Can I use .030 Flux Core in a Lincoln 100HD?

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Hi everyone!  Im new to the board and pretty new to welding in general.  I've purchased and am using a Lincoln 100HD for some sheet metal work (floor boards and some body skin) in an old MG restoration project.  The machine comes set up for flux-cored wire, and comes with a roll of .035 wire.  I've been using that, but am having some trouble with burn through and inconsistent welds on the thinner metal.  I'm using from 20 gauge to 16 gauge depending on the application.Its the 20 gauge that Im particularly having trouble with.  From what I read, the lighter the wire, the less burn through (I can keep the voltage down).  Does anyone know if I can use .030 flux core in this machine?  I've read the manual, but Im inexperienced enough to understand what it says I can do.   It seems that this machine is capable of using lighter wire (down to .020 in solid if I upgrade to full MIG--which I cant for several reasons, the easiest to explain is cost)  if I just change the liner.  Would the liner need to be changed for .030 flux?  Even if so, would this be an advisable thing to do?I appreciate any and all comments.Thanks!
Reply:The machine would handle it ok and you dont need to change the liner for that small of a change in wire size. However, I dont think that is the answer to your issue. You may be just staying in one spot too long and burning thru. Try making very short tacks, like time on trigger about 1 second. This is called 'trigger welding', and while frowned upon for most things, it is what you need to do here. Just a bunch of tacks, all in a row. Dont space them out too far and wait a second or so between shots to let the material cool. You can also cool the mat. with air or a damp rag, which has the added benefit of reducing distortion in your panels....You should also move around a bit, like a few inches apart, so distortion doesnt warp the plate. A little bit here, a little there, eventually you get it all sewed up.....JMHO,YMMV,HTH......Oh, and welcome to the board......
Reply:I think you will have better luck with the .030.  Are there recommended settings on the door for .030 innershield?DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:TEK-Thanks so much for the quick response.  I definitely agree that it may be the operator thats the cause for some of the problem    I've got about 20 minutes of trigger time under my belt, but I've tried my best to research about gun angle, stick out, voltage etc etc. But still, I guess there is no substitute for plain old practice.I've definitely tried "skip welding" or what I think is sort of the same thing you are called trigger welding.  I hope I am getting the concepts right.The burn through (which affectionately refer to as "blowing holes") seems to be almost instantaneous.  Like as soon as I pull the trigger, some of the base material vaporizes.  Again, this only happens with the thinner gauge, but its kind of hard to figure out whats going on.  I'm running on the lowest voltage--I think I have my stick out right--my base material is standard mild steel---Im just wondering what else I might be doing wrong.I was hoping that switching to .030 would give me a cooler more controlled arc, but from what you say, it sounds like that isn't too viable anyway.  Was just hoping that might be a low-buck way to work with some thinner material.Does what Im talking about even seem to make sense re: losing base material almost as soon as there is an arc?  Especially if I am working on the lowest voltage?I should also add that while I will definitely take your advice and practice the trigger welding, the floor pans and other interior pieces I plan on rosette welding  (Im doing that first).  I'm hoping that my skill will advance enough to do some of the exterior body without having to do too much grinding when Im all done    Thanks again.
Reply:You should really finsih the package with the gas kit and use solid wire. You'll be glad you did.
Reply:If you can get to the spots from behind them, consider a heat-sink support block. A chunk of something non-ferrous and held tight to the back side of the weld. It will get hot so be careful. This supports the hot metal so there is less blo-thru and also sucks up some of the heat.You also need your material really clean, like new steel, so you dont get a paint burning flare that makes it hard to see whats going on.
Reply:David-Unfortunately no.  There are no listings inside the case for .030 innershield.  There are for .030 and .025 solid wire, but not for FC.  Which makes me wonder -- (since I'm inexperienced--and a bit nervous) is there any way that running .030 innershield through the machine could "hurt" it?  Maybe a silly question, but I'd rather be silly than not ask and wind up with a non-functioning machine.  Obviously I'll have to get new tips.  TEK says not to worry about a new liner as a step from .035 to .030 doesn't need one as the change is too small.  Is there anything else I'd have to worry about?As for the recommended settings, I have generally found that I run better welds with my own settings.  I almost always go with a lesser heat setting than suggested.  Maybe thats why Im having trouble?    But generally, I dont make up settings for the fun of it.  I try to modify what I use to get the best results.  Anyway, thanks to everyone for chiming in.  It really makes a new guy feel welcome.  And I can't tell you how reassuring it is to connect with folks who know a whole heck of a lot more than I do.  ps.  Sandy-I do plan to get the MIG kit eventually.  Just won't happen anytime soon--in particular not before I'm going to have to finish this car!  pps.  TEK-Sounds like a good tip.  I'm going to have to try that.  I can get to MOST of the surfaces I need (at least for the pans).  However, the body skin will be another story.
Reply:I use .030" weldit in my migpak 25.  It works very well on sheet metal.  I use the .035 wheel with a little more tension.  Run some test beads on some scrap to set up the welder before using it on your project.
Reply:Correction  MigPak15, not 25.
