What is Welding Cable?Welding cable is designed for use in electric arc-welding machines to power an electrode, a specially designed metal rod, that conducts a charge. The charge carried by the electrode is needed to produce an electric arc, the heat source, between the electrode and the metals being welded. Welding cable is made to be extremely durable and flexible. Arc-welding requires a person to move the electrode around the shop and along the joints being welded, so it is essential to have a flexible welding cable that allows for ease of movement. A high strand count and rubber insulation help increase the cable's flexibility. A durable cable is important in industrial environments where abrasions, cuts, burns from sparks, and oil and water exposure can quickly wear out a weaker cable. TEMCo's Welding Cable is highly flexible stranded No. 30 bare copper conductor insulated with high grade black EPDM. A paper separator is utilized to enhance stripability. Maximum conductor operating temperature is 105°C in circuits not exceeding 600 volts. Minimum temperature rating -50°C. View our guide below to learn more about welding cable sizing and applications. Our full product line is also available below. |
IndexSizing & Applications   |
Sizing & Applications
This guide is meant to inform and support you in the proper selection and use of welding cable. We always recommend that you consult a licensed and competent electrician to help you with the sizing and selection of parts for your particular application.
Sizing
For welding applications, specifications to consider are:
Ampacity: The ampacity refers to the maximum amount of current your cable can handle safely. For more information, view the section on welding cable ampacity.
Length: Your cable should be long enough to reach every corner of the space you will be welding in. You will need to keep in mind (1) one cable connects from the welder to the elctrode and (2) another cable will connect from the welder to the piece that is being welded (also known as the work clamp or ground lead).
Gauge: The longer and thinner the welding cable, the lower the ampacity, so if you require a long cable, you may want to look at thicker sizes to compensate for the length and to prevent damage to your machine.
Insulation: Welding cable insulation is commonly made of neoprene, EPDM, or PVC. Both neoprene and EPDM jackets are flexible, resistant to harsh weather, abrasion, moisture, and water. However, they are not well suited for exposure to gas or other petroleum based liquid. PVC is less flexible but has high resistance to cuts and tears.
Flexibility: The higher the strand count, the more flexible the cable.
Color: You may want additional insulation colors to distinguish between different cables.
| Gauge | Max Amps | Nomnial OD (in.) | Conductor Diameter (in.) | Conductor Stranding |
| 6 AWG | 115 | 0.303 | 0.2 | 260/30 |
| 4 AWG | 150 | 0.331 | 0.228 | 364/30 |
| 2 AWG | 205 | 0.413 | 0.3 | 624/30 |
| 1 AWG | 240 | 0.481 | 0.343 | 767/30 |
| 1/0 | 285 | 0.526 | 0.373 | 975/30 |
| 2/0 | 325 | 0.564 | 0.426 | 1196/30 |
| 3/0 | 380 | 0.621 | 0.465 | 1547/30 |
| 4/0 | 440 | 0.686 | 0.56 | 1950/30 |
Applications
Arc-welding: For welding applications, two cables are required: one connects the machine to the electrode, while the other connects the machine to the workpiece that is being welded, and these two cables form a complete circuit.
Other uses: Welding cables are durable and flexible and are a popular choice for entertainment or stage lighting cables, lighting and sound systems, and communication vans. They can also function as battery cables for cars, inverter cables, and as a more cost-effective alternative to pendant (or reeling) cable on hoists and cranes.
This Portable Welder Instructables Tutorial is a great example of how you could use TEMCo welding cable for your own personal projects. This particular project uses 50 feet of 1/0 welding cable to create a connection cable from the batteries/vehicle to the welder.
Ampacity
The ampacity, or amperage capacity, is the maximum amount of electrical current that the welding cable can conduct safely. Different welding cable running on the same voltage will have different amp ratings depending on several factors, which include: cable length, wire size (gauge), insulation temperature rating, and the type of machine the cables are connected to.
What affects welding cable ampacity?
Electrical resistance (in ohms) & insulation temperature rating: The more amps you run through your cable, the hotter it gets. The higher the resistance rating of the welding cable, the fewer amps you can safely run without overheating it. Overloading your welding cable will over heat it, which leads to damage to the insulation.
Cable size & length: Ampacity ratings decrease as the cable is longer and thinner.
Ambient temperature: Electrical resistance increases at higher temperatures. Ambient temperature affects the cable's ability to dissipate heat. Multiple cables lying too close or on top of each other dissipate less heat.
