# Stick Electrode Consumption and Stub Loss Calculator > Source: https://netray.co/tools/smaw-electrode-consumption-stub-loss-calculator > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Work out how many stick electrodes and how many kilograms to buy for a given weld metal weight, including stub loss and yield. ## Category industry-templates ## Industry Welding & Fabrication ## Audience - Welding supervisor - Estimator - Purchasing ## Tool **Kind:** calculator **Currency:** $ **Inputs:** #### Weld metal required **Key:** weld_kg **Type:** number **Default:** 25 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** kg #### Electrode length **Key:** len **Type:** select **Default:** 350 **Options:** ##### 300 mm **Value:** 300 ##### 350 mm **Value:** 350 ##### 400 mm **Value:** 400 ##### 450 mm **Value:** 450 #### Weight of one electrode **Key:** wt **Type:** number **Default:** 65 **Min:** 1 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** g **Help:** Weigh a new electrode including coating. Many 4.0 x 350 mm basic types are in the 60 to 70 g range. #### Stub length discarded **Key:** stub **Type:** slider **Default:** 50 **Min:** 20 **Max:** 100 **Step:** 5 **Unit:** mm #### Weld metal yield per kg of electrode burned **Key:** yield_pct **Type:** slider **Default:** 62 **Min:** 40 **Max:** 80 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** % **Help:** Weld metal deposited divided by weight of electrode consumed, including coating and spatter loss. #### Damaged, wet or lost electrodes **Key:** waste **Type:** slider **Default:** 5 **Min:** 0 **Max:** 30 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** % #### Electrode price **Key:** price **Type:** number **Default:** 4.5 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 0.1 **Unit:** per kg **Outputs:** #### Usable share of each electrode **Key:** usable **Expr:** (len - stub) / len * 100 **Format:** percent **Description:** Length actually burned. #### Weld metal per electrode **Key:** dep_each **Expr:** wt * (len - stub) / len * yield_pct / 100 **Format:** decimal **Description:** Grams of weld metal. #### Electrodes needed **Key:** n **Expr:** if(gt(dep_each, 0), ceil(weld_kg * 1000 / dep_each * (1 + waste / 100)), 0) **Format:** integer **Primary:** true #### Electrodes to purchase **Key:** buy_kg **Expr:** n * wt / 1000 **Format:** decimal **Primary:** true **Description:** kg including stubs and waste. #### Electrode cost **Key:** cost **Expr:** buy_kg * price **Format:** currency **Chart:** #### Electrodes needed vs stub length **Type:** line **X:** stub **From:** 20 **To:** 100 **Steps:** 33 **Series:** - n **Disclaimer:** Yield varies with electrode type, current and technique. Weigh and count electrodes on a real trial pass to calibrate the yield figure. ## Content **Intro:** Stick electrode purchasing is usually done by feel, which means either running short mid-job or carrying dead stock. This calculator estimates how many electrodes and how many kilograms a job needs, accounting for stub loss, coating, spatter and waste. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** Enter the weld metal required, typically from a weld volume estimate. Pick electrode length, weigh one electrode and enter the weight, then set the stub length your welders discard. Set the yield, which is the share of the consumed electrode weight that ends up as weld metal, and a waste allowance for damaged or moisture-affected rods. You get the count, the kilograms to purchase and the cost. The chart shows how strongly stub discipline moves the quantity. #### The calculation **Body:** Usable length is the full length minus the stub. Weld metal per electrode equals the electrode weight, times the usable fraction, times the yield. The count is the weld metal weight divided by that figure, increased by the waste allowance and rounded up. Kilograms to buy is the count times the full electrode weight, since the stubs are paid for even though they are not burned. #### Controlling consumption **Body:** Stub loss is the cheapest saving. Cutting stubs from 75 mm to 40 mm on a 350 mm rod recovers roughly one tenth of the usable length. Low-hydrogen electrodes must be stored and re-dried per the manufacturer's instructions, since moisture causes rejects and the waste you see in the allowance. Hand out electrodes in small quantities from a controlled oven, and require stubs to be returned for counting. **Bullets:** - Weigh a sample of rods to confirm weight - Time a trial pass to calibrate yield - Return stubs to measure real loss #### Common mistakes **Body:** Mixing weld metal weight with electrode weight is the biggest error: you must buy more electrode than the metal you intend to deposit. Another is using the deposition efficiency of wire processes for coated electrodes, where coating and slag take a large share of the weight. Remember that yield definitions differ between suppliers, so confirm what a quoted figure refers to. **Cta:** If consumables are issued on paper tickets, Netray can help build issue and return tracking against work orders in your ERP. **Faq:** #### How many electrodes per kg of weld metal? **Answer:** It depends on rod size and yield. With about 65 g rods, 50 mm stubs and 62 percent yield, each electrode deposits about 35 g, so around 28 electrodes per kg of weld metal. Weigh your own rods to confirm. #### What is a reasonable stub length? **Answer:** Many shops aim for 40 to 50 mm on 350 mm rods. Shorter stubs save material but overheat the coating and raise defect risk, so follow the manufacturer's guidance and your procedure. #### Why is yield much lower than wire deposition efficiency? **Answer:** Because the coating is part of the electrode weight but not part of the weld metal. Coating becomes slag and gas, so a large fraction of the consumed electrode weight does not end up in the joint. #### Do wet electrodes affect quantity? **Answer:** Yes. Moisture pickup in low-hydrogen types leads to porosity and cracking risk and forces rework or rod rejection. Store and bake them per the supplier instructions and keep the waste allowance honest. ## Search terms stick electrode consumption calculator, smaw electrode quantity, electrode stub loss, welding rod calculator kg, e7018 electrode consumption, how many electrodes per kg weld metal, electrode yield deposition, manual metal arc consumables estimate --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json