Lets see how bad I did....

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2x2 1/8th steel Hobart 140 .035 wire. Hopefully next week Ill have my gas tank. This is just me toying around in the garage. Any tips or tricks to make it better? I know 1/8th is kind of the limit for that welder, I did not pre-heat the metal either. -Thanks.
Reply:Most flux core wires require DCEN to run smoothly. The spatter looks like it is set for DCEP. The ground cable and the electrode cable can be switched around inside the welder to fix the problem. Then when you get a gas bottle and mig wire, switch it back around.
Reply:You will appreciate gas shielded welding much better.  I do not like flux core welding... I suck at it and therefore dislike it greatly... especially if I have gas around.Your welds, however, look better than anything I ever produced on flux core.JoeMiller 140 Autoset (2010)Miller Syncrowave 250 (1996)
Reply:Keep on welding...Clean off the spatter and wire brush the weld.  Look at it closer for your own information.Once you clean off the spatter a few times you will adjust the voltage or wire speed to get rid of it.The weld looks good.  Hot enough and toes are wet.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:It really seemed like I had to go super slow with the voltage all the way to get it that clean, otherwise it was no where near as nice....
Reply:A lot of people look down on gasless flux core wire but I have passed a LOT of ultrasound tests with it. Most full penetration welds in building construction still uses it to this day. Usually it is 5/64" wire and hot as hell.CERTIFICATIONS:7018M- H.V.O10718M- H.V.O11018M- H.V.O9N10- H.V.O71T-1-HYM- H.O.V100S1 PULSE ARC 0,035- H.O.V100S1 PULSE ARC 0.045- H.O.VER70S-3 PULSE ARC 0.035 H.O.VER70S-3 PULSE ARC 0.045 H.O.VER5554- H.O.V
Reply:all I would say is try to keep it straighter/a more consistant width. but Pratice will do that for you. You'll like gas, it's a lot cleaner than flux. the more CO2 the better penetration but more splatter you'll get. I've run both 75/25 and 80/20 the 80/20 was noticably cleaner with the splatter, but the gas vs flux was even more noticable.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Like the others have said, that Flux core stuff is for the birds... Get your gas, make sure your machine is setup for gas, and that you have the MIG, not flux core wire..... you will like the results so much better. There lots of how to video's on You Tube.Qualified & experienced at welding scrap metal
Reply:Originally Posted by little JeepLike the others have said, that Flux core stuff is for the birds... Get your gas, make sure your machine is setup for gas, and that you have the MIG, not flux core wire..... you will like the results so much better. There lots of how to video's on You Tube.
Reply:Was out in the garage again tonight messing around, couldnt find my wire brush or anything to knock some of the crap off with...Thanks for all the comments and tips so far guys, really means alot...Ive been working on getting a tank, but they are almost as much as I paid for the welder lol
Reply:Originally Posted by NHMattA lot of people look down on gasless flux core wire but I have passed a LOT of ultrasound tests with it. Most full penetration welds in building construction still uses it to this day. Usually it is 5/64" wire and hot as hell.
Reply:Does wire matter? Like once I get gas will HF wire show a difference from lets say Lincoln wire?
Reply:Right now a wire brush would make you a better welder more than a different brand of wire.  DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:You can also lease bottles instead of having to buy them. Our local supply house leases them for $60 per year plus the gas.
Reply:Looking good. Keep your forward motion steady and make kind of a (_(_(_(_(_ motion as you go. Sorry for the stupid description but it is easier than explaining it.CERTIFICATIONS:7018M- H.V.O10718M- H.V.O11018M- H.V.O9N10- H.V.O71T-1-HYM- H.O.V100S1 PULSE ARC 0,035- H.O.V100S1 PULSE ARC 0.045- H.O.VER70S-3 PULSE ARC 0.035 H.O.VER70S-3 PULSE ARC 0.045 H.O.VER5554- H.O.V
Reply:Originally Posted by rival904Does wire matter? Like once I get gas will HF wire show a difference from lets say Lincoln wire?
