Welder's Pocket Card — Rod Amperage, Heat Input Factors, Gauges & Densities

One-page welder's card: stick electrode amperage by rod size, EN 1011-1 heat input efficiency factors, sheet gauges, and metal densities.

Updated August 22, 2026

The numbers a welder checks between the print and the machine, on one card: stick electrode amperage windows by rod diameter for E6010, E6011, E6013, and E7018, the EN 1011-1 arc thermal efficiency factors that turn gross arc energy into net heat input, sheet steel thickness by gauge, and datasheet-verified densities for the common shop metals. Amperage is manufacturer data, not part of the AWS A5.1 classification itself — each consensus window here is the computed overlap of two independent manufacturer published ranges, a setting both brands endorse. Start near the middle and drop roughly 15% off the flat-position setting for vertical or overhead work.

Every cell is generated from the constants behind the welding rod amperage chart and the heat input, metal weight, and sheet metal gauge pages — consensus ranges are computed with the same overlap function the chart uses, never retyped. Print it for the welding cart; the full two-manufacturer ranges, polarity notes, and the remaining gauge columns live on the linked pages.

Welder's Pocket Card — Rod Amperage, Heat Input Factors, Gauges & Densities — updated August 22, 2026

Stick electrode amperage — two-maker consensus (A)

ClassPolarityDiammConsensus (A)
E6010DCEP only3/32″2.440–70
E6010DCEP only1/8″3.280–120
E6010DCEP only5/32″4.0100–160
E6011AC or DCEP3/32″2.460–85
E6011AC or DCEP1/8″3.280–120
E6011AC or DCEP5/32″4.0130–160
E6011AC or DCEP3/16″4.8160–190
E6013AC, DCEP, or DCEN3/32″2.470–95
E6013AC, DCEP, or DCEN1/8″3.2100–130
E6013AC, DCEP, or DCEN5/32″4.0145–180
E6013AC, DCEP, or DCEN3/16″4.8190–230
E7018DCEP or AC3/32″2.475–100
E7018DCEP or AC1/8″3.290–150
E7018DCEP or AC5/32″4.0130–210
E7018DCEP or AC3/16″4.8180–300
E7018DCEP or AC1/4″6.3300–380

Consensus = computed overlap of Lincoln and Hobart / Washington Alloy published ranges; full two-maker ranges on the welding rod amperage chart. Drop ~15% for vertical / overhead.

Arc efficiency factors k (EN 1011-1:2009 Table 1)

Processk
Submerged arc — SAW (12)1.0
Stick — SMAW / MMA (111)0.8
MIG / MAG — GMAW (131 / 135)0.8
Flux-cored — FCAW (114 / 136 / 137)0.8
TIG — GTAW (141)0.6

Net heat input = k × gross arc energy. AWS D1.1 heat input limits are written against gross (k = 1).

Sheet metal gauges — steel (in)

GaSteel (in)GaSteel (in)
70.1793160.0598
80.1644170.0538
90.1495180.0478
100.1345190.0418
110.1196200.0359
120.1046210.0329
130.0897220.0299
140.0747230.0269
150.0673240.0239

MSG standard steel, gauges 7–24, two per row. Stainless, aluminum, galvanized, mm, and gauges 25–30: sheet metal gauge chart.

Metal densities

Alloykg/m³lb/in³
Carbon Steel (A36 / mild)78500.284
Stainless Steel 30479300.286
Aluminum 606127000.098
Copper C110 (ETP)89400.323
Brass C260 (Cartridge)85300.308
Titanium Grade 245100.163
Gray Cast Iron (A48 Cl. 40)71500.258
Zinc71350.258
Lead113400.410

Datasheet-verified alloy densities; lb/in³ computed with exact 25.4 mm/in and 453.59237 g/lb.

Sources

  • AWS A5.1 classification (identity only); amperage per Lincoln Electric C2.10 catalog and Hobart / Washington Alloy data sheets — consensus = computed overlap
  • EN 1011-1:2009 Table 1 thermal efficiency factors
  • MSG published gauge tables; manufacturer datasheet alloy densities

Try the Calculators

Welding Heat Input CalculatorWeld Group CalculatorMetal Weight Calculator — Steel, Aluminum, Plate, Bar & Tube

Welder's Pocket Card — Rod Amperage, Heat Input Factors, Gauges & Densities — reuven.tools/cheat-sheets/welder-pocket-card — verified against: AWS A5.1 classification (identity only); amperage per Lincoln Electric C2.10 catalog and Hobart / Washington Alloy data sheets — consensus = computed overlap; EN 1011-1:2009 Table 1 thermal efficiency factors; MSG published gauge tables; manufacturer datasheet alloy densities