Welding issue

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I am new to welding. I have a 90amp harbor freight tig welder. I am doing a restoration on my 64 impala and I am putting new floors in. I cleaned the floor braces with CLR and washed it off with water. I sprayed Rustoleum on the floor braces to prevent future rusting. I then proceeded to clamp the rear floors to the braces and drilled small pilot holes to ensure that the welds will hit both sides. I made sure I had a nice thick bead when welding the floors. When I removed the clamps, I noticed the floors werent even welded to the braces. Any ideas on what happened? I am using the gasless flux core wire. Thanks in advance!By the way, I was also on Minimum load. Will this be my problem for the weld not penetrating?Last edited by artoledo; 04-06-2009 at 06:30 AM.
Reply:I doubt that you have a TIG welder.  You have a Flux Cored Wire Welder.  Cleaning with CLR doesn't do anything...you have to see shiny bare metal (I use flap discs in an angle grinder).  Flap the paint off at each "spot" you are going to weld (pre-mark with a sharpie though your pre-drilled holes).  Like wise on the floor piece...but don't "over-prep" the floor, its thin enough already, and you don't want to make it thinner!What you are trying to do, welding through the drilled holes, is called "Plug Welding".  The idea is to get a goodweld on the heavier (brace) part, and let the weld "wash-up" onto the floor pan.  Its an excellent way to connect the two pieces.  You drill the holle only in the floorpan, so you can see the shiny brace showing though when you clamp the two together (must be tight together).Your HF welder should beup to the task.  Be sure your ground clamp is attached to a similarly prepped to bare metal spot on the brace (the "heavy" part), because that is where your arc is being directed.  Clamp as close to the weld as possible.  As for the "Load setting, you should hear a sizzling sound from the weld as it goes on You'll get it!Run some "spots" on a practice piece of cleaned metal, then try to chisel them off...if they pop off, you are not getting penetration.  If they will not budge, your penetration is happening!Last edited by hillco; 04-06-2009 at 09:54 AM."Good Enough Never Is"MIller AC/DC  ThunderboltHobart HH180, 125EZRiland Cut 40 Plasma oxy/act  outfitTons of "stuff", all treasures to me!
Reply:What Hillco said.  Clean it and crank it up a bit.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by hillcoI doubt that you have a TIG welder.  You have a Flux Cored Wire Welder.  Cleaning with CLR doesn't do anything...you have to see shiny bare metal (I use flap discs in an angle grinder).  Flap the paint off at each "spot" you are going to weld (pre-mark with a sharpie though your pre-drilled holes).  Like wise on the floor piece...but don't "over-prep" the floor, its thin enough already, and you don't want to make it thinner!What you are trying to do, welding through the drilled holes, is called "Plug Welding".  The idea is to get a goodweld on the heavier (brace) part, and let the weld "wash-up" onto the floor pan.  Its an excellent way to connect the two pieces.  You drill the holle only in the floorpan, so you can see the shiny brace showing though when you clamp the two together (must be tight together).Your HF welder should beup to the task.  Be sure your ground clamp is attached to a similarly prepped to bare metal spot on the brace (the "heavy" part), because that is where your arc is being directed.  Clamp as close to the weld as possible.  As for the "Load setting, you should hear a sizzling sound from the weld as it goes on You'll get it!Run some "spots" on a practice piece of cleaned metal, then try to chisel them off...if they pop off, you are not getting penetration.  If they will not budge, your penetration is happening!
Reply:One more thought, do you have the correct polarity for the wire you're using?  Fluxcore wire is torch negative, work cable positive, opposite of solid wire and shielding gas.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33One more thought, do you have the correct polarity for the wire you're using?  Fluxcore wire is torch negative, work cable positive, opposite of solid wire and shielding gas.
Reply:You may need to take some welding classesTim Beeker.
Reply:The machine has 2 sides to the weld output, positive and negative.  For fluxcore self shielding, connect the negative side to the torch and the positive side to the work clamp.  This is called DCEN, or electrode negative, or straight polarity.  Choose  your favorite term...    When the torch is positive, for solid mig wire and sheilding gas use, that is reverse polarity, or DCEP, or electrode positive.  If you have the polarity wrong, it won't weld right.  Somewhere on the machine, either inside the wire feeder area or on the front of the machine usually, there should be two terminals marked positive and negative.   One of those cables will go to the feeder to power the torch and the other will go to the work clamp.  Put the negative one on the torch for fluxcore wire.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Do you have the manuel for the welder?It should have a diagram clearly showing how to connect gun and ground clamp to the welder for flux core wire.Lincoln 225 ACLincoln Mig Pak 15Lincoln Mig Pak 10Purox Oxy-Acet Outfit20 Ton PressHonda Generator
Reply:What size did you drill your holes? Too small won't work well. I'm guessing 1/4" would be OK.Is your welder convertable to gas? If not, the electrode positive or negative isn't changeable, so the stock wiring is correct.Last edited by Craig in Denver; 04-06-2009 at 11:58 PM.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Here's a link to a place that will rent you a video for $10 with Steve Bleile explaining the basics of Flux Core Welding.http://smartflix.com/store/video/49/Flux-Core-WeldingIt's not as good as a class at your local community college, but it might help you start to sort out the best settings for your machine, wire size, and some of the technique you'll want to learn before you start heating up the metal on that Impala.  In your shoes, I'd start out with some scrap metal first.
Reply:Can you post some pics?
Reply:Originally Posted by artoledoI dont understand? I know I have a gasless flux wire. But thats all I know.
Reply:Also, Harbor Freight has most of its manuals downloadable on their web site.  Find your welder..or one that is closest to it...download the manual...but if its Fluxcore only, there won't be much there beyond all the lawyer stuff."Good Enough Never Is"MIller AC/DC  ThunderboltHobart HH180, 125EZRiland Cut 40 Plasma oxy/act  outfitTons of "stuff", all treasures to me!