Q on flux core wire

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I'm trying to teach myself how to weld by reading information online.  I just bought myself a MIG welder.  I have a basic knowledge of the differences between using solid wire w/ shielding gas and using flux core wire.  However, I was just doing some reading and it was mentioning that there is a difference between gas shielded and self shielding flux core wire.  My question is: If I have a box of flux core wire, how do I tell which type I have?  I'm assuming that when I go to buy a new reel of wire, I will just tell them which type I need and then I'll know what type I have.  But I got a box of flux core wire with my welder and I don't know which type it is.  I'm pretty sure it is a cheap chinese brand, but that is ok for now, because i am just going to be trying to learn how to make a bead at the moment. This is the information that I do have from the box, and what I understand of each (correct me if I'm wrong please.)0.8mm  (Thickness of the wire)K-NGS (I think that is the brand)0.9kg (weight of the reel, how much is there)Flux Cored Arc Welding Wire  (Flux core, but don't know which type, I'm assuming self shielding, but you know what they say about assuming.)aws a5.20/asme sfa5.20 e71t-gs,jis z3313 yfw-s50gb,ks d7104 yfw-s50gb  (I have no idea what any of this means.  It is in real small print and hard to read, so some of those might be a little wrong.)Another question I have about flux core, is there different types of material wire used for welding different metals?  Can you even use flux core on aluminum, and if so, is there a different flux core that you would use compared to what you would use for welding steel?  Is there different flux core that you would use for different types of steel?  Sorry if the questions are completely idiotic, but these are things that were not quite covered in any of my reading so far.http://johnson64.com
Reply:There are many different types of Flux cored wire.  A5.20 ia an AWS book that tells all about Flux cored wires. Some are Self shielding and some need gas as a shielding.  Some are DCEP and some DCEN.  E71T1 is used with CO2 or 75/25 Gas and E71T11 is Selfshielded and yes there are different wires for different steels.  John        ( Books will do you a lot of good.)SMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:The Flux-core wire that came with your welder is the type you use without gas. When you go into the store to get more and you ask for some flux-core wire they will probably know what you are after but just clarify with them and say "I need self-shielding flux-core wire"There are different types of wire for different materials. The wire that came with your machine is for steels. You cant weld aluminum with it. You can weld different kinds of steels that you will have, but not aluminum.There are a couple different ways to describe the two different types of flux wire but it will all make sense soon.FCAW=Flux cored arc welding, you knew thatFCAW-SS The ss stands for self-sheildingFCAW-G the g stands for gasAnother way you will hear it described is Innershield, which is what you have. Innersheild meaning the sheilding for the weld puddle will be provided by chemical inside the hollow core that will make a gas when it hits the arc.And Dual sheild. This is the one with the gas. Dual sheild meaning it has the flux and it uses sheilding gasAs far as different types for different types of steel, depending on what you are doing there may be a better wire, MAYBE. Maybe some guys can chime in and recommend a wire. I know alot of guys really like Lincoln NR-211Hope this helps Last edited by Burnit; 06-07-2008 at 10:06 AM.Yup
Reply:Thanks for the info guys.  From the information on the box, what signifies that it is shelf shielding?  I don't see E71T11 on the box.  I see E71T-GS, what does that stand for?  I just want to know what I am looking at.  For right now I have a left over piece of sheet metal that from some other project.  I was planning on just making some beads on it to get some practice.  I also have a bunch of extra bolds and stuff from my bikes that I was going to weld together, again, just for practice.  I figure I will use up most of this reel just practicing to get a good feel for it.  Then when I go to do some actual welding for my projects, I will get wire that is appropriate for the job.http://johnson64.com
Reply:If the number of the wire ends with "S" it is a single pass wire.Most MIG 110 welders come with that kind of wire.If you want a better wire for structural work get LINCOLN NR211-MP it is a multiple pass structurally rated wire. For FCAW.Some venders will try to sell it for a high price like $50., per roll for the 110 size welderbut Lincoln was selling it for suggested retail of $17.00. When i found out , I called Lincoln and told them one of their dealers was trying to sell it to me for $50.00 and and they were mad. they told me to go back to the dealer after they had a little talk. Then they charged me $36.00 !I was building a 36 foot steel boat and i used 10 rolls of wire.
Reply:I have a MIG 220v 160 amp welder.  I guess the duty cycle is 18% @140amps.http://johnson64.com
Reply:Originally Posted by jay64Thanks for the info guys.  From the information on the box, what signifies that it is shelf shielding?  I don't see E71T11 on the box.  I see E71T-GS, what does that stand for?  I just want to know what I am looking at.  For right now I have a left over piece of sheet metal that from some other project.  I was planning on just making some beads on it to get some practice.  I also have a bunch of extra bolds and stuff from my bikes that I was going to weld together, again, just for practice.  I figure I will use up most of this reel just practicing to get a good feel for it.  Then when I go to do some actual welding for my projects, I will get wire that is appropriate for the job.
Reply:Once again, thanks for all the information everyone.  I think I'm slowly getting it.http://johnson64.com
Reply:I don't use a lot of fluxcore wire but a couple of years ago I took a job to build a lot of fence panels out of galvanized top rail used with chainlink fence. I had been using Lincoln wire but was out. Went to the LWS and told David what I was going to do. He recommended Uniweld's E71T-GS. I was pleasantly suprised at the cost which was quite a bit less than Lincoln's price. I was also pleasantly suprised with the ease and quality of the welds I made with this wire. That is what I will continue to use with my little fluxcore welder.
