AR400 self-shielded wire suggestions?

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Hello guys,I am a foreman in a stone quarry and consider myself a jack of all trades. I am a hands on kind of foreman and can't stand sitting behind a desk for more then an hour or so. Being in the stone business requires all of the equipment and the processing plant to have some kind of abrasive wear plates to be used to get a useful span out of them. The wear plates can very from manganese to AR400 and anywhere from 1/2" to 3" thick depending upon the location and its function.Call me crazy or what but I have always enjoyed welding and do allot of it still. Most of my welding at the quarry is all stick welding, at home it is all wire feed so am familiar with both. My full-time welder at the quarry just retired and I hired a younger welder to fill the position. He worked in a prefab shop doing the same welding of joints over and over again with a wire feed and does not have allot of experience with wear plates. He is willing to learn but suggested a wire feeder for his Lincoln Ranger. I picked up 2 LN-25 pro's at the LWS and some Lincoln outer-shield 71 elite (dual shield) wire for him. I must admit, by using the wire feeder in the shop that the production has went up. I have ran several spools of it myself and will admit that it does spoil you quick and I have had no problems with the welds versus stick welding them, seems like a win win situation in the shop.I usually try to do most of the maintenance in the winter months when things are a little slower for us so that we are not welding on them when things are full bore production.The problem is, I have allot of welding projects coming up that cannot go to the shop. All of them will require wear plate AR400, AR500, T1, etc., 1/2" to 1" thick, because of the abrasiveness of the stone. Most but not all of the projects, it would be in-practical to try and build wind blocks for. Did I say that it was windy here all the time? I guess that why there is so many wind mills around us. I am looking for some inner-shield/self shielded wire for these projects. I have picked up a Lincoln k126 pro inner-shield gun that the LWS had on stock. Still need one more gun with a 15' whip, would prefer one with a replaceable liner. Any alternatives to the K126?Any recommendations for the wire?I have searched and read allot on the net about different kinds of wire, with allot of different opinions what to use. The only one that I have tried was the NR-212, not real sure about it though. The welder had installed a couple of new shanks and a few smaller patches of AR on the one big excavator bucket that was still on the machine. The shanks all cracked and eventually broke off and the patches cracked and peeled off also within a month. I gave it a try with the NR-212 myself, carefully watching the preheat and inter-pass temps and still they didn't last much longer then a month. Put the stinger back on and opened up a fresh box of E7018 and installed new shanks again and a few more pieces of wear plate for liners and they are still on the machine and doing fine. I am not sure if the NR-212 cannot handle the impacts or why it keeps failing. This excavator is on the surface digging shot rock that is close to the out-crop with allot of seams in it. Because of the seams it usually has it's share of big boulders (explosives take the path of least resistance and if there is a seam nearby, there goes all of your energy) in it and the excavator bucket takes a beating trying to dig them out or around them, I figured if I could get a self-shielded wire to hold on this bucket, I would feel comfortable using it on everything else. Just wondering if I should stick to the stick welding outdoors and hire another contract welder for a few months or is there a self-shielded wire that will do what I am looking for? Most of these wear plates will be 1/2" to 3/4" AR400, it would require allot of work to get them to the shop and wind stops are hard to employ and require to much attention and time.Any information would be greatly appreciated
Reply:Hi onebadengine, and welcome!When the coal truck builders I know need crack resistance with T-1, X-1050 or AR360/400 they use an alloy rods (now ESAB) cored wire with very low hydrogen properties and 1% nickel.If I remember right, it's Coresheild 8-Ni1 (71T8-Ni1) self sheilded wire. If you need better charpy impact numbers than this stuff has, I'm pretty sure you're going to need rod.All cored wires should be used up quickly or stored in a proper oven or they will gain moisture and go to crap on you.Matt
Reply:First, about the gun/liner, Profax makes a k126 clone that does have a replaceable liner.   Second, if you are using NR232, you absolutely need to be using an innershield gun of some sort, the wire is too stiff to be using it with a mig gun.Note, using NR 233, ESAB Coreshield 8, NR211, Hobart 21B, etc., mig gun will probably work.Working in the shop, a Dualshield wire would be my first choice.  Outside, NR 232 would be my choice.
Reply:I suggest you call Hobart Brothers and talk to Ivan in tech and/or Lincoln and explain your situation. They are familiar with all of their products and should be glad to point you in the correct direction. But there are alot of sharp guys here also."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:In the shop you can't beat dual shield. We use esab 7100 ultra. I love it!! It runs like butter. Heres some welds i did on 3/8'' plate with it. .045 wire with 75-25.Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:Nr-232QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
Reply:Hobart Fabshield XLR-8 meets the same standards and classification as NR232 and Coreshield-8.Bernard makes the Dura-flux gun specificly for running large dia self shielded wires and uses the same reverse-curve neck shape as the Lincoln flux guns.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Lincoln NR-212 was -NOT- the correct wire to run for an impact-resistant fabrication or for welding on an AR plate.  Also note that NR-212 has a plate thickness limitation of 3/4 inch MAX, so you may have used the 'wrong' filler if you were trying to use that wire on thicker plates.Use the 'wrong' wire or filler for the application and you get bad results.You want a filler that has impact-rated properties, such as the aforementioned AWS E71T-8 type of wires.pssst, 7018 is an "impact-rated" filler, as well as being a low-hydrogen filler.In Lincoln's product line of FCAW-S E71T-8 wires are NR-203 ('regular' and a 1% Nickel variety), NR-232, and NR-233.http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...4|&locale=1033There are other self-shielded fluxcore wires available that may be applicable for you.  NR-208-XP anyone?  AWS E81T8-G all-position rated except vert up, with 70-75 ksi yield strength, 27-29% elongation, and CVN properties of 113-223 ft-lb at -20F.  It's listed as mostly a 'pipeliner' wire.  Excaliber E7018-1 MR is rated at 'only' 42-131 ft-lb CVN at -20F.Check the catalogs or call the manufacturers.Lincoln  216-481-8100  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Thanks guys for all the quick replies. The NR-212 was recomended by the LWS and I don't keep up with the newer trends, so I took his word for it.... Thanks for setting me straight on the wire and atleast I know what I am heading in the right direction..Of the wire suggested, does anybody have any experience with them? Is there one particular that I should stay away from or does one really shine compared to the rest?
Reply:NR-233 is much more user friendly than NR-232 especially if you haven't run any T-8 wires before.   Esab's coreshield-8 is easier to run than both of those.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:And don't expect any of those to look as nice as what welderShane posted above!  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 have a lot of experience with Coreshield 8 and what I will say is be cautious when de slagging your weld, takes your breath away and cant be healthy.  I am looking for an alternative now because I work out of the wind alot and the fumes just linger and make my eyes water.  I know I know, get a respirator dummy.  I will say though that I have had great luck with the strength of Coreshield 8.  I work on trenchers for a living and there isn't much more exposure to vibration and impact than cutting solid rock.