flux core cert 3g HELP!!!

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I have been practicing my flux core  at school.  All my passes are awsome looking.  The only problem Im having is that my metal gets too hot and falls out on me on the test.  so my question is what size wire do you get certed in?  Ive been using .072  innershield .  Thats what they have at the rop class I go to. im running about 230volts and 20 amps. it seems that .072 is to big for testing in a 3hr class.  what size is used in the real world?
Reply:Fluxcore vertical up does tend to get really hot after a few minutes of welding.I assume you meant 20 Volts and 230 Amps in your original post.  Way too hot for vertical up welding.  You didn't say what version of Lincoln Innershield you were using.  I checked their website and the first innershield wire I found that comes in 0.072" is NR-232.  If you're using something else, these recommendations might not fit.20V 230 Amps is about 150 IPM wire feed speed.  Try turning it down to 19V and about 125 IPM.  This should get you down around 200 amps; which is much more manageable for vertical up welding.You can probably get as low as 18V and 100 IPM; ~ 180 amps, and still be able to weld.  But my experience has been that Lincoln wires run better at the higher end of the heat range.The puddle should be cooler, so watch your tie ins to the bevel.  You should have fewer problems with the puddle collapsing at the top of the joint.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:ya, I reversed my volts and amps,  but could not re edit my post.  I believe it was E71T-8,   I was told that with fluxcore is that you don't need to adjust your temps like smaw.   .is this true?
Reply:Ahhh, generally speaking, no.  Some wire products are flexible enough to run multiple positions on the same settings.  But it depends on the joint configuration and on the welder.  Most of the fluxcore wires I've worked with need to have the settings fine-tuned for best performance on out-of-position welds.Give the fact that you're losing control of the puddle, I'd say you need to make an adjustment.  It might be that over time, as your skills continue to improve, you could turn the heat back up.  Or it might be that the wire you're using just needs to be turned down a bit for vertical up welding.If the joint were 1/2 as long, or the plates 2x as thick, maybe you could get away with your current settings.  There'd be less time for the heat to accumulate in the plate or more base metal to absorb the heat from the weld joint.Does this make sense? Originally Posted by Stone_Elvisya, I reversed my volts and amps,  but could not re edit my post.  I believe it was E71T-8,   I was told that with fluxcore is that you don't need to adjust your temps like smaw.   .is this true?
Reply:I will try that next.  I was taught that I didnt have to mess with my setting with flux core.  but i will now.  thanks for the advice. keep it coming.
Reply:Doesn't look like NR-232 at all.   If you put enough weave on 232 to get any weave appearance in your final weld bead then your definitely going to trap slag.  A good vertical up NR232 weld will be flat and smooth appearance.I would say that's outershield.  probably Ultracore71C.   Either way a GREAT fluxcore welder will always be adjusting his parameters even from the root, to the fill and finally the cap.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:sorry that may be the wrong pic.  that may of been my smaw cert that I passed.If you guys ajust your machines then I will play around with it.  that has to be the problem.  I realy thought that it was the wire. thanks guys
Reply:The smallest dia. 232 comes in is .068.      That wire is ultra sensitive to having the proper feed and current setting and maintaining the proper stickout.    There is very little tolerance for either.      You can use NR 233 for that test, it meets the E71T-8.   You can get that as small as .063     Nine thousands is a noticable difference when your trying to do your first couple passes.      The 233 is more forgiving on the stickout.     However its a softer wire and doesnt feed as nice as 232.      Youd need to keep liner as straight as possible w/ a gooseneck that damn near straight.      If your using a k-126 gun, lincoln makes a special gooseneck for that wire.      I struggled w/ the same problem, I gapped my plates the max which is 3/8 in. and did a stringer up each and one up the center to start off.
Reply:Yes the goose necks for 232 will actually have a kink just behind the contactor tip to flatten the travel of the wire just before it enters the contactor.  where as the gooseneck for any other self shielded flux core will have a continuous radius into the contactor tip.  Also the flux cored wires seem to really like you to use a mechanical means of cinching down the contactor.  where mig you can get away with just hand tight on the tip most of the timeVantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.