Standard conversion factors

INCH = 25.4 MILLIMETRE

FOOT = 0.3048 METRE
YARD = 0.9144 METRE
MILE = 1.6093 KILOMETER
ACRE = 0.4047 HECTARE
POUND = 0.4536 KILOGRAM
DEGREE FARENHEIT X 5/9 32 = DEGREE CELSIUS
MILLIMETRE= 0.0394 INCH
METRE = 3.2808FOOT
METRE = 1.0936YARD

1) MILD STEEL (MS)

SHEET
WEIGHT (KGS) = LENGTH (MM) X WIDTH (MM) X 0. 00000785 X THICKNESS
example The weight of MS Sheet of 1mm thickness and size 1250 MM X 2500 MM shall be
2500MM X 1250 MM X 0.00000785 X 1 = 24.53 KGS/ SHEET

ROLLED STEEL CHANNELS

MS SQUARE
WEIGHT (KGS ) = WIDTH X WIDTH X 0.00000785 X LENGTH.
Example : A Square of size 25mm and length 1 metre then the weight shall be.
25x25X 0.00000785 X 1000mm = 4.90 kgs/metre

MS ROUND
WEIGHT (KGS ) = 3.14 X 0.00000785 X ((diameter / 2)X( diameter / 2)) X LENGTH.
Example : A Round of 20mm diameter and length 1 metre then the weight shall be.
3.14 X 0.00000785 X ((20/2) X ( 20/2)) X 1000 mm = 2.46 kgs / metre
SS ROUND
DIA (mm) X DIA (mm) X 0.00623 = WEIGHT PER METRE
SS / MS Pipe
OD ( mm) W.Tthick(mm) X W.Thick (mm) X 0.0248 = Weight Per Metre
OD ( mm) W.Tthick(mm) X W.Thick (mm) X 0.00756 = Weight Per Foot

SS / MS CIRCLE
DIA(mm) X DIA (mm) X THICK(mm) 0.0000063 = Kg Per Piece

SS sheet
Length (Mtr) X Width (Mtr) X Thick(mm) X 8 = Weight Per Piece
Length (ft) X Width (ft) X Thick(inch) X 3 /4 = Weight Per Piece

S.S HEXAGONAL BAR

DIA (mm) X DIA (mm) X 0.00680 = WT. PER Mtr
Dia (mm) X Dia (mm) X 0.002072 = Wt. Per foot.

BRASS SHEET
WEIGHT (KGS) = LENGTH (MM) X BREADTH (MM) X 0. 0000085 X THICKNESS
Example The weight of brass sheet of thickness 1 mm, length 1220mm and breadth 355mm
shall be
1220 X355X 0.0000085 X 1 = 3.68 Kgs/Sheet

COPPER SHEET
WEIGHT (KGS) = LENGTH (MM) X BREADTH (MM) X 0. 0000087 X THICKNESS
Example The weight of coppper sheet of thickness 1 mm, length 1220mm and breadth 355mm
shall be
1220X355 X 0.0000087 X 1 = 3.76 Kgs/Sheet

BRASS / COPPER PIPE

OD (mm) THICK (mm) X THICK(mm) X 0.0260 = WEIGHT PER METRE

ALUMINUM SHEET
WEIGHT (KGS) = LENGTH (MM) X BREADTH (MM) X 0. 00000026 X THICKNESS
Example The weight of Aluminum sheet of thickness 1 mm, length 2500mm and breadth 1250
mm shall be
2500x1250X 0.0000026 X 1 = 8.12 Kgs/Sheet

ALUMINIUM PIPE
OD (mm) THICK(mm) X THICK(mm) X0.0083 = WEIGHT PER METRE
alculate Weld Metal Volume

(and other formula)

Self Study Program,

"Welding Math and Science;" 87 Pages, Part # WMS
This program provides basic information to help welding students and welding supervisors un

You Can Start From Basics and Calculate any Weld Volume.
First some formula to calculate Area:
The basic formula for the Area of Rectangle is:
L (length) * W (width) = Area (Note: We'll use * to indicate multiply since that is what is used on
Here is a neat way to check your answer called Dimensional Analysis. Big word but it means checki
In this case: L inches * W inches = Area inch2 (Since in * in = in 2 )
Dimensional Analysis verifies you correctly multiplied in * in and got in2

Note: a Square is a special case of a rectangle where both sides are the same so the area can be sta

Let's now define the Volume of a Rectangular Block.

