What type of wire should i use?

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Hi, i'm relatively new to welding.  I have a Lincoln 140 amp welder which i began using to weld sheet metal for my car.  So far so good! (knock on wood).I've only been doing simple plug welds and a little stitching, and now a friend is asking me to fix a table which i'm excited to do.  Just a few questions:What type of wire would i need for this?I'll definitely need to strip the paint a bit right?Any suggestions on power / feed / gas settings?Thanks[IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]
Reply:Use whatever kind/size of wire that you feel most comfortable with, for that repair. .023,.030,.035 will all work there. There should be some kind of wirefeed speed/voltage setting on your welder, or in a manual for it. And yes, you'll want to remove the paint within a small area around the weld. Happy welding :-)[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:If you don't have a sheilding gas kit, you will need to use flux core wire. When you clean off the paint around the joint, be sure to bevel the edges. The original weld was just butted, and all of the weld was ground off.
Reply:Regardless of the wire size I would take a grinder and bevel the end of the flat bar. That way if you grind the weld flush for asthetics it will still be structurally sound.Scottwwelders360.comNew guy.
Reply:You can do that with the wire you have regardless what it is. If it was me I'd run .030 solid and 75/25 gas as my 1st choice, .023 wire and 75/25 gas as my 2nd choice, and FC wire as my last choice because of mess/cleanup but it would get you your best penetration.. As far as settings, use the max "heat" and wire speed settings for whatever size wire you choose to go with. (I'm guessing from the pict the material is at least 1/4" and too heavy for that machine to do, but for this all you really need to to "glue" it back together)As suggested grind a bevel on both sides and weld it up. I'd clean off the paint at least 1/2" back from the bevel myself. Also be sure you use a 20 amp outlet if at all possible to get the most out of that small machine.Oh and tell your friend no energetic sex on that table or drunk dancing or all bets are off! .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:Thanks for all the advice!  I haven't seen it yet, but judging from the picture it looks like a 1/4" flat bar.  I have 75/25 argon/co2 shielding gas and the .030 wire set up.  I didn't think about beveling the edges, makes sense though.So I'm going to test a high power, slow feed and hope my welder will penetrate.  Will let you guys know how it turns out.
Reply:Volts and wire speed are related. You can't run the wire speed too slow or you won't get the machine to weld right. Lincoln doesn't print setting charts in their manuals, but it should have suggested settings under the cover. Run the highest setting they suggest for .030 and gas and you should be close enough..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:You really need to buy a pocket welding guide. It is a SHAME they do not sell them at the welding stores or the big box stores.Although Northern Tools DOES sell them now.That way you can look up the different welding wires and check out what they should be used for.You need to learn where to get this information.GO HERE:http://cgi.ebay.com/Welders-Bible-Ho...#ht_1084wt_883I promise you that NO HARM will come to you from having this pocket welding guide. LOLLast edited by Donald Branscom; 04-10-2011 at 05:05 PM.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:Originally Posted by Donald BranscomI promise you that NO HARM will come to you from having this pocket welding guide. LOL
Reply:Finally got around to fixing the table for my friend.  Had to change my setup and use the flux weld.  setting was to the highest on my welder (E on my Lincoln) and wire speed at 2.5.  The actual welding took less than a minute to do, not the best looking weld, but it holds strong.
Reply:hey dizzel did you weld this on the other side?  the only time i use flux core is when im out side and even the i put some kindof sheilding gas on it.Last edited by USARMY44B; 04-18-2011 at 01:47 AM.WELD TO LIVE LIVE TO RIDEA bad welder blames his equipment, a good weldor can lay a perfect bead on any thing
Reply:u dont need to shield flux cored wire,the whole idea behind it is so that u CAN weld in bad conitions/outside.an external shield on that wire does nothing.and to answer, use what ur comfortable with wire wise,as the job demands.i pesonally prefer innershield nr211mp.its a great all position wire and works with all mild steel and even some with slightly higher carbon content.use .035 mostly but i have used.030 at times and didnt like it cause i had to slightly change my wire speed from what i usuallry run with .035.the smaller wire will have different arc feel/sound at same speed and voltage that used on the larger sizes.hope that helpslincoln weld pak 100 hdlincoln ranger 225gxt ac/dcoxy/acetylenepuroxcw202 victor fc100harris model 85harrismodel 16oxweld w24roxweld w17
Reply:if it were me i would of welded it a bit more than that. (cant see if you did the other side)looks like it may be up to par with the original weld that broke.
Reply:I did weld on the other side and did more of it, only the picture I took came out blury.  I was following a chart on my welder which suggested i use flux core for 1/4" welding.  I have a lower end 120v lincoln welder.  I did practice using gas on some scrap pieces and even at the highest setting I couldn't burn through.  Once i switched it to flux, it held right away, and i did a pass on each end.  It felt strong and my friend is only putting on light weight materials.  I was going to do a 2nd pass, but was a bit hesitant of messing it up.Last edited by dizzle; 04-18-2011 at 02:07 PM.
Reply:This is what I see. I can only see one side. It must be welded on BOTH sides.I think it should be ground down and "V"'d out a little and re welded.It broke because it was not welded properly the first time. Not your fault.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder