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folks, i got a new LE 100HD with .035 flux core. is there anything that i shoudl look out for when using this? when i am welding, i am constantly getting a tan-sih/grey-ish stuff all over my welds. and it's bothering me. i want my welds to look good and be strong, but i am not seeing any penetration coloring in the metal that i'm trying to weld and my beads are far from acceptable (by my standards). i'll try to get some pics up later (i'm at work now), but i was wondering if anyone coudl give me some pointers. i understand i won't be getting any GREAT welds by using the flux core wires, but is there anyway that i can get decent welds? i'm not doing any major structural welds here, but i'd like to get confident with myself eventually to start making some larger pieces such as brush gaurds and possibly a trailer. i doubt i coudl ever do it with this welder, but it is possible? i jsut bought it not knowing much about welders. "they join metal if you used 'em right" was basically all i knew. i needed it to fix my exhaust, or completely replace it for a more correct phrase. i am using the reccomended settings (feed and amperage? [A,B,C, or D]) for the pieces that i am welding, or as close as i can get. i guess what i am trying to get at is: before i brush away the slag and the little beady-things that fly off when I'm welding, what shoudl everything look like? this is really bothering me. like i said, i want my stuff to be better than good. i want it as good as i can get it, 100% of the time.thanks, and sorry for the long description.Andy
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerfolks, i got a new LE 100HD with .035 flux core. is there anything that i shoudl look out for when using this? when i am welding, i am constantly getting a tan-sih/grey-ish stuff all over my welds. and it's bothering me. i want my welds to look good and be strong, but i am not seeing any penetration coloring in the metal that i'm trying to weld and my beads are far from acceptable (by my standards). i'll try to get some pics up later (i'm at work now), but i was wondering if anyone coudl give me some pointers. i understand i won't be getting any GREAT welds by using the flux core wires, but is there anyway that i can get decent welds? i'm not doing any major structural welds here, but i'd like to get confident with myself eventually to start making some larger pieces such as brush gaurds and possibly a trailer. i doubt i coudl ever do it with this welder, but it is possible? i jsut bought it not knowing much about welders. "they join metal if you used 'em right" was basically all i knew. i needed it to fix my exhaust, or completely replace it for a more correct phrase. i am using the reccomended settings (feed and amperage? [A,B,C, or D]) for the pieces that i am welding, or as close as i can get. i guess what i am trying to get at is: before i brush away the slag and the little beady-things that fly off when I'm welding, what shoudl everything look like? this is really bothering me. like i said, i want my stuff to be better than good. i want it as good as i can get it, 100% of the time.thanks, and sorry for the long description.Andy
Reply:just out of curiosity, and i'm sure that it probably varies due to location (i'm in a 800,000 population city), does anyone have a range on how much the basic gasses are and how long they last? i have no idea about anything when it comes to gas and i'm really wanting to get into it, in order to get some decent welds under my belt. i jsut don't want to have to go to the gas shop every 2 hours to get more CO2.Thanks,Andy
Reply:Andy, that will depend on the size of the tank you get. I would say for that welder, a 40cu.ft. tank will be ok, an 80ft. tank will be better. As for cost of gas, you buy the bottle, and then refills will be from $25-50 depending on what gas and how big the tank is. We usually use 75/25 or 80/20% gas for mig welding.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:To add to the answers on gas, an 80 cf tank should run you around 4 to 6 hours of actual trigger time. That's generally quite a bit of trigger time for that size of machine. I'm probably way outdated on the tank purchase prices, maybe $150-ish.
Reply:i guess what i am trying to get at is: before i brush away the slag and the little beady-things that fly off when I'm welding, what shoudl everything look like? this is really bothering me.
