FCAW Innershield HELP

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Okay so i used up all the sample roll of .025 solid wire and I've switched over to the innershield .035 flux core wire that comes with the Lincoln 180 Dual. I'm looking for some feedback on why this looks like crap to me. I know when directly compared to MIG solid wire it's going to have a messier appearance because of the spatter. Im just wondering if im doing the speed and voltage settings right.I took the advise given previously about learning this machine and went to the local scrap yard and bought a ten ft strip of 1/8" mild steel. So from left to right the first bead you see was using the machine settings between 10/12 ga. As you can see I figured out real quick that voltage wsas to much. So I used the machine settings for 12ga steel. Any feedback or comments to let me know if this looks good or what I can try to improve, aside from more practice. Thats gonna happen regardless.Last edited by Jwsimpleville; 01-02-2013 at 05:50 PM.
Reply:Only the pict of the back is showing for some reason..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:Sorry, had to shrink them down a bit. Couldn't read the whole posting.
Reply:Originally Posted by JwsimplevilleI know when directly compared to MIG solid wire it's going to have a messier appearance because of the spatter.
Reply:Looks to me like you need to turn your voltage down, or your wire speed up. I'd try turning the voltage down first.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:Will to high voltage cause the excess spatter seen in my pics?
Reply:Yes it will. What kind of flux core are you running?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:.035" FLUX CORED NR211, its the 2lb sample roll Lincoln includes with the machine.
Reply:NR-211, and NR-212 run the same. Start turning the voltage down. Don't put so many welds on the same plate, you could very easily be over heating the plate. Try some lap welds, and fillet welds. It is hard for anybody to make welds on a flat plate look real good.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'd agree with everything CEP has mentioned so far. All the beads look too hot and "muddy" to me. In some cases I see "arrows" in the weld be, that usually says your travel is too fast. Specifically the 2nd and third from the right side.  As CEP said, too hot could be because you are running too many beads and not letting the material cool between beads. I usually tell students to work with several pieces and to be sure to cool the coupons down between beads if that's not possible. If you can pick up a piece with your bare hands, it's cool enough to run another beads on.Excess spatter can also be caused by having too long a stick out, but usually this also results in the beads looking "cold" for the settings. I don't see any issues with things being too cold in any of those beads. If anything I'd rather see students running a bit too hot, then too cold.Keep in mind FC wire is a "hot" process. It's a poor choice for "thin" stock, usually below say 14 ga, especially with .035 wire. Running on 1/8" is very doable, but you will need to tweak your settings a bit to find the sweet spot, especially if you are running on 230v power..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:For the purposes of running practice beads is there any problem with simply sticking the hot workpiece into a bucket of water to cool it between practice beads?I am running on 230V.
Reply:No, that's typically what we have students do at the tech school. It's a bad practice in real life, or for example if you are practicing for say bend tests where you would want to replicate the conditions of the test as close as possible..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:Yeah I dont plan on doing that method of cooling after I get more consistent. I think until i can figure out the settings a little better thats what I'll do then.  It should help me run a series of beads on one piece of scrap and get feedback after each series.  Stay tuned for more pics and hopefully progress.
Reply:Here is a great link http://www.lincolnelectric.com/asset...-MP/c32400.pdf
Reply:If the settings on the door of the welder are close, your welds should look fairly ok.Voltage...........set the machine so that the bead is fairly flat, not rope like or high.Wire Speed.......set the machine to the slow end of the recommended range for the thickness of the material, then work up as you get better at maintaining good travel speed.Stickout........ignore all the experts, here and in the books.  Self shielding flux core runs better with minimal stickout.  Somwhere between 1/4-3/8" from the tip, not the nozzle.  Get rid of the gas nozzle too, it just hinders the view, and doesn't allow you to really get the tip into the work.  Spray your tip, or dip it, with some good anti spatter stuff if you're worried about clogging up the gas passages.Get that tip in there, travel slowly at first, and just do a gentle side to side motion frome toe to toe.  STAY OUT OF THE PUDDLE, it just doesn't do any good at all if you ever get that wire back in the puddle.  The wire should be on the leading edge of the puddle.  Drag it.  No swirlys, v's, or circles.....just drag it.  The machine does the work, not your hand.I'd probably say to stick with .030 wire for most of your needs.  Your machine is really only for stuff around 1/4" or less.  .030 wire will generate enough heat for most stuff in this range, and it also will work well on the lower end.  I generally feel very comfortable working on 14ga with .030, and I run it just about as hot as the machine will go for flats and fillets, and turn it down for uphill and some overhead work.Approach the wire thing like you'd approach stick welding.  It's all about travel speed and technique.  Hotter the better in a lot of circumstances, just modify travel speed to keep up with hotter settings.  It's the beauty of wire, you can turn up a machine to run as fast as the operator can properly weld.  Well.......within limits"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Did you remember to change polarity when you switched from solid to fluxcore?
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammStickout........ignore all the experts, here and in the books.  Self shielding flux core runs better with minimal stickout.  Somwhere between 1/4-3/8" from the tip, not the nozzle.
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideDid you remember to change polarity when you switched from solid to fluxcore?
