Newbie question:
What's a good rule of thumb regarding amperage & material? I'm trying to setup my (old) Mobiwelder, and I'm trying to figure out what the 130A alternator will actually weld - ie what thickness of materials? 1/4"? 3/8"? Say, with a 7018 on DCR. I'm kicking around the idea of adding a piggy back alternator for additional amps later on, but I wanted to see how far I'd get with what I have.

Will 130A weld spring perches on? Weld together a spare tire carrier? Trail fixes?

TIA,
Bryan

The rule of thumb relates amperage to electrode sizes, where amps = diameter in thousandths of an inch. 1/8 = .125 inch rods use 125 amps. Less amps for vertical welds.

The thickness of metal you can weld in a single pass depends on weld type and geometry, but you should have no trouble welding 1/4 steel with a 3/32 rod.