W in * L in * D (Depth) in = Volume in 3
We multiplied three dimensions in inches so got in 3 or cubic inches as an answer.

The following are some formula for calculating the area of additional shapes well use to define
For the Triangle on the right: Area = B * H / 2
Note it is like calculating the Area of a Rectangle and dividing by 2.
This formula works for any size and shape Triangle. Look at the Triangle below left. Below right are
By duplicating the Blue Triangle and rearranging pieces we can c
Referring to the three pictures on the right:
1) In the top picture the Blue Triangle is copied and turned upside
2) In the middle picture we make a small Red Triangle to create a
3) In the bottom picture the Red Triangle is moved to the left side m
4) That makes a Rectangle with one side still equal to B and the o
5) The AREA as defined for a Rectangle is B * H. But remember w
Area of a Segment (Weld Reinforcement)
This is one Area that is often used in calculating weld metal area and volume; it is called the area of a
Radius R (that is the combined Green and Red Areas;) use the length of
the Cord and the Outer Area of the Circle (Red Area) or Weld Reinforcem
However we would have to estimate the Radius of the circle making the rein
height is much smaller than the weld width we can use a method that estima
Approximate Area of a Segment (Weld Reinforcement) = (2 H * W) / 3 + H
Since weld reinforcement is not a perfect circle, the value obtained is sufficie
several typical weld reinforcements dimensions you can use 72% of th

With these basic shapes you can calculate the area of almost all welds
Look at the following examples of the of weld joints; the weld area can be ar
To calculate the weld metal volume that must be added to a weld joint you si
in2 * Length in = Volume in3. Remember dimensional analysis works to check your work in 2 * in = in

Calculate Pounds of Welding Materials Needed:

Now the Volume of weld metal youll need to add is known , how much wire will you need? The follow
Steel weights: 0.284 lb / in3; Aluminum = 0.098 lb / in3 depending somewhat on alloy and Stainless

So to get lbs of weld metal needed do you just multiply the volume by the density of the materia
Is that how much you should purchase?
No!
You Must Account for Losses.
For example when Stick Welding the electrode purchased includes flux, youll also throw away the st
Efficiency. Stick Electrodes, as youd expect, have the lowest values. Depending on the length, typ
60%. For general calculations you can use 50%.
The following are some values you can use for various welding processes:

Submerged Arc Welding = 99% for wire

MIG Welding with Solid Wire = 97% with Argon Based Shielding and 96% with CO2
MIG Welding with Metal Cored Wire = 94%
Gas Shielded Flux Cored Wire Welding = 90 to 93%
Self Shielded (Gasless) Flux Cored Wire Welding = 78 to 80%
Stick Electrode Welding = ~50% +/- 10%
Therefore divide the weld metal needed by the Deposition Efficiency (as a decimal, i.e. 93% = 0.93)
55 lbs/0.50 = 110 lbs of Stick electrode.

One Other Calculation often used is the length of wire to make a pound. This defines the needed wir
Well calculate 0.045 solid wire and then give some values you can use:
The area of an 0.045 in diameter wire is = (0.045 2 * 3.1416) / 4 = 0.00159 in2

[Note: 3.1416 is the number obtained when dividing the circumference of any circle by its diameter. It

The Volume per foot = Area * 12 in / ft = Volume in3 / ft wire = 0.0191 in3 / ft
Weight = Volume / ft * 0.294 lb / ft = 0.00542 lb / ft. To get ft / lb divide 1 / (lbs/ft) = 184 ft/lb.
Note how dimensional analysis shows the correct units. Crunch the numbers and youll get:

Solid Steel Wire Feet of

Diameter; inches Wire / Pound Wire

0.035 305 feet / lb

0.045 184 feet / lb
1/16 96 feet / lb
5/64 61 feet /l b
3/32 43 feet / lb
1/8 24 feet / lb
5/32 15 feet / lb

