What do you need to weld thin metal?
When welding thin metal you have to set your machine’s amps low. As a rule of thumb the lower the amp the thinner metal you will be able to weld. When you decide on a welding machine for thin metal you must make sure it can be set to a relatively low amperage.
Your electrode will also need to be on the thinner side this is to accommodate the lower amperage. If your machine won’t melt the electrode when welding it might result in a ton of spatter, pushback, or your electrode sticking to your base metal.
Best welding type for thin metals
TIG welding is the best type of welding for thin metals because of its nature. That being said you can easily use MIG welding for thin metals. The benefit TIG will have over MIG is that you might not need a filler metal, especially if you are joining very thin metal.
When you TIG you can let one piece slightly overlap another then just melt the overlapping piece to the bottom one similar to a lap joint.
You can use a normal stick welder for welding thin metal, but I recommend only using one for metal at 3mm or thicker. Rather go for MIG welding over stick welding if you are conflicted.
Metal thickness to Amp setting guide (MIG)
Plate thickness (mm) | Plate thickness (inch) | Current (A) | Wire (mm) |
0.8 | 1/32 | 60 – 70 | 0.8 |
1.2 | 3/64 | 70 – 100 | 0.8 – 1 |
1.6 | 1/16 | 90 – 120 | 1 – 1.2 |
2 | 5/64 | 100 – 130 | 1 – 1.2 |
3 | 1/8 | 130 – 170 | 1 – 1.2 |
4 | 5/32 | 150 – 200 | 1.2 |
5 | 1/5 | 200 – 250 | 1.2 |
6 | 1/4 | 200 – 250 | 1.2 |
This chart indicates an average that acts as a guide, your machine might differ slightly.
Best MIG welder for thin metal ⅛ inch(3mm) or lower
TOOLIOM 135A Flux Core Welder MIG Welder
This machine has a low amp range making it great for thin metal. It is limited to a max of 3mm(⅛ inch) plate. If you are looking to only weld thin metal this will be ideal because of its low price.
All this being said any machine can weld thin metal you will just have to lower the amp and voltage output of the machine when you weld.
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This machine has a bigger brother (TOOLIOM 200A MIG Welder) that goes up to 200A that I did a full post on that you can go check out if you might be looking to weld above 3mm(⅛ inch) later on or just like to have the option.
YESWELDER 135Amp MIG Welder
Similar to the tooliom machine with the same pros and cons. It is just a matter of taste in look and design. They both seem to have the same welding attachments and be of a similar size.
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Best TIG welder for thin metal ⅛ inch(3mm) or lower
TOOLIOM 200A TIG Welder
Another great machine from the tooliom brand. This is a dedicated TIG machine allowing for features like high-frequency starts without an inflated price.
There’s no AC feature but for the price it is understandable.
When buying this machine just remember you will need gas to weld TIG but not for stick welding.
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LOTOS TIG200ACDC 200A
This machine from lotos might not look like much but has an AC feature meaning you can weld aluminum. If you aren’t looking to weld aluminum then it won’t be worth the price you might as well go for the top mentioned TIG welder.
If you are looking to weld aluminum then this is one of the top choices that you can find on amazon. It has a relatively low price for a machine that has the AC setting compared to other machines in its class.
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