FC welding

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I'm new to welding have done it about 10 times practicing. I'm having trouble getting good weld and was wondering if there was any advice as to what could be the problem for the way the welds come out. I'm using a Lincoln weld pak hd untill I get better then I'm going to a bigger 220 welder. Any help is appreciated and if this is not the right place to post then just let me know and ill move it.Thanks ChrisLast edited by Chris92; 02-25-2012 at 05:53 PM.
Reply:Go slower, and use a wayyyyyy shorter stickout. Are you sure you're on the right polarity?[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:The correct polarity is usually DCEN or DC electrode negative. Your work (ground) lead should be hooked up to the positive or "+" terminal."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I had it on the lowest setting an kept blowing though. This is 1/16 I may go get the 1/8 an turn it all the way up but I will try a shorter stick out an go slower. As far as polarity im not sure I havent done anything with that all I did was buy the welder an started trying to weld. I will check the polarity. Thanks for the help and Lanse I enjoy watching your vids been watching them for a while.
Reply:Is that machine Flux Core or does it need gas? Looks like you need 75/25 shielding gas to me.............I just did a search....... it's flux cored........I don't think this machine gives you a choice on polarity. It is hardwired and that's that.Get yourself 1/4" stickout at most..... Go slower..... look for the puddle.......Your pictures look like you are bouncing all over the place due to the wire being fed out of the gun.......Can you turn your wire speed down..... until you can control the bouncing?
Reply:I didint think the polarity could be changed I went an checked to be sure im going to get some more tubing and try to slow it down an use less stick out thanks guys for the help
Reply:Flux core on "thin" metal is tough to do and not blow thru. Those machines have a very narrow window in which they work well. 1/16" is do able, but not super easy. Much thinner and it just won't work without a lot of practice and some fancy tricks to keep the penetration down. 1/8" is pushing the max on that machine under perfect conditions..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:Most machines have recommended settings for fc where the wire goes, not sure on your machine, but the ones I've used have had some sort of recommended settings which got me real close,UA local 32Team weld-coolTeam miller elite tack upMiller pro-staff
Reply:Practice running beads on flat material before trying to stick two pieces together.
Reply:I can run decent beads on flat surfaces but when Im trying to put 2 togeather I have problems. My welder has a chat that tells me which setting to use I turned it all the way down cause I knew 1/16 was somewhat thin I ran a decent bead then the welds went down from there.
Reply:Let's see your flat beadsUA local 32Team weld-coolTeam miller elite tack upMiller pro-staff
Reply:Ill try to get some pics up tomorrow if I cant find any tonight
Reply:heres a picures of the first time i used my flux core certification, had to weld an adapter plate onto a boiler for a new burner setupdid three passes, took me a good 30 minutes to dial the machine in, as i had no idea how to use the machine i had, passed the test on a crappy hobart, settings were way different, but had to make it happen, so i did.Last edited by Fishinsin station; 02-25-2012 at 11:58 PM.UA local 32Team weld-coolTeam miller elite tack upMiller pro-staff
Reply:Nice lookin work, Fishinsin And to the OP... Thanks for watching my videos, Im glad you seem to like them Anyway, like someone said, there should be a chart of sorts for your machine that should help you. Another thing is fitup, I cant really see, but it looks to me like you have a gap to fill. This can be a good thing, as youll have much better penetration and a stronger joint, but for starting off, it can be a PITA. Id reccommend starting off with a "T" joint or something, filling gaps takes a little getting used to. Best of luck [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:I went out this morning an try the shorter stick out an I went slower The 1st 2 pics are the 1st welds I tried this morning and the last one is the final. I started at the top then stopped and tried to push the weld to see if it would be different then I tried to pass back over it.I use to go fast cause I felt like I was blowing holes through it.Thanks Chris
Reply:You drag, not push FC wire. You need to clean up the welds for us to really tell whats going on. We can't see the weld under all the flux and crap.Post up as much info as possible if you want help. Machine, wire size and type, settings( both power and wire speed), material and thickness. You posted up some but not all.From what little I can tell your welds are very inconsistent. Travel speed and stick out would be the 1st two big issues to start working with. the more consistent you are, even if you are doing it wrong, the easier it is to steer you in the right direction. Gaps and poor fit up will make things harder, so spend the time to do a good job there. It will pay big time on making things easier..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 man the wire is .035 from lincoln I have the machine on low an 2 an wire speed at 9. The 1st 2 pics I didint clean up an the 3rd I hit with a slag hammer an used a wire brush.