Mike - this was flux core. I would guess no gas involved.
Your explanation of pushing into the weld was much better than mine.
Your explanation of pushing into the weld was much better than mine.
Welding Newbie. Mig or stick?
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stoveguy2esw
Minister of Fire
Mike - this was flux core. I would guess no gas involved.
Your explanation of pushing into the weld was much better than mine.
ohh, thought was MIG, havent used flux core before
According to the OP - it was a mig running flux core wire. This is pretty common for some of the small consumer migs and folks that don't want to deal with gas. All but unheard of with a production mig. The flux core mimics the flux on the outside of a stick. It is basically automatic stick welding.
Yes, flux core, no gas. I had no puddle to speak of as the video showed. The tip was pointed right at the work too. I could have put it up one notch higher probably. It was a bit more blobby when I was laying the weld down. I had to go back and fill in the spaces where it did not take.
Practice practice practice, the only way to get better, trying to do a project with out the practice can be frustrating.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Re: "nozzle too far from material"
The same could be the result from trying to MIG outdoors in a breeze. This is the one condition in which flux core wire may be preferable to MIG.
The same could be the result from trying to MIG outdoors in a breeze. This is the one condition in which flux core wire may be preferable to MIG.
Get some scrap steel and start sticking stuff together, might turn into art.More practice=more projects.
stoveguy2esw
Minister of Fire
good point, i dont weld outside, at least i haven't had to up to this point, but i have had fans running which does blow the gas off the puddle and that does cause porosity the same way. of course i don't weld flux core either have a gas setup.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I have a full MIG (Hobart Handler 185), but since my shop is primarily a wood shop, almost all of my welding is done outdoors in the driveway. So, I do often run flux-core wire in it. Having grown up with a stick welder (Lincoln AC225), I don't find the small bit of spatter from the flux core to be a very big deal. Usually cleans up in about 0.5 seconds with a 3" sanding disc on the pneumatic angle die grinder.
I welded the base up to hold the forge that will be used to make art. So indirectly, yes.
stoveguy2esw
Minister of Fire
spatter isn't the problem , with wind you can have air contamination which makes the weld porous thus compromising it. heck flux core may prevent that i dunno haven't used it. i have a miller 250 MIG and run a tank (mixed gas) never messed with flux core as ive never had a need to. i get why its better for you , wouldn't want to weld in a woodshop
Ashful
Minister of Fire
It would be interesting to hear from someone who's really tried both for comparison, in an outdoor environment. I've done plenty of MIG indoors with gas, but knowing I'd be using my rig almost exclusively outdoors, I switched it over to flux core shortly after buying it. I was always told that's the way to go, if welding outdoors, but can't say I've done a whole lot of testing on that myself.
I've done both outdoors with my Hobart 140 and unless it's really windy I've not had any issues using gas.
I usually weld uphill on a verticle. Might be right, might be wrong, dunno. Works for me. Learned how to weld when I was about 12 years old on my Dad's buzzbox Lincoln. Have only had one weld fail in close to 20 years. Small thick piece of metal that was in a high stress area. Didn't get enough heat into it.
Not saying that the toot my horn, but I don't really care what a book or "pro" says... the goal is to make it stick together and if your doing that, well... carry on!
Not saying that the toot my horn, but I don't really care what a book or "pro" says... the goal is to make it stick together and if your doing that, well... carry on!
nate, you got right, uphill on vertical gives deeper penetration (a good thing) while welding down hill works for thinner stuff.
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