Self Sheilding wire-methods

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Almost embarrasing to ask this seeing how I own a job shop. But can someone give me a few pointers on running self sheilding wire. I have been welding for over 25 years and never have run the stuff, I am the only welder in my shop so the other guys have nothing to offer. I am current on mig,tig,stick,oxy/fuel but never self sheilding.  For years I have been turning away out of the shop work ( didnt want to get back into the portable thing-too busy in the shop). But finally I had couldnt turn away the work anymore, a big job came along that forced me to go portable. I am picking up a trailblazer 302 (had trailblazers before and loved them for stick), along with a rc12 feeder filled with self sheilding wire. With the amount of welding I will be doing on this job I have no interest in stick welding and plan to hone my skills with the self sheilding to do this job next week.  So if you guys with experiance can lend me a few tricks it may help this old dog learn a new trick.  Do you always pull or can you push the wire is one question, but really looking for some solid tips to get me rolling here.   thank you in advance !Dan.Repair Specialties LLC
Reply:Dan, it will act much like running a stick. Just watch the puddle and keep the slag out of it and you will be just fine. Remember the old saying...if it has slag, you must drag.  Get the voltage parameters for the wire you will be using. If you overvolt it, it will act up something fierce. Stay within the parameters for voltage and wire speed to start out. For giggles and also to edumacate yourself, run it within spec for a bit...get the hang of it, then pour on the juice and overvolt it. Pay attention to the undercut, pinholes, inclusions and other stuff from too much juice.
Reply:Self shielding wire is great.  MOST of it runs DC- electrode.  You will like it, but it takes time to tame the beast.  Don't be afraid of the bigger wire, it works great and can be run slow (1/16").  Like DDA52 sez, get the spec sheet for the wire, they are different.  It works out of position if you buy the right wire.  Make sure what you buy matches your application.  They make one that has the properties of 7018, but its a bitch to run especially UP.  Too many volts and you will get porosity with any self shielded wire. It Sounds like you are buying the right power supply.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Thanks for the advice.  In my research I have learned a few things I never knew. the biggest shocker to me was not  all flux core is self sheilding. I never thought that you would run gas with a flux core- guess I never gave it much thought seeing how I never had a need before. I guess I still am not up to speed on all this because I dont see where you would want to run flux core and still want/be able to run gas ? Feel free to explain this ? In my shop the only time we dont use gas (mig/tig) is when we weld outside in the breeze, and have to run stick, which is rare (we usually pull every thing inside if we can). Of course that will change now that we can designate a machine to self sheilding.  Any more information is welcome- I love to learn.Dan.Repair Specialties LLC
Reply:Dan, one of the benefits of gas shielded flux core is very high deposition rates. You can really lay that stuff down. In a production enviroment, that means you make more money..the company does that is.  It also doesn't need to be surgically clean to get good penetration or roots. The flux helps carry away some of the impurities....much better than with solid wire. So, prep time is cut down. Add all that stuff in with very strong mechanical qualities, and you have a heavy production shops dream wire.
Reply:Originally Posted by DDA52Dan, one of the benefits of gas shielded flux core is very high deposition rates. You can really lay that stuff down. In a production enviroment, that means you make more money..the company does that is.  It also doesn't need to be surgically clean to get good penetration or roots. The flux helps carry away some of the impurities....much better than with solid wire. So, prep time is cut down. Add all that stuff in with very strong mechanical qualities, and you have a heavy production shops dream wire.
Reply:Dualshield (cored wire with gas) is easy to run, high deposition rate and the fastest way to get the job done.  YES even faster than bare wire.Back to the self shielded wire.  It works, just not as nice as any wire that has a gas shielding along with it.  Bare or cored.  Self shielding wire is still faster than stick and can use more current.Buy it , Try it and see for your self.  DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:If at the start you seem to have trouble, i gave David r this same advice have someone else dial in you parameters while your running the wire you can get a very good feel when you hit the wires sweet spot.Hope this advise helps.Good luck
Reply:Great advice !     Maybe one of you can point me in the direction on wire selections right off the bat. This machine is going to spend a day at the shop then go out for a few days on a job, sure would like to shorten the time it takes me to get dialed in. I am sure it wont take me too long to get a grip on it, all the pointers will certainly save me wasted time.   The first job its going to do is mostly over head and vertical welding on 1/8 to 3/16" plating. Then the next job is all 3/16" to 5/16" but all welding positions, and has to be very high quality welds. If I cant get the wire dialed in I will have to go to stick, but I really dont want to do that, wire would save me a lot of time ( 3 guys working nights on a weekend = $$$)Dan.Repair Specialties LLC
Reply:For the size material you mentioned my first choice would be Lincoln NR 211 MP cuz its probably the easiest to use. It will weld all pos and has low smoke, low spatter. Not recommended for thicknesses over 1/2".
Reply:I started schooling with a semi-automatic class. John, the instructor and an Iron Worker by day is a guy that could tell you everything there is to know about innershield. I know to always drag. John says dialing in the machine is what will make or break you. Do that, and it runs great. I am familiar with it but have not practiced alot with it. The whole thing is making the slag do what you want it to do instead of letting it push you around. Don't let the slag get in front of the puddle! It will dive right under the bead and ruin it.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Originally Posted by DanMThanks for the advice.  In my research I have learned a few things I never knew. the biggest shocker to me was not  all flux core is self sheilding. I never thought that you would run gas with a flux core- guess I never gave it much thought seeing how I never had a need before. I guess I still am not up to speed on all this because I dont see where you would want to run flux core and still want/be able to run gas ? Feel free to explain this ?
Reply:The only trick to dialing in a portable is having a little stand/clamp by your machine. Just make a little "clamp on a stand" type deal that you can keep beside the machine. Put a piece of cut-off of whatever you're gonna run in the clamp at the appropriate position and dial it in with your free hand.I've got one incorporated into the stand on my baby mig. No restarts on the workpiece because it's already dialed in.Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:olddad, so what you are saying is just have a piece of scrap near the welder/generator to run a few beads on while you adjust the welder output?
Reply:Yep...easiest/quickest way to dial in a mini-mig. It's easier if you got a little stand with a clamp to set up whatever position you're tuning for though. I use an old set of test bars with a swivel welded onto it.Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:My vote is for Lincoln NR211-MP also.  Its good stuff.  Just go to the lincoln website and get the spec sheet on the wire for "speeds and feeds"  1/16" wire goes all the way down to 40 ipm @15 volts and up to 175 ipm @ I forget how many volts.  They also list the approximate amp usage.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by olddadYep...easiest/quickest way to dial in a mini-mig. It's easier if you got a little stand with a clamp to set up whatever position you're tuning for though. I use an old set of test bars with a swivel welded onto it.