Best Type Of Welding For Carbon Steel. The mechanical and electrical characteristics of each type make each of them best suited to welding a particular material. We do this in order to have a ductile weld that will not be stressed to the point of fracture.
ASTM A588 weathering steel is a structural steel covered under the AWS D11. This method has fast deposition rates and welders dont need to remove slag between passes. Used for large parts.
It welds very similar to some of the common low carbon steels such as ASTM A36 and ASTM A572.
The most common types of mild steel AISI 1010 1018 and 1020 all contain trace amounts of carbon and are ideal for welding. These additions turn the material into a low alloy steel by some definitions but AISIs definition of carbon steel allows up to 165 manganese by weight. Pure argon is the best choice for welding carbon steel. Use a low hydrogen electrode when the temperature is lower than 350 C 700F.