Reply:When I got my tank, I was very happy, the cleanliness of the welds impressed me even though it cost little bit more money than fluxcore, a good trade-off, I think. When I went in for my third tank of gas, I left with the largest bottle that would fit in my car. Why? I hate running out of gas part way through a job (80 ci lasts me about +/- 2lb of wire), imagine the PIA taking up to 2 hrs just to get back to work. At least with the large bottle (250cf) I dont run out as often, nor does it cost as much to refill (per ci). Although I can only lease a tank that size, I don't have to worry about the hydro date expiring on me.When a welder tells you to "stick it", what do they really mean?"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
Reply:Picked up an 80ci tank. Ran and got it filled earlier. I just threw 2 peices of steel together with some HF .035 wire, Turned the gas onto about 25cfm(not sure where it SHOULD be), and however I didnt put much effort into cleaning my peices as I had other things to do today, I can see how much better the weld is than without gas. Ill probally mess with it more tonight as ill have some free time and post up some more pictures.
Reply:Holy jesus Batman - 25CFM!! thats a lotta gas....!! (cubic feet a minute)Depending on what your welding - 15-25 CFH(cubic feet a hour) should be sufficient. At a couple of the university's down here in Texas, some of the welding and engineering professors did a number of tests of how much flow you can use. The tests were done using different thicknesses of metal with the same welder and same weldor - then destructive tested and non-destructive tested, depending on the weld. (all mig)The general consensus of the experiment was that for small fabrication (under 3/8") 15-25 CFH was more than adequate for welding. There was also a counter in the experiment that in some cases when the gas was run in excess of 45 CFH, oxygen intrusion became problematic as the shielding gas had so much flow it would actually draw outside oxygen into the weldjust my $.02Last edited by smokin_dodge; 12-14-2011 at 04:02 PM.
Reply:With gas I try it out around 15 usually and increase if needed, no need to keep on wasting it. Remember that the difference between 15 and 25 is that you're getting almost twice as much time on the lower section.
Reply:my old chemistry professor would have had a heart attack by the end of this thread - as he used to say "WHERE ARE THE UNITS!! you cant do math without the UNITS!!" (he would actually yell units at the class)
Reply:Your welds don't look so bad. You want to see bad, I just got a hobart 140 today and haven't mig welded in a long time. I'll post up mine to make you feel better Also did you remember to reverse the polarity when you hooked up the gas and switched over the wire?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleYour welds don't look so bad. You want to see bad, I just got a hobart 140 today and haven't mig welded in a long time. I'll post up mine to make you feel better Also did you remember to reverse the polarity when you hooked up the gas and switched over the wire?
Reply:Could be a few things, breeze blowing, angle you're holding your gun at, too little gas ... and so on What are you running your gas at?
Reply:That weld looks good Just remember HF wire is trash i won't even use it except for tie wire and maybe not even for thatBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old TruckHardwire weld is an improvement!  Self shielded wire burns great if you get the heat settings right.  I built my headache rack on my truck with a mig pack 10 using flux core and that machine only had 4 heat settings for voltage and infinite wire speed settings.  A simple rule of thumb; if the spatter is excessive, turn the wire speed down a smidgen (or several!)  Last edited by mb_welder; 01-12-2012 at 09:16 PM.
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Reply:Your last bead looked better. Are you pulsing the trigger? If not you want  to slow down. You are moving forward too much and not tieing in the sweeps as you move from top to bottom. If you are pulsing, stop! You will not get a good weld that way.In many ways that bead looks a bit cold.  Wouldn't surprise me if part of your issue is the material is too thick for the settings you are running. What settings are you using and whats the thickness of the material? It helps for us to know these sorts of things if you want feed back.Last edited by DSW; 02-01-2012 at 06:51 PM..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Nothing wrong with flux core, beauty and quality are in the hands of the welder