Filler Rod


In TIG welding, you feed the filler rod into the molten puddle by hand. Your choice of filler rod is extremely important as the rod must correctly match the alloy of the material you will be welding. The thickness of the material you will be welding also determines the required diameter of the filler rod. HTP offers high-quality filler rod in affordable quantities. Our filler rod comes in 1 lb. (ERCuAl-A2 Aluminum Bronze, ERCuSi-A Silicon Bronze, and ERNi99 Nickel Cast Iron only), , 2 lb., or 10 lb. packages, and our packaging keeps your filler rod fresh and contaminant free.

Here are some good rules of thumb to help you select the correct filler metal:

  1. 4043 is a good general filler metal for most aluminum applications. Remember, 2xxx and 7xxx Series aluminum is generally not recommended if the application requires welding.
  2. 5356 is used for 5xxx Series aluminum and is generally preferred if the finished piece will be anodized.
  3. ER70S-6 is generally used for mild steel welding.
  4. ER70S-2 is highly recommended for welding 4130 chrome moly tubing in many applications.
  5. ER80S-D2 is recommended for welding 4130 chrome moly tubing if a higher strength, less ductile weld is required. If you weld will be heat treated to obtain optimum strength, then use a filler metal that matches the chemistry of your tubing, which neither 70S-2 nor 80S-D2 wires do.
  6. Generally speaking, use 1/16" diameter filler rod for applications where the material is 1/8" or less, and use 3/32" diameter filler rod for applications where the material is 1/8" and thicker.