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Filler rod · steel

GYS Steel TIG rods Ø 1.6 × 330 mm

Nine euros of steel filler — the cheapest thing on the European half of this site, and the one that decides how a bead looks.

GYS Steel TIG rods Ø 1.6 × 330 mm, product photograph

GYS Steel TIG rods Ø 1.6 × 330 mm

Nine euros of steel filler — the cheapest thing on the European half of this site, and the one that decides how a bead looks.

Material
Steel
Diameter
1.6 mm (0.06 in)
Length
330 mm (13 in)
Amazon reference
B00IWO3HY2
EAN
3154020087224
  • €9 — the cheapest consumable on the European half of this site
  • 1.6 mm (0.06 in) suits thin steel and stainless work, where most TIG beginners start
  • Steel rods rust: a damp tube is a wasted packet

Best for: Thin steel and stainless TIG, and for practicing the feed

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Specifications

Material
Steel
Diameter
1.6 mm (0.06 in)
Length
330 mm (13 in)
Amazon reference
B00IWO3HY2
EAN
3154020087224

Small money, large effect

Nine euros of filler rod changes a bead more than a hundred dollars of machine upgrade. Getting the diameter right for the thickness is the first thing that makes TIG welds look like TIG welds.

Keep a tube of each

Most workshops end up with 1.6 mm (0.06 in) and 2.4 mm (0.09 in) on the rack, labeled and capped. That covers thin sheet through to 6 mm (0.24 in) steel without compromise in either direction.

Sources

Every figure above comes from the manufacturer’s published specification for this reference. Fields the listing does not publish are left out rather than estimated. Market availability was verified per market on the EAN.

The questions welders ask

Why does rod diameter change the weld so much?

Because it sets how much metal enters the pool with each dip, and how much heat that metal steals. A 1.6 mm (0.06 in) rod adds a little at a time and lets you keep the pool steady on thin material; a 3.2 mm (0.13 in) rod chills the pool at every touch. On 1–3 mm (0.04 to 0.12 in) steel, 1.6 mm (0.06 in) is the natural size.

How should filler rods be stored?

Dry and in a tube. Steel rods rust on the surface and rusty filler gives porous, dirty welds — it is the same problem as damp electrodes, in a cheaper package. A length of plastic pipe with end caps is a perfectly good rod store.

Welders this fits

More tig consumables

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    Aluminum filler for TIG: the same alloy family as the MIG wire, in a form you feed by hand.

    Alloy
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    Diameter
    2.4 mm (0.09 in)
    Length
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    Weight
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    • Aluminum oxidizes in storage: rods need keeping clean and dry

    Best for: Aluminum TIG work on an AC or AC/DC machine

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  • STAHLWERK WC20 grey Ø 1.6 × 175 mm, 10 pieces, product photograph

    STAHLWERK WC20 grey Ø 1.6 × 175 mm, 10 pieces

    Ceriated tungsten in 1.6 mm: the combination that strikes reliably at very low current.

    Type
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    Diameter
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    Length
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    Quantity
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    • 1.6 mm (0.06 in) overheats and balls up if pushed past roughly 120 A

    Best for: Thin stainless, small brackets and any work under 100 A

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  • STAHLWERK WP-26 consumables set, 36 pieces, product photograph

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    The parts that wear out on a TIG torch, in every size, in one box.

    Fitment
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    Contents
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    Sizes
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    Best for: A new TIG owner who does not yet know which sizes they need

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Elsewhere in the workroom

  • HOPSON TOOLS 16 mm carbide turning tool set, 10 pieces, product photograph

    HOPSON TOOLS 16 mm carbide turning tool set, 10 pieces

    Sixteen-millimeter shanks for a heavier lathe: five holders, five inserts, and rigidity where it counts.

    Shank
    16 mm (0.63 in)
    Contents
    5 holders and 5 indexable inserts
    Type
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    Three tip sizes in one box — the set to buy when you do not yet know which wire you will settle on.

    Torch
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    Thread
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    Use
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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All tig consumables

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.