3/32 v 1/8 Welding light gauge

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Hi,  I'm looking for opinions on this theory.  Trying to weld light gauge material,  Experimenting with 3/32 7018 and 1/8 7018  I find the larger rod although slightly more amps, puts down so much more metal that burn through is easier to manage,  And the same thing applies to GMAW  I find  030 wire better than 025 for the light gauge for the same reason                                 Anyone,   Agree Or  Disagree?    Thanks  Josey
Reply:By running a bigger rod at only "slightly more amps," you're running colder. The amps you're putting out is higher, but it's having to melt more metal (filler) so the effect is that there is less heat put into the base metal. Could you achieve the same thing by simply turning down the smaller rod?Any time you're running cold, the risk is of incomplete fusion or shallow welds. With thin-gauge material, this is probably not much of an issue, but it might be dangerous to generalize this conclusion to thicker, more structural stuff.I find 6011 to beat the pants off 7018 for thinner stuff, or other places where burn-through is an issue. It runs cooler to begin with, and you can manage the puddle much better by manipulating the arc length to cause the puddle to freeze.Everlast PA160-STH... and that's about it!
Reply:Thanks, for youre response to my question  Heres the reason  behind it"  I have Ranger8 Great for the heaver farm repairs  I just got this TA 181i thinking the best of both ways for the lighter stuff, With the cost of c25gas being so expensive in Canada   I,m hoping to do some with stick,  The 181 is very choosey about rods 6011 & 7014 not recomended  Seems like they are designed for 7018 or 6013  Josey,
Reply:How you run the rods also has a lot to do with how things turn out. Example: tonight I had a student running 1/8" 6010 who had a lot of trouble with undercut. He kept carrying a long arc. Even when I cranked the amps all the way down to 60 amps, I still had a lot of undercut because I had to hold quite a a long arc to keep it from sticking. ( trying to se if I couldn't find an amp setting that he could use with the arc length he kept trying to use, No go) On the other hand at 80 amps I could lay down quite a small bead that was actually on the cold side simply by jaming the rod in tight. Mor amps, but a way colder weld because I kept the arc length to just about 0. I've done some 14 and 16 ga sheet in a pinch using 1/8" 7018 with the amps up as high as 110 amps or so simply by running the arc length as short as I possibly could and doing short 1-2" welds..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Thanks'  DSW for sharing your knowledge and experience, You would recomend the 3/32 7018 rods for the lighter stuff though?.
Reply:Don't forget about dear ol' 1/16"
Reply:Given a choice I tend to go with smaller rods for thinner material if using stick. That's just what works best for me personally. I've got two students this term who are making absolutely tiny beads with 1/8" rods. If anything it's nice for a change to try to get some one to make BIGGER welds as opposed to constantly trying to get the beads smaller...But as you mentioned rod size IS one of the options you get to play with that will help you control you weld bead. It tends to fall more under "advanced" techniques since many guys have trouble with the really tight control it takes to make something like this work well. Not everyone can.As mentioned 1/16" and 5/64" rods are also options. I tend to dislike them because for me they tend to be to "whippy" to handle full size. I typically cut the rods in half if I use tiny rods and deal with the waste to gain the stiffness and controlability I want..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSW . . .As mentioned 1/16" and 5/64" rods are also options. I tend to dislike them because for me they tend to be to "whippy" to handle full size. I typically cut the rods in half if I use tiny rods and deal with the waste to gain the stiffness and controlability I want.