From the man you refer to.
Cuz rollcages and bumpers are always made from 3/8 or thicker right?
Keep splitting hairs.
Best flux-cored mig wire?
- Thread starter laguna80
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From the man you refer to.
Cuz rollcages and bumpers are always made from 3/8 or thicker right?
Keep splitting hairs.
fj40charles
SILVER Star
Thank you for pointing out the #2 for noob frustartion, the s***ty 110V cheapy welder. (#1 is fluxcore) They go hand in hand.
When its done by a CERTIFIED weldor not an amature.
If flux is so awesome, why arent you guys suggesting stick welding for noobs too? Nothing kicks ass like a amature stickweld.
Yes I do all the time. I just burn it off with the torch. Welds way better with no zinc than leaving it there and using flux core.
I have even built several tube chassis for RC crawlers out of brakeline tubing with solid mig wire after burning off the zinc. Its easy. Not easy on 1/16 thick tube. The slightest bit of contamination will blow a hole bigger than the brake tubing.
I have a fence around a 1.5 acre chunk here I built out of all 3x3 galvy boxtube. Not once did I fluxcore weld it. But it wasnt windy I guess.
The only armature I'm aware of are inside motors.
Did you use solid mig wire to weld 3x3 galvy boxtube? Must have spent lots of time burning off the zinc.
Didn't know AWS wire specification was based on using certified welders. Does that mean I can get any kind of wire and get a certified welder to weld it to produce whatever AWS certification I want????
Nothing wrong with stick welds. Many successful trail repairs have been done with just batteries and stick electrodes and/or with on-board welder.
I'd use stick or some big wire (1/16" flux core) for building oilfield pipe fences.
fj40charles
SILVER Star
You wanted an example or using dual shield wire in a 4x4 application and I produced it.
How about skid plates, winch mounting plates, brackets, or heavy duty bumper?
- Thread starter
- #24
In my defense, I am most certainly an amateur, but most definitely not a noob. I have no problem burning the welds in with my flux core. The welding that I do gives me very little trouble as it is mostly 14-18 gauge sheet metal that I work with. I have not been fabricating thick bumpers or rearranging shackle mounts etc. I had a problem with the feeding of the wire and was wondering if there was a higher quality option out there, instead of the home depot type wire. I eventually found out my problem and have been welding just fine with it. Cleaning up slag is not too much of a bother for me either. I'm going to clean up irregardless of what kind of welder I use. Furthermore, I did research what I was going to buy and the pro's and con's of them. My house, believe it or not, has no 220V outlets, it is completely 110V. That coupled with the windy environment in which I was going to weld lead me to the hobart 125ez. I figured it was a good learning platform and would suit my needs just fine. If I decided to upgrade to gas, then I can buy the upgrade kit available for my particular welder.
I know I have a long way to go with my welding skills, mainly getting enough penetration into the metal, and not cleaning the metal good enough so that I get pure welds.
I know I have a long way to go with my welding skills, mainly getting enough penetration into the metal, and not cleaning the metal good enough so that I get pure welds.
fj40charles
SILVER Star
Hobart Handler 125EZ is flux core only, but it is supposed to be really easy to weld with and had nice arc. You cannot convert it to use shielding gas. Here is a thread talking about it.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?t=17385&highlight=handler+125ez
Here is a good post about 8" spool adapter.
Weld Talk Message Board and Online Forum - Hobart Welders
Many users have had good luck with Hobart brand of flux core wire. I'd use .030 wire for sheet metal.
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So I misspell amature/amateur and you pick on me for it with that? Keep grasping.
I missread your "classification" for meaning certification. My bad.
mys bad grammwser spleeeling wont get wld fakl off tho.
fj40charles
SILVER Star
So I misspell amature/amateur and you pick on me for it with that? Keep grasping.
I missread your "classification" for meaning certification. My bad.
mys bad grammwser spleeeling wont get wld fakl off tho.
I'm not grasping. You asked questions and I provided answers.
I was merely pointing out your spelling mistakes.
