Work out welding rod consumption instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Deposited weld metal is the joint cross-section times its length times steel density of 7.85 g/cm³. Because stub ends, spatter and flux mean not all of an electrode ends up in the joint, dividing by deposition efficiency gives the mass to buy: roughly 65 percent for stick welding, 90 percent or more for solid wire MIG.
Deposited mass
kg = area mm² x length mm x 7.85 / 10^6
Purchase mass
kg to buy = deposited kg / deposition efficiency
kg = area mm² x length mm x 7.85 / 10^6. Deposited weld metal is the joint cross-section times its length times steel density of 7.85 g/cm³.
About a third of each electrode is lost as the discarded stub, the flux coating that becomes slag, and spatter. Continuous wire processes avoid the stub loss entirely.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Total weld length, Weld cross-sectional area, Deposition efficiency, Deposited metal per electrode. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.