Reply:I remember when I was getting used to a new machine.  It was around the second or third time I'd used the new LN25 with flux core.  It was a definite learning curve.I had used smaller 110v machines in the past, and the bigger machine was a new thing.Wheelbarrow rehab New machine  The welds weren't spot-on, but the experience with the little machine helped..035 at 17v, wire speed probably around 125ishI do a little better now, but like you..........it's baby steps.  Keep on keepin' on"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:This isn't rocket science, dedicate yourself to practiced controlled motions, and you've got it nailed"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Henry was still a pup, now he's 75lbs, and eating and craping like an elephant"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Wire speed maybe was 175ish, it's been a good while since I did that wheelbarrow"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:My first go around with Innershield was with an SAE-400 and one of these.  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:Geez!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Looks dangerous"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:That is one very limited feeder. Only 14-pound coils will fit in it, and the wire is hot all the time. It took Lincoln years to realize they made a mistake, then they came out with the LN-25Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400Looks like it was back in the day.  Before my time.Still paying my dues, probably never catch up, but I'm making an honest effort at it.  Lot out there I don't know"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I think the first time I ran an LN-22 must have been 1979, or 1980. Thank God they came out with the LN-25! 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:So I figured I would try a fillet weld, and here are the first two trys, i think im getting better with the whole speed thing but would love to hear feedback on how things look.Again for thise who are just joining in I'm using innershield .035 flux core MIG wire, and the machine is a Lincoln 180 Dual. The metal being used in these pictures is 3/16" and my setting are just above 2 on the wire speed and F on the Voltage, not sure what the letters and numbers mean in traditional terms, but there you have it. Now give me any feedback you have ..... Please.
Reply:The second weld looks the best. But still a too cold! Turn up the voltage, and wire speed.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:Would you please tell me what looks better about the second weld, and how you are identifying a cold weld?
Reply:Your lap joints aren't bad at all. You are having some issues at the lower toe of the weld, but the tops look very nice and consistent.In the 1st pict the toe area in green is fair. The red area isn't great. Looks like you didn't wash the lower toes down onto the lower plate far enough in the red area.In the 2nd pict, the toe area in green is very nice. The area in yellow is still very good, but not quite as nice as the green area. Looks like you slowed down just a bit here and have a bit more fill then in the green area. The pink section is getting so so. Again it looks like you weren't washing down onto the lower plate far enough as you did in the other two areas. I'm being a bit picky here, but the yellow and green areas shows you can do this if you do your part. I'd want to see you do the whole thing to at least the quality of the area done in green/yellow at the tech school. It's tough to tell in the picts if the green area or the yellow is the better of the two, based on fill..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:The first weld is more lumpier, and the toes are not burned into the base metal. Does your look anything like mine?If you're going to continue with flux core self shielded wire, when this spool is burned up switch to this wire, it is a lot better than NR-211. http://www.hobartbrothers.com/produc...d%26reg%3B+21B 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:Watch your settings , look at lincolns and run in the midrange. NR-211 good for fixin dumpsters NR-232 & 233 weld columns and bridges , they have a wire for 588 color match too.The LN-22 is still made good for ladder work and a dual operation set up for pipeline use with another group of pipe wire. John
Reply:Originally Posted by Pavinsteelmana dual operation set up
Reply:Originally Posted by PavinsteelmanWatch your settings , look at lincolns and run in the midrange. John
Reply:Yup you are right , go to Lincolns web site ,down load wire specs and they give you settings data middle settings are good to get started .
Reply:Pavin IIRC he running this with a Lincoln 180 dual on 230v, so he's somewhat limited on his setting options. I'm not even sure off the top of my head if that machine maxed out will reach the mid range settings on that wire..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:Originally Posted by DSWPavin IIRC he running this with a Lincoln 180 dual on 230v, so he's somewhat limited on his setting options. I'm not even sure off the top of my head if that machine maxed out will reach the mid range settings on that wire.
Reply:True, but I'm betting you have more output at your disposal than he does with that little mig of his. Your weld looks like you were up in spray or at least globular. I'm not sure his machine is even capable of that with .030 wire..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:That was .045 NR-212. Not sure, do you think an old beat up SA-200 can actually do spray? Here is some 1/16-inch 21-B with the same machine. 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:Just throwing it out there.Are you maintaining the same gun angle as you travel the lenght of the joint?Thermal Arc 210 FabricatorHypertherm PM 45and lots of other tools the wife doesn't know about
Reply:IIRC the SA 200 tops out at some where around 300 amps. His little machine probably won't even run .045 FC, let alone 1/16" wire since it only tops out at 180 amps. Not exactly comparing apples and apples here, though I do admit yours are some beautiful examples of what can be done with FC wire..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:Originally Posted by DSWI do admit yours are some beautiful examples of what can be done with FC wire.
Reply:Ok so here's another attempt at the 3/16" plate lap joint, only this time i set the machine as Lincoln recommended (2.5 wire speed, and H voltage) and just adjusted my speed.Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Reply:You may notice in the middle, I noticed the angle of my mig gun was changing so I adjusted to correct it.
Reply:Are you whipping that? Looks better, may want to speed up your travel speed just a touch.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:Please forgive my lack of knowledge in the welding lingo department, but I can certainly answer your question if you explain to me what "whipping that" means.
Reply:Watch Lanse's video. 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:And here is one more of a T-joint and a corner joint.The outside corner joint looked better until I welded the inside of the corner and it almost blew threw the whole outside corner. Should I only weld one side of a corner joint?
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPAre you whipping that?