Is that that big of a difference? Will it help me plug and stitch better?

I did the torque box with the .26 and I am on the toe and floor pan next as well as tinman subframe connectors.

The torque box went well. I guess more wire/fill would be nicer.

 

heavy metal requires heavier weld wire. You can do it with thinner wire if your good at welding. the whole key it to get good penetration with out a burn thru.

 

I say if you are doing well with the .26 wire, stick with it. My problem with the MIG process, is that for my tastes, the welds are too bulky on sheet metal. I prefer a thinner bead for less clean up, easier workability, and less distortion.

 

I used .023 for my sheetmetal work.

 

I used .025 on sheet metal and .030 on heavier metal but as alrady said if you are getting cood penetration .026 is fine.

 

Maybe thats why i kept blowing througg with the.030.. would have been nice to know.. lol

 

My friend welded my sub frames on our '65 coupe this past weekend with .23 wire, he told me to have .30 wire on hand just in case the .23 wire didn't work, but it was fine.
The .30 wire is for heavier metal.
Lynn

 

What size do you work with usually?
Lynn

 

When I bought my welder the guy at the store (an industrial shop bought by Praxair) said the auto body shops use .023 so that's what I used.

 

welding is a technique that has many variables. the same size spot weld takes longer to fill using .023 than .030, and the shortest duration using .035. The longer it takes to weld that hole, the more heat is transfered to the metal, and possibility of warping. Ideally you want the shortest time welding to minimize the heat zone, with enough current to provide sufficient penetration. I find .030 is the best all-around wire for me on panels and sheet metal, and subframe. I've found if I increase the amp and feed a touch more than expected, and shorten my trigger time, the weld is much better then .023.