Flux Core Welding

[tl1988]

So today I started to use my 110v mig /flux welder. i wanted to practice laying down some bead and just get a general idea of welding. Im using .030 flux core wire and layed some bead on a some thick steel plates.

What do you guys think? Any advice to get nicer welds? (i know gas welding gets you better, cleaner welds)
I rather practice with flux till i get decent, consistent welds before moving onto gas.

 

[crazyorigin]

Looks like you could have went with more heat. Thick plate like that on most any small MIG will take the most heat they can put out. Not sure what the controls onot the welder your using, hope you didn't buy a Flux MIG and plan to later buy a gas shielded MIG, that would have been money thrown away. Gas shielded MIG is really the only way to go if you want pretty MIG welds.

I always try to use as much heat as possible, to where it is just about to be too hot then dial in your wire feed to get the welds looking nice. The noise your welds make will also help you dial everything in, if your getting an inconsistent buzz you will need to adjust it, the guy who have me pointers said you want it to sound like a bumble bee is buzzing in your helmet and never changing his speed.

 

[DIRTY DOG]

thats about the best you'll get with flux/core you need a little more heat but you did ok . I tried one one time and did not like it
I did better with a stick welder. I like my mig.I want to get a tig but just can't seem to get all the moneyat one time ( life and grown kid's gets in the way) you did an ok job with it you should do good with a mig,

 

[Iowa Mark]

With a 110 machine, you need to concentrate on filling a gap in panels, not making caterpillars. What welding is about is fusing two parts into one. When it is done right, there is one piece that is every bit as strong as if it were never apart. When welding thicker parts with a small welder, you might have to pre=heating the area that is being welded and multiple passes could be needed. The welds you make with a flux wire can be just as good as one with gas, but it will require cleaning the area every time you stop. The area cools down and you are already compromised on producing heat with a baby welder.

 

[tl1988]

the welder can run on gas.

How can you tell if you need more heat and how much wire speed is needed? If you have more heat does the wire speed increase?

Anybody have good internet resources for beginners and understanding terminology?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Grind down one of your beads, like the lower half of that bottom bead. As you grind down, look for voids/pockets. As you get down to surface level, check the edges of the beadline, to see if you have penetration out to the edges, or falsebead that sits atop the base metal. Then grind slightly below surface level, looking for anything unusual...

 

[crazyorigin]

The heat level will be controlled by your metal thickness, thicker metal can take more heat. Your wire speed will be controlled by a few factors, basically it will be something you learn by feel and doing it. You can read about welding till you go blind and it won't make you a better welder really, it's something you need to practice and learn from trial and error. Your welder should have separate heat control and wire speed control knobs. You gotta learn how your machine works. It's best to practice welding 2 pieces of material together, welding on a flat surface like you did is ok, but will give you no real benefit to practice on, you don't often need to weld something like that unless your making a name tag for something...

Start practicing on thicker material, 1/4 inch should be plenty thick to use a 110 MIG on, it won't effectively weld much thocker than that without multiple passes and beveling the edges. Then you can move on to thinner material.

Best tips I can give is to get everything you weld as clean as you can, bare clean metal is best but not always possible. And practice, the more you do it the easier it gets. When you finally lay some nice clean welds with good penetration, it will feel very good.

 

[scabber]

You should practice on materials similar thickness to what your going to weld. Running beads is not welding. Practice joining two pieces together welding them. Weld preparation is also important for a quality weld. Material should be clean rust, paint, grease, mill scale ect. and beveled if applicable to what you are welding together. Now that you can run a bead time to start welding. Weld it then try to break it if it won't break then it's welded. Buy a good book on the subject.

 

[weaselbeak]

It's piled up as there is not a lot of heat getting penetration. On thinner metal, joining them, you will be fine as you look to be steady, so don't sweat it. Play with positioning your tip. Sometimes you need to push a weld, sometimes straight into it, sometimes drag a little. Just play around and you'll be fine. Run as hot as possible. It's hard to get a weld too hot, easy to get a weld too cold.

 

[angus67]

double post

 

[angus67]

I think the mill scale is really affecting the little welder you have. try a weld on that area that you grinded upper right. The toe of the weld will flow in nicer,
You should get another piece and run 2g . A fav of mine is vertical down. once you figure out how to stay under it without dropping the puddle, it will become your fav too. vertical down welds tend to be hollow, er.. concave.

