about eight fixable problems. The good news is that none of them demand a new machine or a secret trick. Learn to read the weld, then change one variable at a time instead of cranking every knob at once.

The Big Eight: Symptoms and Fixes

Overlap is easy to mistake for a fat, healthy bead, especially when you’re proud of the pass. Our overlap welding defect guide shows how to tell the two apart, along with the detection and repair steps that fix it before an inspector does.

Porosity in E7018 welds frequently traces back to moisture picked up by the low-hydrogen coating during improper storage. Keep rods in a heated rod oven once the can is opened, and never leave them sitting on the bench overnight.

Reading the Bead

A good stick bead has even ripple spacing, consistent width, and toes that wet cleanly into the plate with no undercut. If yours wanders in width, crowns up too high, or shows holes and heavy spatter, the weld is telling you which table row to check. Learning that visual language takes time, but it pays off on every job. The same logic applies across processes, so the cues in our guide to good and bad MIG welds will train your eye just as well.

Change One Variable at a Time

When a bead goes wrong, resist the urge to change everything at once. Adjust amperage first, re-run the pass, then arc length, then angle and travel speed. Keeping the other variables fixed is the fastest way to build real skill, which is why deliberate welding practice beats random seat time. Keep a scrap pad handy and log each change, so you can repeat a fix instead of rediscovering it.

For setup-specific numbers, see our 3/16 E7018 amperage guide, and if you’re double-checking your hookups, our polarity for flux core welding explainer covers DCEN versus DCEP. Getting these two dialed in removes most of the guesswork before you ever strike an arc. Read the puddle, trust the table, and your beads will tighten up fast.

Stick Welding Safety: Fume, Eye Protection, Fire, and Ventilation

Stick welding throws off sparks, spatter, intense ultraviolet light, and a plume of fume right at your face. None of that is a reason to be scared — it’s a reason to be prepared. Get the safety basics right and SMAW is as controllable as any process in the shop.

Welding Fume and Hexavalent Chromium

Every electrode burns a flux coating, and that flux produces fume you shouldn’t breathe. Even short, acute exposure can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, dizziness, and nausea. Repeated overexposure is linked to far more serious respiratory and neurological effects, so treat fume as a real hazard, not an inconvenience.

The bigger concern is hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), the toxic fume released when welding stainless steel and some coated steels. OSHA’s Chromium (VI) standard sets a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 5 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted average. That is a tiny number, and it’s why stainless work demands serious ventilation and often a respirator. You can read the full rule in OSHA 1910.252 and the agency’s welding fact sheet.

Ventilation Strategies That Actually Work

Match your controls to the job:

• Natural ventilation is fine only for occasional light welding in open, well-mixed spaces.
• Mechanical ventilation moves large volumes of air through the shop when you weld for longer stretches or in enclosed bays.
• Local exhaust ventilation captures fume at the arc — the gold standard, especially for stainless and Cr(VI).
• Respirators are your last line of defense, not your first. Use them when engineering controls can’t keep exposure down.

Before you strike an arc, strip the metal clean. Paint, coatings, solvents, oils, and galvanizing can all break down into dangerous fume when heated. Grind or wipe them off first. A well-planned booth makes this far easier — see this guide to planning and setting up a safe welding shop.

Fire Safety Around the Arc

Sparks travel farther than you think. OSHA 1910.252(a) requires you to wet down or shield combustible floors, keep combustibles a safe distance away, and maintain a fire-watch zone wherever sparks might land. Know your prohibited areas — near flammables, in dusty atmospheres, or around open containers of fuel — and keep a fire extinguisher within reach at all times.

Electrical Safety

Stick welding runs on serious current, so respect it. Inspect leads and electrode holders for cracked insulation or loose connections before every session, and never weld in wet conditions or with wet gloves. When you stop for a break, follow the rule in OSHA 1910.252(a)(4)(i): remove the electrode from the holder and disconnect the machine from power whenever welding is suspended.

Arc Radiation and Eye Protection

The arc’s ultraviolet and infrared radiation can burn your eyes and skin in seconds. Choose the correct shade lens for your amperage, and wear proper eye and face protection every single time — this guide on protective eyewear for welding breaks down the options. Protect bystanders too: set up welding screens so nobody catches a painful stray “arc flash.” If you’re welding while pregnant, there are extra considerations worth reading up on in this pregnancy and welding safety guide.

Safety gear isn’t the boring part of stick welding. It’s the part that lets you keep doing it for decades.

Building Skill, Choosing Projects, and Knowing When to Step Up to MIG or TIG

You don’t get good at stick welding by reading about it. You get good by burning rod after rod on scrap until the puddle behaves the way you expect every time. Real progress comes fast when your practice has a plan.

A Practice Path That Builds Real Skill

Start flat. Run overlapping stringer beads on scrap plate until bead width, travel speed, and arc length stay consistent. Then move to T-joints, then fillets, and only then out-of-position work: vertical up first, overhead last. Practice deliberate arc starts and stops too; they cause more bad welds than any single technique. Keep a simple log recording amperage, electrode, polarity, position, and what went wrong. Patterns surface fast, and writing them down is the quickest way to fix them. For a deeper routine, see our guide to building real welding skills.

Beginner Projects Worth Building

Real builds teach faster than coupons. A shop cart, fire pit, metal table, gate repair, or trailer repair all let you run E6013 for easy starts and E7018 for structural joints. When a drawing or code calls for low-hydrogen deposits, E7018 is the default electrode, and manufacturers note that out-of-position work typically runs about 15% lower amperage than flat welding. Low-hydrogen E7018 keeps moisture out of the deposit, which is why codes trust it for structural joints.

