These thin rods are easy to buy in UK and USA (where hardly anybody stick welds!), but I am struggling here in Chiang Mai. The thinnest I can find here are 2.6mm, but for the tube steel used all over the place here the 1.6mm (1/16") electrodes would be much better and avoid me blowing holes all over the place...

Does anyone know a shop that stocks them?

Any help much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Try Global House or Thai Watsadu.

Home mall

Thanks for the ideas, but no... I have now tried Homepro, Global World, Thai Watsadu, and also SCG (Home mart) on the 121.

SCG had the best selection of brands, but all stores seem to just carry 2.6, 3.0 and 4.0mm rods. Annoying, since I know that Thai-Kobe Welding, a brand that they all stock, does 6013 rods at 2.0mm in 3 variants! i just need to find someone who stocks them... I'd like 1.6mm, but i will happily take 2.0mm.

Anyway, I have contacted Thai-Kobe Welding through their website to see if they have stockists of 2.0mm in Chiang Mai. You never know, they may even respond...

Actually, full kudos to Thai-Kobe Welding - their website is in in Thai and real English (not a crappy auto translation), and they have their full product catalogue in English too. See http://www.thaikobe.com/products.php

The rods i am after are on pages 33 to 35.

Ali Express.

Used them many times for various items.

http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=142706&initiative_id=AS_20151128184253&SearchText=welding+rod+steel

You could always "flash out" and buy a MIG welder?? I've never found a consistant supplier of rods, just the 2.6 and 3.2!

You could always "flash out" and buy a MIG welder?? I've never found a consistant supplier of rods, just the 2.6 and 3.2!

Being flash would be buying an inverter for TIG welding.

Please report back if and when you find them. I have a water tipper made out of "thin tube steel." I was thinking I could weld it back together. No way with the normal 2.6 sticks you find everywhere, but it does beg the question...what are all the people making the water tippers, cheap BBQ grills, etc using. Maybe a motorbike shop can help you out.

There is this one hardware store at the north east corner of the moat, they sell all kind of welding equipment and are helpful people. Could ask there, even if they don't have it, they may be able to point you to a source.

https://goo.gl/maps/8WD6mKabQdA2

Nana Tool (4 locations in CM, two near the NE corner of the moat).

Nana Tool (4 locations in CM, two near the NE corner of the moat).

Yes, that's what I meant.

I've had the same problem & have never found thin rods.

I ended up buying a MIG welder, I should have done it a long time back, its brilliant for thin stuff & so easy to use.

I'm sure you're aware that thin rod doesn't necessarily equal easy welding on thin steel. There are various compositions of steel in the rod and it sounds like you want a very mild steel rod that melts and welds at a low temperature. I would rather do your job with a bit thicker but mild rod than with a 1/16 hard steel rod.

Cheers.

I haven't been to Nana tools to see what they have (anyone?), but after Thai-Kobe Welding got in touch in under a day and advised me to go to Jang Yong Heng Seng store, I now have 2kg of 2.0mm 6013 (E4313) rods.

The store is on Charoen Muang Road, about 100m from Narawat bridge, heading away from town. It is a wide fronted tool/motors store on your left, directly opposite the TMB bank.

They have no 1.6mm rods, but 2.0mm should be better - we will see... On a negative, they were very expensive at B610 for 2kg, compared with a little over B100 for the same rod in a 2.6mm size. I guess it's still pretty cheap by the inch though - as the tart said to the vicar...

Anyone know of cheaper 2.0mm rods, or 1.6mm anywhere?

EDIT: Sorry - posted as the school that I work at instead of myself - sorry for the confusion!

Edited November 30, 201510 yr by LIST