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Tungsten Diameter Selection

The welding equipment supplier's recommendations and the American Welding Society recommendations are the best place to start with this variable. Equipment suppliers normally have specifications handy that they can provide you with. If they are not available or you would like to experiment with altering their guidelines, the chart at the top of the next page that is published by the American Welding Society can be of help to you.

Keep in mind that as you increase the diameter of the electrode you are able to handle more amperage. For a given amperage, larger diameter electrodes are more difficult to start than smaller ones, but they will probably erode less rapidly. If you use too large an electrode for your amperage level, you are likely to experience arc instability.

		Direct Current (Amps)		Alternating Current (Amps)
Electrode Diameter		Straight Polarity	Reverse Polarity	Unbalanced Wave	Balanced Wave
in.	mm	DCEN	DCEP

0.010	0.3	0.1 to 15	Not Applicable	0.1 to 15	0.1 to 15
0.020	0.5	5-20	Not Applicable	5-20	5-20
0.040	1.0	15-80	Not Applicable	10-80	20-60
0.060	1.6	70-150	10-20	70-150	60-120
0.093	2.4	150-250	15-30	140-235	100-180
0.125	3.2	250-400	25-40	225-325	160-250
0.156	4.0	400-500	40-55	300-400	200-320
0.187	4.8	500-750	55-80	400-500	290-390
0.250	6.4	750-1000	80-125	500-630	340-525

All values are based on the use of Thoriated, Ceriated, or Lanthanated Tungsten electrodes with argon gas.

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