Stick vs. MIG vs. TIG: The Honest Comparison

Gasless flux-core (self-shielded FCAW-S) is self-shielded and similarly wind-resistant, which is exactly why it shows up so often on field jobs as a stick alternative. It roughly halves the skill ceiling and deposits faster, and it handles thin metal better than stick, but it needs wire. Standard MIG is cleaner and easier but needs shielding gas. TIG is the prettiest and most precise, and also the slowest with the steepest learning curve. Learn more in our guides to gasless MIG welding, whether flux core is the same as MIG, and TIG polarity.

When should you step up? Add gasless flux-core when you want speed and thin-metal capability without gas, MIG when you’re mostly on clean sheet, and TIG when appearance and precision matter more than speed. Many welders keep a stick machine for the rough work and a second process for the finish passes; that pairing covers almost everything.

When Stick Is Still the Answer

• Dirty, rusty, or painted steel — the aggressive arc and slag shield clean as it goes, beating MIG or TIG
• Outdoor and windy sites, where shielding gas would blow away
• Thick material and heavy repair
• Structural code work calling for low-hydrogen E7018 deposits (OSHA 1910.252)
• Remote sites where hauling gas cylinders isn’t practical
• Repair work on equipment that’s too dirty to prep properly

Stick welding is where most welders start and where many stay, because it works when everything else is inconvenient. Once the arc catches the way it should, you’ll understand why generations never let it go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest stick electrode for a beginner to learn on?

E6013 is the friendliest rod for most beginners. Its rutile coating produces a soft, stable arc, low spatter, and easy-to-chip slag, and it runs on AC, DCEP, or DCEN, so it works on almost any machine. Once you can lay consistent E6013 beads, move to E7018 for stronger, code-quality structural work.

Should I use DCEP, DCEN, or AC for stick welding?

DCEP (electrode positive) is the default for most rods, including E7018, E6010, and E6013, and gives deeper penetration by putting more heat into the work. DCEN puts more heat in the electrode, giving lighter penetration and higher deposition, and suits some rods like E6012. AC alternates and is the standard choice for arc blow and for basic AC-only machines. Always check the electrode packet for the manufacturer’s recommended polarity.

Why does my welding rod keep sticking to the metal?

Sticking usually means the amperage is too low for the rod diameter, or you are holding too short an arc. Increase the amps by 5-10 A at a time and try to maintain an arc gap of about one electrode diameter. A damp rod, a poor ground connection, or a long lead can also cause sticking, so check those basics too.

What causes porosity in stick welds and how do I fix it?

Porosity is usually trapped gas in the weld and most often comes from too long an arc, damp or improperly stored electrodes, dirty or oily base metal, or the wrong polarity. Fix it by shortening the arc, re-drying low-hydrogen rods in a rod oven, cleaning the joint to bare metal, and confirming you are running the polarity the rod requires.

Do I really need a rod oven for E7018?

For any structural, code, or load-bearing work, yes. E7018’s low-hydrogen coating absorbs moisture from the air, and moisture is a leading cause of porosity and hydrogen-induced cracking. Manufacturers recommend storing opened E7018 in a heated oven at about 250-300 degrees F, and electrodes exposed to air for extended periods should be re-dried before use.

How many amps should I set for 1/8 inch stick electrodes?

As a starting point, a 1/8 inch E6013 typically runs around 80-140 A, a 1/8 inch E7018 around 90-160 A on DCEP or AC, and a 1/8 inch E6010 around 75-135 A on DCEP. These are starting ranges from manufacturers, not fixed rules, so fine-tune to your material thickness, joint type, and position.

Can I stick weld outside in the wind?

Yes, and this is one of stick welding’s biggest advantages. The flux coating generates its own shielding gas and slag, so the arc is far less disturbed by wind than gas-shielded MIG or TIG. That is why SMAW remains the standard process for pipelines, construction, and field repairs.

What shade lens should I use for stick welding?

Most stick welding falls between shade 10 and shade 13, depending on your amperage and arc time. OSHA 1910.252 requires helmets or hand shields during all arc welding and filter lenses that meet the applicable consensus standards. When in doubt, choose a darker shade — you can always step down, but an arc flash eye injury is not worth the risk.

How long does it take to learn how to stick weld?

Most people can strike an arc and run a rough bead within a few hours, but building consistent, clean beads and out-of-position control typically takes somewhere in the range of 20-40 hours of focused practice. Structuring that practice — flat pads, then T-joints, then fillets, then vertical and overhead — accelerates progress dramatically.

Is stick welding or MIG better for beginners?

MIG is generally easier to learn because it is a continuous wire process with a ‘point-and-shoot’ feel, making clean beads quicker to achieve. Stick has a steeper initial learning curve because you must manage arc length, rod angle, and rod consumption by hand. However, stick is more versatile outdoors and on dirty or rusty steel, so many welders learn both.

Authoritative Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.252
• https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA_FS-3647_WELDING.pdf
• https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1993-08-27
• https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en/Products/lincoln7018ac_smaw
• https://openwa.pressbooks.pub/professorrn6893/chapter/wa8-3
• https://doa.wi.gov/DFDM_Documents/MasterSpecs/Utilities/WeldFillerMetalSelection.pdf
• https://expressweldcare.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ESAB-OK-48.60-Low-Hydrogen-Electrodes-E7018-Datasheet.pdf
• https://www.pinnaclealloys.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/E7018-3.18.20.pdf
• https://www.aws.org/
• https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/chapter-XVII/part-1910/subpart-Q/section-1910.252