Stick welding is a slang term that the industry has adopted for the process technically called Shielded Metal Arc Welding. The reason why many people refer to it like this is that the electrode used to weld the metal is in the form of a stick.

For many people, especially those who are new to it or perhaps don’t weld every day, stick welding, otherwise known as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), is one of the more difficult processes to learn. Experienced welders who can pick up a stinger, pop

The official names created by the American Welding Society (AWS)for this arc type welding are Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (tig)and Gas Metal Arc Welding (mig). Electrode sizes. Electrodes come in a variety of sizes, measur