The 6-Point Stick Welding Checklist That Saved Me $3,200 in Rework

2026-05-20· Jane Smith

I've been running an electric welding machine for small-to-medium fabrication orders since 2019. In my first year, I made the classic mistake of thinking I could just 'eyeball' the rod selection. That was a $450 lesson in why an E7018 electrode is not always the right choice.

The worst one happened in September 2023. I had an aluminum job—some brackets for a custom railing—and I grabbed what I thought were aluminum stick welding rods from the shelf. They were not. The first bead looked okay (note to self: if it looks okay but you're guessing, stop). The result: a 7-piece order, $3,200 in materials and labor, straight to the scrap bin. That's when I created this 6-point checklist.

If you use a stick welder, or if you're confused about when to use an E7018 electrode versus a stainless rod versus aluminum stick welding rods, this list is for you.

When to Use This Checklist

This checklist is for anyone with an electric welding machine who wants to avoid the two most expensive mistakes I made: (1) using the wrong rod for the base metal, and (2) skipping pre-weld checks because 'it's basically the same as last time.'

I've used this checklist for about 18 months now, and I've caught 11 potential errors. Some were stupid (e.g., rod selection). Some were subtle (e.g., improper storage of E7018 electrodes). All of them would have cost time, consumables, or both.

The 6-Point Stick Welding Checklist

Here's the order I follow. This isn't fancy—it's practical. One thing to note: at least one step here (Step 3) is something most people skip until they've made the mistake.

Step 1: Confirm the Base Metal and Joint Type

Before you even touch the rod box, confirm what you're welding. Is it mild steel? Stainless steel? Aluminum?

Personal experience: I once spent 20 minutes setting up for what I thought was a stainless job (railing brackets). The customer said 'stainless.' It was actually 304 stainless. That's fine—but if it had been 316 or something with higher molybdenum content, the rod choice would have been different. I've since made it a rule to confirm the grade, not just the type.

Check points:

Mild steel: Your standard E7018 electrode or E6013 works fine.
Stainless steel: You need a stainless-specific rod (e.g., 308L for most 304 stainless).
Aluminum: Aluminum stick welding rods exist, but they're trickier. 4043 or 5356 rods, depending on the alloy.

If you're not 100% sure, do a spark test or check the material spec. Yes, it takes 90 seconds. Yes, skipping it can cost you a whole day.

Step 2: Select the Right Electrode

This is where a lot of beginners get stuck. The E7018 electrode is a workhorse for mild steel, but it's not a universal solution.

Quick reference (from my own mental tables, verified against Lincoln Electric and ESAB guides):

E7018 electrode: Low-hydrogen, high-tensile strength (70,000 psi). Great for structural steel, thick sections, and where cracking is a concern. Requires proper storage (more on that in Step 3).
E6013: Easier to strike, more forgiving for thin metal. Less strong than 7018.
Stainless steel rods (308L, 309L, 316L): For stainless base metals. 308L is standard for 304 stainless. 309L is for joining stainless to mild steel.
Aluminum stick welding rods (4043, 5356): Aluminum is harder to weld with stick (compared to TIG or MIG). But if you're in a remote area or don't have a fancy machine, it works. 4043 is more fluid; 5356 is stronger but more crack-prone.

Skipped the rod selection check in my first year: grabbed an E7018 electrode for a thin stainless patch job. The arc was unstable, the weld was brittle, and I spent longer grinding it off than I would have spent looking for the right rod.

Step 3: Check Electrode Storage and Condition (Most Skip This)

I'll be honest: I ignored this for about two years. I bought a box of E7018 electrodes, left them in the garage (which is not climate-controlled in the slightest), and assumed they were fine. They were not.

E7018 electrodes are low-hydrogen. That means they need to be stored in a dry environment—ideally in a rod oven at 250-300°F. If they absorb moisture from the air, the hydrogen can cause cracking in the weld metal (hydrogen-induced cracking, also known as delayed cracking).

What I do now:

If the rod has been out of the sealed package for more than 2 hours (in humid conditions, even less), I either heat it in a rod oven if I have one, or I use a fresh rod.
Visual check: If the coating looks cracked, flaky, or powdery, don't use it.
Sound check: I know this sounds unprofessional, but if you strike an arc and the rod hisses or sputters excessively, it's probably wet. Stop, grab a dried rod.