Reply:this may sound like kind of a stupid question, but is is acceptable or a good practice to use flux-cored wire AND MIG gas? my thinking is that the weld would have double protection.thanks!Andy
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerthis may sound like kind of a stupid question, but is is acceptable or a good practice to use flux-cored wire AND MIG gas? my thinking is that the weld would have double protection.thanks!Andy
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerjust out of curiosity, and i'm sure that it probably varies due to location (i'm in a 800,000 population city), does anyone have a range on how much the basic gasses are and how long they last? i have no idea about anything when it comes to gas and i'm really wanting to get into it, in order to get some decent welds under my belt. i jsut don't want to have to go to the gas shop every 2 hours to get more CO2.Thanks,Andy
Reply:Correction to above. If you are using straight C02, which is sold by the pound since it is a condensed liquid, you will generally get 8 cu. ft. per pound. Thus, a 20 pound cylinder will yield approximately 160 cu. ft. If metered at 20 SCFH, you will again get approximately 8 hours of welding time. (160 divided by 20).I sure wish we could edit the following day.....hint, hint. Miller Millermatic 252Miller Syncrowave 200Liincoln AC-DC 225Victor O-A Set
Reply:Andy is correct, .023 solid wire and CO2 is as good as it gets on smaller machines and thin material. JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerthis may sound like kind of a stupid question, but is is acceptable or a good practice to use flux-cored wire AND MIG gas? my thinking is that the weld would have double protection.thanks!Andy
Reply:Tanish Greyish Stuff On Welds Sounds Like Slag??2011 Dodge 3500 diesel duallyLincoln SA-200Lincoln SAE-300LN-25'sLincoln Idealarc R3RMiller Trailblazer 302
Reply:Originally Posted by katana1150That depends on what type of flux-core wire you are using. You will get no benefit from using a shielding gas while welding with a self-shielding flux core wire.However I have had good results while using a mig mix gas (co2-argon mix) while welding with a co2 shielded flux-core wire. The only drawback is the mixed gas is more expensive than a bottle of co2 of the same size.I had to use the mig mix because I ran out of co2 before the job was done!
Reply:Last time i bought a bottle of C02, the outright purchase (customer  owned  cylinder)  WAS ABOUT $195 , AND ABOUT $18 FOR THE CONTENTS . IT'S A VERY LARGE CYL.  50 POUNDS OF c02, ABOUT 400  PLUS CUBIC FEET OF GAS . IT LASTS  A      l o n g    TIME .[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:before i brush away the slag and the little beady-things that fly off when I'm welding, what should everything look like? this is really bothering me. like i said, i want my stuff to be better than good. i want it as good as i can get it, 100% of the time.I have the same welder you have and the welds can look good. And before you brush away the slag the weld will look like the slag for the most part.Excessive spatter well... wire sticking out of the tip to far, heat to high a couple of things could be causing that. I'm new to this welding to maybe some more detail about wire distance from tip actual settings ect ect hope this helps.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:3/8" to 1/2" electrical stick out.  That would be 3/8 to 1/2 from the end of the contact tip to your work.  For flat shorter may be better for out of position longer may be better.  Experiment on your own.You ARE running - electrode for self shielded?DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:the wire that i'm using is NR-211-MP (self-shielded, flux-core, lincoln elecric brand), .035. it's the stuff that came with the welder. since i bought it, i've gone through about 1.5 pounds of wire. i went though the first pound and got a 10 lb spool (the 1 pounders don't last more than a week or so for me) and a back-up 1 pound spool in case i run out and NEED to get a job done quick and home depot is closed.i also mentioned that i am running the lincoln-electric branded wire. is there anything else that i coudl run that would give me similar results? in know "Inner-Shield" is LE's registered product, but woudl any flux-cored, self-shielded, .035 wire work for my welder?thanks for the tips!Later,Andy
Reply:There are some good wires, and there are some not so good wires.Lincoln wires are usually in the 'good' category.As mentioned, the brown/tan/grey ash after welding with flux-core wire is the flux/slag residue.  Wire-brush it off the weld and the rest of the steel and it should all come clean and look like 'steel' again.And flux-core wire can give you welds that are just fine.  Just like SMAW ('stick') can give you welds that are just fine.  After all, flux-core wire is pretty much a stick electrode turned inside out with the flux as a core on the inside of the wire instead of as a coating on the outside of the stick.Make sure you machine's setting are appropriate (polarity and voltage and wire speed), and practice-practice-practice.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldgaultWhen doing an echonomical study between CO2 and 75/25 there is very little difference in the price of the gas,first the Gas is the smallest cost.  C25 has better electrical conductivity and transfers the arc much smoother with less "SPATTER" and that cost money and time to clean it off the piece your welding.  Also C25 will give better mechinical properties.  All around better selection for any Gas shielded  GMAW Process. John
Reply:would it be wise to increase my gas flow if i increse my wire feed rate? or would I just be wasting gas? if i welded at 300 FPM (not on my LE100HD), could i still use the 20 SCFH as if i were running at 20 FPM? my thinking is that it would be a waste of gas. the only time i should have to increase my gas flow woudl be if the conditions are windy or i am welding in a different position? also, if i am converting to a MIG (gas-shielded) set-up, am i ALWAYS flowing gas through the nozzle, or is it only when i pull the trigger? like i said, i have no idea how the MIG set up works... yet. i hope to learn next semester whne i take my first welding class.Thanks for all the help folks!Later,Andy
Reply:I would run 15 cfh no matter how may FPM you are running.  OK, its   IPM.  Inches of wire per minute.  Gas only flows when you pull the trigger.David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:oops. sorry. i wasn't thinking. i guess FPM would be a lot faster than IPM.thanks!later,Andy