 

[Iowa Mark]

A little understanding of how welding works might help. You are grounding electricity through a small strand of wire. As that electric force is traveling through the steel or whatever material you are trying to connect, heat is created. Enough heat and the surrounding material reaches the melting point. With a TIG unit the tungsten electrode doesn't melt off like the softer wire in a MIG unit. TIG can weld without a filler. MIG needs a continuous stream of filler to complete the arcing. The trick is balancing the force of the electricity and the speed of the filler. They have to melt off at the same time for a good fusing of the materials. Wire speed too slow and the wire burns back into the tip. Too fast and the wire starts pop pop popping and leaves a pile of cold crap that holds nothing. What everyone says about practicing is true. You need to watch the point of melt as the wire enters the pool. No pool? Not enough heat or too much wire speed. Large crater and material dripping out of the pool? Too hot or wire speed too slow. I use a 480V 3 phase 350amp unit at work and can weld 18 ga. or 1" plate in one pass. It has lots or other bells and whistles, but at it's heart, it is still just a strand of wire melting two chunks together. Have fun and get a good hood!

 

[jd750ace]

And a welding jacket! UV burns suck!

 

[DozerDan]

0.030 is pretty thick for a 110 flux core set up. Try some 0.023/0.025 wire. I have had much better results with running smaller gauge wire in my 110 unit, much more selection when it comes to heat and speed control, combined with a few (20) years of knowing how to move the metal around.

Key to welding as has been said is penetration. Instead of just laying beads on a flat piece, start joining pieces together.

 

[weaselbeak]

I would have mentioned smaller wire, but around here, the .030 is the smallest thing I can find without hiring a detective. If he gets smaller wire, he should note he needs a smaller tip size as well. I have run wire thru a tip one size too large in a pinch.

 

[DozerDan]

I would have mentioned smaller wire, but around here, the .030 is the smallest thing I can find without hiring a detective. If he gets smaller wire, he should note he needs a smaller tip size as well. I have run wire thru a tip one size too large in a pinch.

Home Depot and Tractor Supply both carry 0.025 and occasionally 0.023. Local Napa Parts stores also often have a good supple of welding supplies. Some times you have to ask as they can be tucked away, but they normally have them.

Can also always go to amazon/ebay/ internet

 

[neanderthal]

Looks like you could have went with more heat. Thick plate like that on most any small MIG will take the most heat they can put out. Not sure what the controls onot the welder your using, hope you didn't buy a Flux MIG and plan to later buy a gas shielded MIG, that would have been money thrown away. Gas shielded MIG is really the only way to go if you want pretty MIG welds.

I always try to use as much heat as possible, to where it is just about to be too hot then dial in your wire feed to get the welds looking nice. The noise your welds make will also help you dial everything in, if your getting an inconsistent buzz you will need to adjust it, the guy who have me pointers said you want it to sound like a bumble bee is buzzing in your helmet and never changing his speed.

those little home machine just dont penetrate like the bigger ones do. it looks like your setting are close to right. the two "j"looking welds look to be a little cold, but they may be slag on the edges, but the three lines look alright. you can also buy a spray for the materal and nozzle so you can just wipe the spatter off. then remove the slag and youll have a nice looking weld. but honestly youll want a more powerfull machine. take a class at a community college. well worth it and youll save money cause youll know what to look for in your next welder. hell you might be better off with a tig, youd be able to do aluminum as well.

the welder can run on gas.

How can you tell if you need more heat and how much wire speed is needed? If you have more heat does the wire speed increase?

Anybody have good internet resources for beginners and understanding terminology?

its all about sound. you got get the buzz right.

0.030 is pretty thick for a 110 flux core set up. Try some 0.023/0.025 wire. I have had much better results with running smaller gauge wire in my 110 unit, much more selection when it comes to heat and speed control, combined with a few (20) years of knowing how to move the metal around.

Key to welding as has been said is penetration. Instead of just laying beads on a flat piece, start joining pieces together.

make sure your wire feed can support those size. you may be stuck with .30 and .35 and remember to get some tips to match.

 

[DozerDan]

make sure your wire feed can support those size. you may be stuck with .30 and .35 and remember to get some tips to match.

Shy of changing a liner and a tip, I have never run across a machine that could not take those sizes.

And even so, you have a wide range on a liner, as long as it is not too small.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

The feedwheel on mine has two grooves, one for 0.03x" wire, other for 0.02x" wire. To change wire size, the feedwheel is removed and flipped over. Some welders may not have feedwheels for 0.02x" wire...

 

[neanderthal]

The feedwheel on mine has two grooves, one for 0.03x" wire, other for 0.02x" wire. To change wire size, the feedwheel is removed and flipped over. Some welders may not have feedwheels for 0.02x" wire...

yep.