Reply:Welcome Superkaz661, watch the puddle and see what's happening. I suspect too much heat or to much time is basically your problem. Get the pieces as clean as you can, you don't want to be fighting with dirt during those precious split seconds you have to melt/fuse but not blow through. Good luck and practice is your friend.If you don't want to stand behind our Troops, feel free to stand in front of them.
Reply:Welcome to the forum.I would say get gas and solid wire, but can understand the money thing. I use a chunk of copper flashing as backup material or a piece of copper pipe pounded flat.Clean metal is also important. You will blow hole in metal that is rusted thru. Be sure that you are back into solid metal. On floor pans and places where it may not show don't be afraid to overlap the repair panel and the old metal and do lap joints. You have effectively doubled the metal thickness. Eastwoods sells flanging tools that create a step in sheetmetal so you can do lap joints and not have a large overlap. Some seem to love em other don't. I've only used them once on a friends car and I'm not really sure which way I am leaning on if they are worth the effort or not.One word of caution. New welders frequently run cold beads. The beads LOOK good but have very little penetration. Your machine is some what power challanged as it is, be sure and use enough heat. Setting the machine based on the way it welds is the best method, however until you really have a good feel for welding try and stay as close to the recomended settings as posible. If you find that your welds look nicer on a lower power setting, chances are that you are not getting a good weld and the bead is just stuck to the surface with little penetration and strength. This of course doesnt apply to sheet metal but is very common with learning welders and these small migs.Good luck and post some picts of your project.
Reply:Don't think it can be over stated, get gas if you can! Flux core wire is for the birds on thin stuff. You get the gas set up and you will just about never use flux core again. I have only put it back on the machiene a few times for welding outside on windy days, and getting maximum penetration out of the machiene on a couple occasions, even then I left the gas on.
Reply:I'm definitely working on watching the puddle to understand what I'm doing and make a more solid weld, but I have to admit, sometimes it takes all my concentration to just make my "Q's" in a straight line and with a consistent stickout!    I always grind my metal as best as possible before I weld.  Thats fast becoming my second favorite spark producing activity (behind welding of course! )So it seems like no one has any objections to running the .030 wire through this machine?  Like I said earlier, Im sure I was being paranoid, but just wanted to ask to make sure that doing so wouldn't harm the machine.I can't see that stepping down to .030 from .035 would cost me anything in terms of the actual weld other than its not putting down quite as much material.  Does that sound right?
Reply:You may loose a little bit of power on the upper end of the range as .030 wire won't weld as heavy a material as the .035. Since you are looking at the other end of the power range this should not matter. If you feel the need to weld the thickest metal posible with this machine, I'd just go and swap the wire back to .035 for what you need to do.
Reply:It won't cost you anything as far as ease of getting the job done or create more problems than it solves, no. Where the .030 will shine is if you work with a wider variety of materials and thicknesses. The .030 and your machine are better suited for each other than the .035.
Reply:The only area that may be an issue is the drive rolls. I am not really familiar with that machine but, as a guess, I'd say it'll be ok.....you just gotta try it.....
Reply:I have Lincoln 180T and I think that mechanisms are all alike. So, I have two types of wheels coming with 180T: specific 0.02 0.035, 0.045  and one wheel universal - reads 0.03 to 0.045 (there is special wedge groove) and only three tips: 0.02, 0.035, 0.045. So, I use 0.03 flux with universal wheel and 0.035 tip - works like a charm.The only problem that 0.03 is really for 16-20 ga only. Welding 1/8 burning wire at unspeakable speed and cost. So, have to change them - annoyance...
Reply:Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Sheet metal, and especially body panels where appearance is important, pretty much calls for GMAW (MIG) instead of FCAW (flux-core).Spend the bucks for the GMAW 'parts'.  In time and effort and frustration saved, it would 'pay' for itself on just that single car.The Lincoln drive rolls usually include the common 0.023/0.025, 0.030, and 0.035 rolls for the 'small' GMAW/FCAW machines.  Some of the 'bigger' 'small' machines have optional 0.045 rolls available.  Some of the drive rolls are multi-size/purpose.  So you probably have the right drive rolls for most, if not all, of the wire sizes your machine can reasonably handle.You do have to match the contact tip size to the wire size being used, but you usually don't have to change the default 0.035 liner when using 0.023-0.035 wires.  If you have a machine that can handle 0.045 wire, then you have to change the liner up to an 0.045 liner if you wanted to use that wire diameter (not what you want or need to do here).Using 0.023/0.025 solid wire in the GMAW (MIG) process will make the job easier.  You can still blow through sheet metal with 0.023/0.025 wire, but it does make the process a bit easier to control.  Also cleaner results.You'll still have to do the skip welding, and possible backer/chill 'bar', and so forth.  Sheet metal is still sheet metal.
Reply:Thanks to everyone for all the responses and advice.  I went to my local Airgas today and picked up a spool of .030.  I also picked up some scrap material to do some practice on.  With luck, I'll be practicing (and hopefully posting some pictures) of whats going on by this weekend.
Reply:I to have this welder. I will need to buy some steel sheet metal to weld in a new fender after it has been brake bent at one side, then streached to form the arc of the fender. One the other side with be flared to create the lap joint with the other side of the existing fender. I just hope this machine works for me. Lots of do on my land cruiser. These vehicles like to rust