I'm a dummy!

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A few months back I stopped a the local auto parts store to pick up some parts for my one ton. As I walk in, the clearance table is right there. There happens to be four, eight inch rolls of .035 self shield flux core for $25 a roll. I think, Oh man, I can't pass this deal up. Normally, these are $65 - $75 for the same roll. No returns on the clearance table!     Fast forward two months. I have to put a couple of chain hooks on a my new skid steer bucket. I dig in the cabinet and pull out the box with my flux core wire, and lo and behold, E71T-GS wire! Single pass wire! I can count on one hand where I am making repairs outside and can get by with a single pass.      So, now I have to dream up some projects that I can burn up this wire on. Maybe I will just practice my vertical up, and overhead butt welds till I'm competent. Of course I'll probably need 100 lbs more wire for that.     So, what's the deal with GS wire? Why is it only single pass, does it want to crack, or trap flux, or something else? I thought I would share my DUH moment with the crowd, thanks for reading!
Reply:I'm not a filler metals expert, but with flux core wires such as the Esab Coreshield 15 brand, the high manganese content of the wire can create underbead cracking if multiple passes are used. Now, having said that, I've run a bit of it and have laid down multiple passes on junk iron and had no issues. It was maybe two or three at the very most. For general hobby repair and fabrication needs, it will likely do the job fine. Esab offers a similar composition wire (Coreshield 10) which is a multi pass filler metal. Again, this is only presented in an illustrative way. Best thing to do would be to throw some in your welder, weld some scrap together with several passes and see what you get.I'm under the impression that when the manufacturer refers to multi pass, they mean in a structural application, to a certain code. For junk iron, I would believe there is some wiggle room to play with. When I use the term "junk iron" I'm referring to something that is not welded to a code or procedure qualification. Like repairing farm equipment, welding fences and gates, patching up an old snowplow, etc.When I was at Fabtech last year, I spoke with an Esab rep about the underbead cracking thing with CS 15 and what I said above was a watered down version of what he told me. We welded all kinds of heavy stuff together with it on the farm I briefly worked on and as far as I know it's all still holding up.Of course, there may be other factors involved but I'm betting the manganese content plays a part in the limitations of the wire you bought. My comments are not exhaustive in nature, only in comparison to single pass filler metals I have personally used.IMHO of courseLast edited by 7A749; 03-12-2016 at 08:58 AM.Expert Garage Hack....https://www.facebook.com/steven.webber.948
Reply:I wouldn't worry - just sell it on ebay and make a couple bucks - then buy what you like to use.No fun having a wire you don't actually want.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:That wire is great, use it all the time for projects. Works great on galvanized material like chain link fence posts, greenhouse galvanized tubing, galvanized irrigation fittings, shipping container repairs and modifications and galvanized high game fence corner post.
Reply:I would just use it as practice wire!-JessForney C5 Arc WelderLincoln Idealarc 250-250 Ac/Dc Arc WelderMiller Bobcat 225g PlusLincoln PowerMig 200Forney O/A Rig
Reply:you bought 4 each 8" rolls (10lbs rolls ??)........ i would worry about it getting rusty before it got used up..it is like going to BJ's or Costco and buying food in big boxes. sometimes it goes bad before it gets used up
Reply:Normally if it was -11 flux core the 44lbs would last only 2 to 4 months while i'm getting things ready for the spring rush. Three of the 11lb rolls are still sealed up and should easily stay good for more than a year, maybe. :-)
Reply:I certainly wouldn't use it to weld bucket hooks on even it was a multi-pass wire.
Reply:Welder Dave.     I'm curious, as to why. I didn't use the single pass wire to put the hooks on. The hooks are weldable hooks that I have on four different machines and they work well. The bucket on the skid steer is 1/4 inch plate, well within the range of .035 flux and my 210 mvp does fine on 1/4.     Just to let you'all know I ended up stick welding it with hobart 6011 on my neighbors dialarc 250. The problem was I had to load the skid steer up and drag it the 6 mi to his shop.