I learned this the expensive way on a 12-piece order of mild steel brackets (late 2022). The welds looked fine on Day 1. Day 2, one cracked under minimal load. Re-inspection showed micro-cracks in about 40% of the welds. The culprit: hydrated E7018 electrodes.

Step 4: Set Machine Parameters for the Rod and Thickness

Your electric welding machine settings depend on three things: rod type, rod diameter, and material thickness.

General guidelines (from my experience and the Lincoln AWS D1.1 structural welding code):

E7018 electrode (1/8 inch): 120-140 amps for flat position, slightly lower (110-130) for vertical/overhead.
E7018 electrode (3/32 inch): 80-100 amps.
Stainless steel rods (1/8 inch, 308L): 100-130 amps. Note: stainless tends to run hotter than mild steel with the same diameter rod.
Aluminum stick welding rods (1/8 inch, 4043): 120-150 amps. Aluminum is more conductive, so you need more heat. Also, the arc is harder to maintain than with an E7018 electrode.

My rule: start on the lower end, run a test bead on a scrap piece, adjust. The additional minute of testing has saved me from ruining at least four actual parts.

One more thing: polarity matters. E7018 electrodes typically require DC reverse polarity (electrode positive, or DCEP). If you're using an AC-only machine, double-check the rod spec—not all rods work well on AC. (I use a DC inverter stick welder, so this is less of an issue for me, but it's a common mistake.)

Step 5: Weld Technique—Including Things I Got Wrong

Technique is the hardest to teach in a checklist, but there are checkable points.

Arc length: For an E7018 electrode, you want a short arc—about the diameter of the rod. Too long and the arc becomes unstable and you get spatter. Too short and you'll stick the rod.
Travel speed: For 7018 weld, a slight drag technique (10-15 degrees). Travel too fast and you get undercut; too slow and you get excessive buildup (and potential slag inclusions).
Rod angle for stainless and aluminum: Stainless is similar to mild steel, but you might need to increase travel speed slightly to minimize heat input (stainless warps more). Aluminum stick welding is a whole different beast. You need a tight arc, high heat, and fast travel. I've only had moderate success with aluminum; TIG is better, but if you're stuck with stick, this is the reality.

When I switched from E6013 to E7018 electrode for the first time, I didn't adjust my arc length. The result: excessive spatter, bad bead profile, and I thought the rod was defective. It wasn't. I was the problem.

Step 6: Post-Weld Inspection (and Slag Removal)

This is the step I used to rush. Now I don't.

For E7018 weld: Slag is more difficult to remove than with E6013. Use a chipping hammer and wire brush. Don't skip it.
Visual inspection: Look for cracks, undercut, porosity. I use a magnifying glass or a cheap USB microscope for critical joints.
If the weld is structural: I strongly recommend a dye penetrant test (PT). It's cheap (about $15-30 for a kit) and will reveal surface cracks you can't see with the naked eye.

I once forgot to chip slag on a multi-pass E7018 weld. The second pass trapped the slag, creating a defect that was invisible until the part was loaded. It failed after 2 weeks in service. That was an annoyance to fix, but it could have been dangerous.

A Few Things You Should Probably Know (From Experience)

Here are things I've learned that don't fit neatly into the steps above.

On budget vs. quality of an electric welding machine: I use a Hobart Handler 140 for lighter work and a Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 for heavier stuff. I've burned through a cheap off-brand machine (no names, but you know the type). The arc control was terrible with E7018 electrodes. If you're planning to weld mostly with 7018 rod, pay a bit more for a machine with good arc control. I think the Blue Demon or Amico units are okay for the money, but that's based on limited experience.

On aluminum stick welding rods: They work, but they're not ideal. If you can afford it, TIG is superior. But if you're in the field with only a portable stick welder, aluminum rods (like 4043) can get the job done. Expect more spatter and a less aesthetic bead. I've done it, it's fine, but I don't recommend it for critical structural work.

On the cost of skipping pre-checks: The $3,200 aluminum job I mentioned? I didn't verify the rod type. I assumed the box labeled 'aluminum rods' was correct—it was, but the rods had moisture damage. I estimated that if I had spent 5 minutes checking (storage condition, correct alloy, machine settings), I would have caught the moisture issue. Instead, I spent a full afternoon re-doing 7 pieces. 5 minutes beats 5 hours—and $3,200.

One final disclaimer: Equipment recommendations and amp settings are based on my experience as of early 2025. Verify your specific machine's manual and the electrode manufacturer's data sheet. Regulations and industry standards (like AWS D1.1) may apply to your work—check them if you're welding structure.