For metal and flux cored wire the density is somewhat lower than solid wire and is dependent on the sp

HOW TO CALCULATE FILLER METAL CONSUMPTION

The following tables will help you estimate electrode quantity and cost for a variety of joints. The bases for the tabulations a
as follows: 1-L

W =D
1-L
electrodes W= Weight of electrode required

D=Weight of steel deposited

L=Total electrode losses

To arrive at the weight of steel deposited, it is necessary to calculate first the volume of deposited metal (area of the groove
figures are based on the efficiency of the process used. On square and "V" groove joints, the figures are based on stick ele

Size of fillet Steel deposited Pounds of electrodes required

L per linear foot per linear foot of weld* (approx.)

(in inches) of weld (lbs.)

Stick* Tubular Solid

1/8 0.027 .049 .034 .03

S
E 3/16 0.063 .114 .079 .07
E
1/4 0.106 .193 .133 .118
F
I 5/16 0.166 .302 .208 .184
G
U 3/8 0.239 .434 .298 .265
R
E
1/2 0.425 .773 .531 .472

1
5/8 0.663 1.205 .829 .737

3/4 0.955 1.736 1.194 1.061

1 1.698 3.087 2.123 1.890

*Includes scrap end and spatter loss

Steel deposited per linear foot of Pounds of electrodes required per

S Joint dimensions (in inches)
weld linear foot of weld* (approx.)
E
BEAD Without rein- With rein- Without With
E ROOT OPEN G
MTL. THICK WIDTH B forcement(lbs.) forcement(lbs.) reinforcement reinforcement**
 T

1/16
3/8 ------ 0.088 ------ 0.16
3/16
1/16 0.020 0.109 0.04 0.20
7/16 0.027 0.129 0.05 0.23
1/4
0.039 0.143 0.07 0.26
1/2 3/32 0.033 0.153 0.06 0.27
5/16 0.050 0.170 0.09 0.30
1/16

3/32

F
I
G 0
U
R 1/32
1/8 1/4
E ------ 0.119 ------ 0.21
1/32 0.013 0.132 0.03 0.24
3/16 3/8 0.020 0.199 0.04 0.36
2 0.040 0.218 0.07 0.39
1/4 7/16 1/16 0.053 0.261 0.10 0.47
0.080 0.288 0.14 0.53
1/16

3/32

S Steel deposited per linear foot of Pounds of electrodes required per

Joint Dimensions (in inches)
E weld linear foot of weld* (approx.)
E

F MTL. THICK BREAD ROOT

I WIDTH OPEN Without rein- With rein- Without rein- With rein-
forcement(lbs.) forcements**(lbs.) forcement forcement**
G T
B G
U
R
E 1/4 0.207 1/16 0.085 0.143
5/16 0.311 3/32 0.173 0.258
0.15 0.25
3/8 0.414 1/8 0.282 0.394
3 1/2 0.558 1/8 0.489 0.641
5/8 0.702 1/8 0.753 0.942
 0.31 0.46

0.50 0.70

0.87 1.15
3/4 0.847 1/8 1.088 1.320
1 1.138 1/8 1.930 2.240
1.35 1.68

1.94 2.35

3.45 4.00

*Includes scrap end and spatter loss. **R=Height of reinforcement.

Figure 1 Figure 2
Figure 3

Welding Data

CALCULATING FILLERMETAL CONSUMPTION

The number of pounds of welding electrode or welding wire necessary to complete a given
joint may be calculated by the formulas:

WL
P=
E

where:
P = Pounds of electrode or wire required
W=Weight per foot of weld metal
L = Length of weld (feet)
E= Deposition efficiency

WEIGHT PER FOOT OF WELD METAL

Calculating the weight of weld metal requires that we consider the following items:

1. Area of the cross-section of the weld.

2. Length of the weld.

 3. Volume of the weld in cubic inches.

4. Weight of the weld metal per cubic inch.

In the fillet weld shown below, the area of the cross-section (the triangle) is equal to the
half the base times the height, the volume of the weld is equal to the area times the
length, and the weight of the weld then, is the volume times the weight of the material
(steel) per cubic inch.
Welding Data
What Pressure Do You Set the Regulator at For
Shielding Gas Flow Rate on a MIG Welder?
Here's A Quick & Easy Answer....

