Lincoln's flux core wire = dark grey beads, any brand better looking?

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I read a few posts saying that Hobart wire produces a shiny bead while the Lincoln flux core wire I'm using (NR 211-MP in .035) creates dark grey beads even after slag removal and wire brushing with a pneumatic grinder, no matter what settings I use. (The steel has been thoroughly cleaned first & mill scale removed) Does Hobart or any other brand produce a bead that looks more like a shiny solid wire bead?
Reply:Here is a comparison.First picture is 1/16” Hobart 21-BSecond picture is .045” NR-212. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:I'm having a little trouble picking out the differences due to the flash, but it seems like the Hobart wire is brighter. Right?
Reply:The 21-B might be just a little bit brighter, but not much.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Why do you care what color your weld beads are?Lincoln's Innershield NR-211-MP is, for all intents and purposes, the industry standard for flux-cored wire.
Reply:I don’t think even Dual Shield will shine like Mig. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Could be running it a little too hot, lack of complete slag coverage during those 1st seconds of cool down."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Why do you care what color your weld beads are?
Reply:here you go, problem solved..they will be real shinny now....Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Originally Posted by JD1Until I retired, my entire career was involved with art and how things look visually. So that mindset has carried over into my welding.
Reply:Originally Posted by JD1I am running real hot (on purpose), hotter than Lincoln's spec on the door chart.
Reply:Isn't 211 limited to thicknesses of 7/16" and under?Sent from my dumb smartphoneTeach Ag Mech - Mike At Home:Lincoln Electric AC225Miller Challenger 172Gas AxeWork:eclectic bunch of 90's vintage blue boxes
Reply:NR-211-MP is rated 1/2-inch and under. I use to work for Foundation Constructors in Antioch. Back in the 1980s I can’t tell you how many welding inspectors told me they never seen anyone pass a bend test with NR-211. Few years ago I was cleaning out my Dad’s barn, and found a box of NR-211 I took off a job in the 1980s. So I did a side bend test on 3/4-inch thick metal. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Oh I know it's capable. I want to say it has something to do with charpy v notch toughness or something like that. It's still good stuff. Sent from my dumb smartphoneTeach Ag Mech - Mike At Home:Lincoln Electric AC225Miller Challenger 172Gas AxeWork:eclectic bunch of 90's vintage blue boxes
Reply:I like NR-212 better than NR-211. But I’ll take Hobart’s 21-B over any of Lincoln’s T-11 wires.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Just an update:I found that a steel brush on a pneumatic grinder did not change the color of the bead (mentioned in my first post). But this week I used NR 211 on a project and went at the beads with a brass brush on a RA grinder and voila.....nice shiny beads like solid wire ones. No idea why the difference but I'm happy.
Reply:I'm still unclear as to why the patina on your weld beads matters...
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyCould be running it a little too hot, lack of complete slag coverage during those 1st seconds of cool down.
Reply:Originally Posted by Hillbilly WelderI'm still unclear as to why the patina on your weld beads matters...
Reply:Absolutely a world of difference. A straight, even, smooth weld bead is a direct indicator of the welder's skill. The patina of the weld has nothing to do with the skill of the welder, it's simply a result of the metal, flux, gasses, etc that are being used. Originally Posted by JD1First part of post 8....just because. Has nothing to do with the integrity of the weld. Same principle as welders who like to run a perfectly straight even bead looking like a machine did it and proudly post their nice looking results. The weld still holds if it's slightly crooked or lumpy but some welders don't like it looking that way. Pride in the appearance of your work.
Reply:I dunno, I'm so far from an expert I'm what they call a pizz poor weldor but, my guess is that Lincoln calls it 'protective slag' for some small reason. Slag, or lack of, shiny bead or dark might be an indication of a settings issue like voltage, stick out, arc length, gun angle, travel speed, yadda, yadda. Something that bears looking into anyway. If lincoln says there is usually slag coverage then that's something I'll at least consider, not that I'd get all OCD over it but still something I'd think on. The off the shelf fcaw-s wires I buy seem to have such a wide sweet spot I'm guilty of just turning some knobs and going for it.  Turn it up if I need to or want to.  Two things I tend to do, one is check the manufacturers specs for the wire I'm running an try and stay within a half mile of that. Not once have I ever decided that the manufacturer was effed up and didn't know what they were talking about. The other is adjust my flux core for a little slag, not much, even if just a light gray dust, still something. The reason is because I've noticed over the long haul is that when there is NO or spotty slag the resulting bead is also darker or close to black. Another thing I've noticed is that the slag is easier to remove and the beads are shinier if you give a minute or few before wiping it off of there. Just an observation."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I've found that sometimes the bead is shiny, sometimes it's grey, but as long as the bead's shape looks ok I don't care because it gets painted anyways.My "collection":Homemade Stick WelderVictor O/A TorchAC 225Ideal Arc 250HF 90 Amp Flux CoreHF Mig 170Solar 2020 Plasma CutterPower i-Mig 140EHarris O/A torchHF Dual Mig 131140STAlpha Tig 200x
Reply:I’ve run 5/64” NR-211 at 400 plus amps, the welds had very little slag on them.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:I watched the video again and Lincoln is saying that dark flux core welds are the result of wrong (too close) contact tip to work distance. According to them it shows improper operating parameters. It's not just an aesthetic problem.He's using .035 NR-211. Run the slider up to 5:10 where he starts that segment. At 6:40 or so he shows the dark weld. His previous welds weren't dark. There is no comment about whether poor slag coverage (the result of being too close) compromises weld integrity. Maybe it doesn't, IDK. An x-ray or acid test could tell quick enough.