Flux core bead appearance

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This may be a personal preferance but what is the best weld profile? Myself i tend to set up my machine so my welds are slightly covex.As far as overall strength is a flat bead better is the flat for a fillet weld?Tonight i will be replacing the 3/8 sheeting in the box of one of our dump truck now i was always told ( when i use to work just with hard wire) any weld over 1/4" as to use multi passes. but i see some guys in the shop lay down a 3/8 weld in one pass. Where i tend to lay down a root pass then one on the bottom and another on the top.just a side note in our shop we use .045 71m wire and c25 shielding gas.
Reply:Prference on material type and method of laying it down. On some stuff I like to push to get a thicker bead, on other material I like to pull to get a thinner bead.  The flat bead strength will depend on your total volts and gas used. I think you're fine for 1 pass 3/8.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Steve28, I think that you have it right doing multiple passes.  When you push a large weld puddle with Gas shielded Flux Core, you have the potential for slag entrapment among other things.  1/4in is probably the largest bead that you would want to run with .045 wire in one pass.  You should try to weld in the flat position whenever possible and a flat to SLIGHTLY convex bead profile is the most desirable.
Reply:Ok, thx for that i work on heavy equipment and transports with only a little fab jobs. So flipping things is next to impossible
Reply:Hey Steve... I would have to agree with weldrwomn.Wire size, type ( solid, cored ) and the mode of transfer determine how large a fillet I will run before going to a multi pass bead. Spray with .045 soild wire has no problem laying down excellent 1/4" + beads._________________Chris
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneOn some stuff I like to push to get a thicker bead, on other material I like to pull to get a thinner bead.
Reply:I use a forehand (push) motion when performing spray and globular transfer, and a backhand (pull/ drag) motion when performing short circuit transfer.these are a few threads that have pics of some of my welds done with dual shield wire in a spray transfer.http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=9870http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=9589http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=9308http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=9244If you can post some pics of the problems you are having and the parameters that you are running at._________________Chris
Reply:ok i'll snap some pics on monday