0 items in your basket
Total £ 0.00 EX VAT
Multi Process Welders
MIG Torches
TIG Torches
Welding Helmets
Welding Gloves & Clothing
MMA Electrodes
MIG Wire
Shop 55,000 Products
SERVICEDEPT.
RAPID BLOG
FEEDBACK
HIRE
P43 is a medium-coated rutile electrode intended for welding light to medium sections in mild steel. The electrode operates with a very smooth arc and is suitable for all positions except vertical down. It is easy to strike and re-strike and produces a self-detaching slag leaving a finely rippled bead appearance. With its excellent bead surface and smooth transition with the base material P43 is ideal for butt and fillet welding of sheet metal work. Classification AWS A5.1: E6013EN ISO 2560-A: E 42 0 R 12EN 499: E 42 0 R 12
Straight answers to common questions about general-purpose rutile electrodes for welding mild steel.
Rutile electrodes have a coating rich in titanium dioxide, which gives easy arc starting, a smooth arc and low spatter. They are the usual general-purpose choice for light and medium fabrication, repairs, brackets, frames and fillet welds on clean mild steel.The slag is dense and normally lifts off easily, leaving a neat, evenly rippled bead. They give moderate mechanical properties, so they suit ordinary workshop and maintenance jobs rather than demanding, high-toughness structures.
No. Rutile electrodes need a little moisture in the coating to run properly, so they should not be baked in the way low hydrogen electrodes are. Keep them in their sealed packaging or a dry, warm store and they normally run straight from the pack.If a pack has been left open or the electrodes have become damp, re-dry them gently following the maker's instructions on the pack or data sheet. The temperature and time vary between makers, so use the figures printed on the pack rather than a general rule.
A widely used rule of thumb is roughly 40 amps for each millimetre of electrode diameter, so a 4 mm electrode would start around 160 amps with an acceptable range either side. Always follow the current range printed on the pack, as it varies between makers.Smaller diameters suit thinner steel and out-of-position work. Too high a current overheats the electrode and can cause burn-through and spatter, and too low a current causes sticking and poor fusion. Make a short test weld on scrap of the same thickness and adjust from there.
Many rutile electrodes will, but not all do. Electrodes designed for AC can usually be used on AC or DC, while not every DC electrode will run on AC. The coating binder affects which current type and polarity suit.Check the pack or data sheet for the current type and polarity the electrode is designed for. Electrodes intended for AC have a stable arc at the lower open-circuit voltage of a small transformer set. If the arc keeps going out, a different electrode designed for AC is the usual fix.