Two Stage Argon Gauge

Use one of these for ultimate Gas Flow Rate Control.

Click On Photo for Full Size View in new window

....Anywhere from 10 Litres Per Minute (l/m) upwards.

There are important considerations as regards where you are welding,

(inside/outside/open shed) as the slightest draught is enough to cause weld porosity if you
are using a low delivery pressure (less than 15 l/m).

For 0.8mm solid MIG wire, (on short circuit transfer/ say 50 to 80amps) you would be
aiming ideally for just less than 15 l/m, but my welding workshop is open to the daylight
when I am welding & is very draughty most of the time, so I usually end up at 20 l/m!

If you are mainly on thin car bodywork at low short circuit amps, 45-70, then you will
almost always be below 15 l/m in a workshop situation.

I hope this answers your question without too much technical stuff!

All references to shielding gas on this website refer explicitly to industrial type & sized
bottles for the important reasons that you will just shortly be reading!
I sincerely apologise to home users that are using small canisters of PRESSURISED
shielding gas. Read on for some shocking information.

Today, I was MIG welding 10mm thick steel reinforcing plate onto an excavator, at the
high end of short circuit transfer using 1.0mm solid wire.
I selected 145amps & my Argon gauge was at 15 l/m as usual!
I had a wire stickout of 20mm, as there were lots of nooks & crannies & I had perfect
welds in flat, vertical down & overhead positions. (welding into a weld prep gap)
I wasnt aiming for high penetration or big weld beads & the 'Argon mix' shielding gas
(BOC Argoshield universal (Argon with 12% co2 & 2% oxy) done the job perfectly.

I only raise my gas delivery pressure to accommodate spray transfer or for any specialist
requirements, such as for very high travel speed on thin hollow section steel in vertical
down position.

(that's a complete lie actually! I very regularly raise up to 25 l/m so that I can get away
with MIG welding outside using nothing more than my hands & body to keep the direct
draughts off my weld pool!)

Technically speaking, your shielding gas envelope is meant to exclude the

atmosphere from the molten weld pool until the weld metal has solidified, &
thats it in a nutshell.
This is a tricky question if you run 1.0mm at 150amps or more, as the shielding gas
delivery pressure will affect the arc plasma stream & hence your weld deposition &
penetration qualities.

There are lots of technical considerations behind the answer if you are a professional
welder & you need top spec welding, I will get around to putting the full script & all the ins
& outs of different gasses, their properties & effects on the weld plasma & pool, in the
coming months.
This is an extremely complex topic & not for the faint hearted! Even me!
However, I will be making provision on my website for the expert welders that need to
know these things.
(I have requirements that dictate that I have a delivery pressure of 30 l/m, I use solid wire
that you cant bend in your hands & I can make 50mm2 welding cable smoke very badly!)
When I get this all typed up & on my site, you will see exactly what I mean. I already have
36 A4 pages written to cover this topic & I wrote them while on holiday last summer!

Important side note before I forget:

Dont attempt to decant shielding gas from a full industrial bottle into any other empty
bottle, with the intention of sharing gas with another welder it is very dangerous &
ordinary hydraulic hose doesnt work!
Also, dont attempt to refill a non-refillable small canister using a fill kit available from
the scuba diving shops, as these are designed for the tanks that divers use, & have nothing
to do with 3500psi shielding gas bottle!

I also realise that there are lots of different Argon flow meter gauges on the market, & I
specifically refer to two stage gauges, that have two dials & one central control device for
adjustment of flow rate.
The fill pressure of industrial bottles is available at up to 230bar, yes, 230bar, my new
gauges show 400bar on the contents gauge with the maximum fill pressure marked with a
red line at 300bar.
That means the bottle is filled to a pressure of well over 3 thousand psi!
So dont try the decant method of sharing shielding gas, as your improvised connection
hose WILL turn into confetti as soon as you open the valve!