Reply:Burnit, you nailed it.GS means held to no aws specifications.  ET71-11 is NR211-MP and others.  In my opinion its the best all purpose self shielding wire.  I have it in 1/16" in an LN-22.  Its good all position wire. Limited to 1/2".David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:T-I cant remember
Reply:GS = General, no specific procedures and is self shielding.   JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:I go through a lot of NR211-MP in .035. I've had the best luck with it, get the best price on it and have a good supply available. Can't get the uni or I would try it.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Thanks y'all.  I think I am going to try out my welder for the first time when I get home from work tomorrow.http://johnson64.com
Reply:Ok, this seems like it is kind of self explanitory given the names, but what exactly does single pass wire and multiple pass wire mean?  I tried doing a search on it, and didn't come up with definitions.  Single pass, does that mean that if I make a bead, I can't go back over that section, while multiple pass lets me do that?  Or am I completely mis-understanding that?http://johnson64.com
Reply:Single pass means 1 pass. stringer or weave. multi pass means more than one pass. Also, the NR211-mp is still only recommended for welding up to 1/2" material.
Reply:I ran some .068 NR211 today.  See pics here.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=21986DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by jay64Ok, this seems like it is kind of self explanitory given the names, but what exactly does single pass wire and multiple pass wire mean?  I tried doing a search on it, and didn't come up with definitions.  Single pass, does that mean that if I make a bead, I can't go back over that section, while multiple pass lets me do that?  Or am I completely mis-understanding that?
Reply:I was looking online at some different wire types being sold.  I noticed that some were called carbon steel welding wire, stainless steel welding wire, and aluminum welding wire.  I am assuming that these are ones that need a shielding gas, as they were not flux core.  However, all the flux core ones I have found so far don't discern between carbon/stainless steel or aluminum.  I seem to recall hearing at one point that you can't use flux core for aluminum, only shielded gas, is that true?  For flux core wire, can you use that on either type of steel?http://johnson64.com
Reply:filler metal needs to match base metal. as for fcaw look at post #3 by burnit
Reply:jay,Some of the information so far is spot-on and some is close-but-not-complete.You can get a LOT of information yourself by browsing through Lincoln's and ESAB's websites.  Miller's too.www.lincolnelectric.comwww.esabna.com (for ESAB North America)www.millerwelds.comNote:  Some of the close-but-not-quite-complete information refers specifically to Lincoln's NR-211-MP Innershield (FCAW, aka flux-core) wire.  Nice wire.  It comes in different wire diameters.  The listed material thickness limitation for -that- specific wire is different for diameters under 0.045 (5/16 inch thick plate max for 0.035 or 0.045 diameter wire) or 0.068 and over (1/2 inch thick plate max).  It is rated for multi-pass, as stated, meaning you can weld over top of an existing weld made with that wire.  It is a nice relatively 'easy' flux-core wire for use on mild steel, within its thickness limitations.  It is -not- a true "structural" wire, meaning that other wires have different code and/or agency 'approval' to be used to make steel buildings or ships or whatever because of the weld properties and the certifications related to the welds and the wire and the material properties, etc and the NR-211-MP does not necessarily have all those properties and certifications.Next, regarding the wire 'types'.  You generally use a carbon steel wire to weld carbon steel.  You generally use a stainless steel wire to weld stainless steel, and sometimes you have to match or get a compatible stainless steel wire to go with what specific type of stainless steel you are welding or trying to weld.  You MUST use an aluminum wire to weld aluminum, again sometimes you have to get the 'right' aluminum wire for the type of aluminum alloy you are welding and the environment and/or service conditions that the weld has to work/survive in.Generally, if the wire (or rod/electrode for SMAW aka 'stick welding) doesn't say anything about use for 'special' materials, then it's for use on plain mild steel.  If it's for use on stainless steel or aluminum or cast iron or whatever, it will usually say so somewhere in the catalog/information.btw, the AWS stand for "American Welding Society".  They help group/class different characteristics for welding-related things.  www.aws.org
Reply:So I guess it isn't that good of an idea to just get a bunch of scrap metal where I don't know exactly what type of metal it is then.  Hmmm, maybe that is why my first attempt at welding turned out so ****ty.http://johnson64.com
Reply:Is there a flux-core for alum or stainless?9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:What I get from it isE - Electrode7 - 70 000 psi1 - All positionT - TubularG - GeneralS - Single PassMy question is how do you know it's t-11 and not another classification like t-9 or t-8 or t-10 since that is specified a single pass wire and t-11 is supposed to be multiple pass...or is the g just another noteform for t-11?Oh, and Craig in Denver not sure about aluminum but, there is stainless flux core wire.Last edited by Xenth; 05-19-2010 at 02:35 AM.
Reply:Hi Jay64,Regarding your question about the wire that you have bought and are using.I can tell your right now that that brand of gasless mig wire that you have is one of the best brands in the world.The K-NGS is a brand model number.The E71T-GS = gasless mig wire single passThis is all you need to know (E71T-GS), and the wire diameter size and spool weight.If you are using this wire and you are having troubles it will not be from the wire itself, this I can 100% guarantee.  Unless of course the wire is damaged to start with.You may also like to see my little videos where I show a small gasless mig welder.Originally Posted by Jolly RogerI go through a lot of NR211-MP in .035. I've had the best luck with it, get the best price on it and have a good supply available. Can't get the uni or I would try it.