- Thread starter
- #28
Oh that's my bad. I DO have the upgradeable one.
flux core is great , we use it all the time at work . but its generally used on some thing structural or repairing machinery and building up / repairing buckets , if its good enough to hold a tooth on a 60 yard shovel bucket it is good enough for a land cruiser .
how ever i tend to use solid with gas on sheet metal .
how ever i tend to use solid with gas on sheet metal .
It is way shorter and easier to say, "fluxcore sucks" than to have a long winded debate with the only guy in the thread that doesnt need welding advice.
Which is my point.
Fluxcore does not suck. it has it's place and is a perfectly functional style of welding.
You do not like it, that's fine. But just say that instead of making it sound like there is no way to make a FCAW weld turn out well.
BTW, I suck at welding...
- Thread starter
- #31
Official update on my welder. I still was having trouble with the wire not feeding properly and so I was welding the other day and noticed the gun was smoking. I turned everything off and disassembled the gun. Inside I found one of the connectors had come off the trigger and shorted out on the metal liner for the wire. Everything was ok, so I removed the metal liner from the gun tip and ran the wire back and forth several times. Suddenly, out came a small little piece of fragmented wire. It must have broken off at some point and then gotten stuck inside. I put everything back together and now it runs perfectly.
Good , I am glad its working now, Nothing worse than troubleshooting tools. I find that when I am using flux-core my welder ( Lincoln 140 tapped controls) seems to draw more power (amps) than it would using gas at the same settings
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Yup because it requires more current to run fluxcore properly. It has to vaporise the flux, so it shields the weld. Not the textbook answer but close enough for gummint work.
To be Honest the best wire i have used is the harbor frieght stuff .035 flux. I have a 110V 90amp lincoln welder, i got it because i couldnt afford a better one and i sold both my stick welders to get it. That said i agree that crappy welds come from inexperienced welders. I learned on a Miller 135 and hobart 135 and i could weld amazingly with those. I also weld with a huge 3phase miller mig and 2phase 220amp lincoln mig at both my works, one is a factory and the other a 4X4 shop.With all those welders i could make beautiful weldes that were strong. When i got the flux core welder it took me several jobs to make it weld decent it really was harder to weld with. After sometime and adjustment i can now turn out really nice welds with it that require very little clean up other than a wire brush. So my point is that flux core in the right hands is just as good, even at a 4X4 shop. you just have to be able to change how you weld. When i would weld with my flux the same way i would with the other migs, the weld sucked. If i slowed and really watched my puddle it turns out great. to be honest if the only reason you use gas and solid wire is so that it looks better than TIG it.I have seen many good looking welds by people with a MiG with gas that look good but are weak, any idiot can make a mig weld look pretty but, that doesnt not make it a good weld. I use a 220 3phase miller tig welder at work and that is the best you can get as far as strength and looks. Flux is not bad at all and solid wire can get your welder just as dirty, the lincoln and miller use solid wire 24/7 and they both have had to have the liner replaced becasue if it being too dirty. I love a good solid wire gas MIG but i also have no problem using a flux.I finally hav enough money to get me a 135 millermatic for home and i planon running gas but i will always keep my flux for cases of wind and different metals that it works better on, every wire has its good place in the welding world. just my 2 cents
just my 2 cents
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That is the answer I am looking for . Vaporizing the flux. OMG I have a smart welder. LOL
Merry Christmas--- Mud welders
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I'll bet your liner is starting to wear and the wire is catching and making the wire act funny. Also make sure your drive rolls are for flux core (the kind with serrations) and the correct dia. to match the wire your using.
As far as the best wire I'd go to a real welding shop and talk with the good counter guy. He should be able to get you set up properly.
I'm using .045 lincoln wire in my suitcase and it works good for general outdoor welding. For larger material we use .063 wire in a pro fax gun fed through the suitcase don't remember what the brand is.
As far as the best wire I'd go to a real welding shop and talk with the good counter guy. He should be able to get you set up properly.
I'm using .045 lincoln wire in my suitcase and it works good for general outdoor welding. For larger material we use .063 wire in a pro fax gun fed through the suitcase don't remember what the brand is.