AWG Size Chart
Welding cable size is measured by the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard. AWG sizes will have three numbers, for example, "2 AWG 625/30." This means that the welding cable has a total cross sectional area of 2 AWG and is made from 625 strands of 30 AWG wire.
View the AWG reference table below for dimensions and sizing of welding cable.
| AWG | Diameter (in.) | Diameter (mm) | Circular Mil |
| 4/0 | 0.4600 | 11.6840 | 211593.92 |
| 3/0 | 0.4096 | 10.4038 | 167767.34 |
| 2/0 | 0.3648 | 9.2659 | 133075.22 |
| 1/0 | 0.3249 | 8.2525 | 105556.98 |
| 1 | 0.2893 | 7.3482 | 83692.09 |
| 2 | 0.2580 | 6.5532 | 66562.09 |
| 3 | 0.2290 | 5.8166 | 52439.49 |
| 4 | 0.2040 | 5.1816 | 41614.80 |
| 5 | 0.1820 | 4.6228 | 33123.05 |
| 6 | 0.1620 | 4.1154 | 26250.70 |
| 7 | 0.1443 | 3.6648 | 20817.56 |
| 8 | 0.1285 | 3.2639 | 16511.78 |
| 9 | 0.1144 | 2.9058 | 13086.98 |
| 10 | 0.1019 | 2.5883 | 10383.31 |
| 11 | 0.0907 | 2.3038 | 8226.25 |
| 12 | 0.0808 | 2.0523 | 6528.45 |
| 13 | 0.0720 | 1.8288 | 5183.85 |
| 14 | 0.0641 | 1.6281 | 4108.69 |
| 15 | 0.0571 | 1.4503 | 3260.32 |
| 16 | 0.0508 | 1.2903 | 2580.57 |
| 17 | 0.0453 | 1.1506 | 2052.03 |
| 18 | 0.0403 | 1.0236 | 1624.04 |
| 19 | 0.0359 | 0.9119 | 1288.77 |
| 20 | 0.0320 | 0.8128 | 1023.97 |
| 21 | 0.0285 | 0.7239 | 812.23 |
| 22 | 0.0253 | 0.6426 | 640.07 |
| 23 | 0.0226 | 0.5740 | 510.75 |
| 24 | 0.0201 | 0.5105 | 404.00 |
| 25 | 0.0179 | 0.4547 | 320.40 |
| 26 | 0.0159 | 0.4039 | 252.80 |
| 27 | 0.0142 | 0.3607 | 201.63 |
| 28 | 0.0126 | 0.3200 | 158.76 |
| 29 | 0.0113 | 0.2870 | 127.69 |
| 30 | 0.0100 | 0.2540 | 100.00 |
| 31 | 0.0089 | 0.2261 | 79.21 |
| 32 | 0.0080 | 0.2032 | 64.00 |
| 33 | 0.0071 | 0.1803 | 50.41 |
| 34 | 0.0063 | 0.1600 | 39.69 |
| 35 | 0.0056 | 0.1422 | 31.36 |
| 36 | 0.0050 | 0.1270 | 25.00 |
| 37 | 0.0045 | 0.1143 | 20.25 |
| 38 | 0.0040 | 0.1016 | 16.00 |
| 39 | 0.0035 | 0.0889 | 12.25 |
| 40 | 0.0031 | 0.0787 | 9.61 |
Product Selection
Conductor: Fully annealed stranded bare copper per ASTM B-172
Jacket: High Grade EPDM
Great flexibility
Resistant to cuts, tears, abrasion, and moisture.
For secondary voltage resistance welding leads and power supply applications not exceeding 600 volts AC.
6 AWG
Conductor Stranding: 259/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.32
Max Amps: 115
4 AWG
Conductor Stranding: 364/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.348
Max Amps: 150
2 AWG
Conductor Stranding: 624/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.42
Max Amps: 205
1 AWG
Conductor Stranding: 780/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.503
Max Amps: 240
1/0
Conductor Stranding: 988/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.533
Max Amps: 285
2/0
Conductor Stranding: 1235/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.586
Max Amps: 325
3/0 AWG
Conductor Stranding: 1539/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.675
Max Amps: 380
4 AWG
Conductor Stranding: 364/0.01 in.
Nominal Outside Diameter (in.): 0.348
Max Amps: 150