Most MIG machines have a gas purge switch that allows you to purge the atmosphere
from you connection hoses & torch after switching on your welder & just before starting to
weld.
The main purpose of the purge switch is so that your MIG filler wire is not live & not being
fed out of the torch while purging the hoses & torch.

Please remember that to correctly set the shielding delivery pressure; (on nearly every
gauge manufactured) you need to have the torch trigger pressed & the gas escaping freely
from the torch in order to allow the gauge to record the flow.
The delivery pressure (also known as the gas flow rate) is normally adjusted via the central
adjustment knob, & turning clockwise increases the gas flow, & anti-clockwise reduces the
flow.
For example: when the central control knob is unscrewed fully anti-clockwise & it falls off
into your hand, there should be no gas coming out of the gauge to your MIG welding
machine.

I use the dual stage type of gauge, as it is essential that I know exactly how much gas
there is in a bottle.
I can easily calculate the linear length of weld that will be deposited with a full gas shield if
I know how much gas is left in a bottle! I need this information as I often have work
scheduled for a full weekend shift that may need the entire contents of a bottle & I only
have two Argoshield bottles on hand at any one time.

I do this by knowing the linear length of weld deposit required for a given job, then I
calculate the time needed to deposit the weld, then work out the litres of gas that I will need
to cover the time spent welding.
I am never absolutely spot on, but I have never completely run out of gas to get a job done!

Even if you only use a basic flow meter gauge, you only need to understand that you are
looking to provide just enough shielding gas to blow away the atmosphere & that you are
not comparing the gas flow to an airline blowing up a car tyre!
& to operate at the minimum gas flow rate possible, eg less than10 l/m, ensure that there
are no draughts & use the push technique with your MIG torch while maintaining the
minimum wire stickout in order to keep your torch bezel as close to the weld pool as
possible.

But remember that if you are welding at low amps & using short circuit transfer, then you
will have already cut back your torch bezel to allow the contact tip to stick out past the end
of the bezel by around 6mm!

PS dont use Argoshield universal on stainless steel, use Pureshield (just Argon) only!
Shielding Gas Suppliers
While on the subject of your essential shielding gas, I have had a lot (very lots) of emails
requesting a recommended supplier of cheap shielding gases.

I dont have an answer for this question, because I also cannot find a cheap supplier!

Today, the cost of a refill of Argon universal mixed gas was 48-31+vat @17-5 %.
This is for a size w full sized bottle, as defined by BOC, & the liquid contents does
expand at atmospheric pressure to provide you withxyz..days of welding time at 15 l/m.

Sorry folk, my calculations based on my own welding, doesnt correspond with what the
supplier data sheet says!
(I have sent off an email to supplier to confirm details watch this space tomorrow!)

& for home users using the small disposable compressed gas canisters that say 600g on the
side of the can, you will have to pay 8-99 +vat EACH CAN from xxxxxxx xxxx!
I have just bought some different types to try them for cost comparisons as compared to
industrial size.
I am reading a (now empty) can that says it had 50% more gas than a standard size can,
however, this one only lasted for xx minutes of MIG welding at regular low amps on thin
sheet!
I have obviously been sold faulty cans; please give me time to get this checked out again.
Does anyone else have user data for small cans?

Another important side note:

I appreciate that some of these comments may upset some home users of MIG welding
machines, as there will be sparks flying* if your MIG welding machine draws excessive
supply current through your possibly inadequate electricity mains supply!
Therefore, it is absolutely vital that you engage the services of a qualified electrician to
ensure that you have a dedicated electricity supply to your MIG welding machine &
suitable for the electrical INPUT rating of your MIG welding machine.

Read the rating plate on the back of your MIG welding machine, where it says: INPUT
RATING= xyz amps.
It says this because this is the input amperage that your MIG welding machine may NEED
at full welding power! Please Take Note!
This is particularly prone to happen (*sparks flying) if you have been using your MIG
welding machine for the occasional bit of welding for five minutes at a time.
Then, after reading some of the advice on my website, you head straight for your garage,
start welding away with your welding machine set at full power & then you smell burning
plastic!
Please dont be emailing me on Sunday again to say black smoke started to belch from my
electric box & what do I do to fix it!