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I am a mechanic by trade and have done the welding that goes with it. Which means I have done some of most types of welding. Just enough to know I'm not a welder.  I have a number of problems I hope I can find answers for here.  I traded for a cheap flux core wire welder. Looks and runs fine, feeds wire just fine. But when you try and run a bead, it looks like you tried to mig without gas. Also, the wire stays live all the time the welder is turned on. This is a Chicago Electric 100 amp . Any ideas on what the trouble is and is there a fix ? I have a Clarke 100E Mig. I loaned it to a family member and he returned it almost ruined. I haven't been able to find replacement parts online. Needing a liner. I can get a bead for one inch at times and maybe a couple at others before the wire bird nests on me.  What are the liners made of and could I maybe make my own to replace this one ? Now the big question. I have an 83 Nissan 4x4 truck. I worked at the coast back in 99-2000 and later in 2004 or 5 when all the flooding was going on. The salt water has ruined the body and frame. I found another truck. Solid frame but has body rust. The body mounts and floor pans are gone. I have cut back to solid metal on the drivers side and learned that the rust got into the main structure. This is where two pieces of 18 guage steel are formed into channels and welded together making sort of a tube. The rocker pannel is the outside of this tube. THe inside, where the body mounts are, is gone.  For some reason, the rust didn't go outside. It all came to the inside where it wasn't seen until the owner said his foot went through. Three or four inches of floor and the turn up to join the firewall is gone. I have my parts cut from 18 guage for the drivers side which is the worst. I also have the new mount cut and bent. Being that my MIG is broken, I am left with my old Hobart 200 amp Wisconsin engine driven welder, An old Sears Color-matic which is very mild mannered for an AC buzz box. Can this thin stuff be welded with a stick ? If so, AC or DC ? And what rod size and type ?IF stick welding isn't a good option, How about oxy/fuel  ? Should I weld or braze ?  I guess the last options are to buy a TIG torch set up for the Hobart ( if such is even possible)  Or trade for a good used MIG. I have a 1970 Bridgestone Dual sport 175 twin cylinder 2 stroke that needs a key switch, a battery and some rust removed from the fuel tank.  THe Bike looks pretty good. Or any deer hunters with a MIG to trade I have a Knight  Stainless steel .50 cal with a Leopold 3x9 I'd be willing to trade.  please PM if interested.  Grateful for any answers, advice, info. Thanks in advance.
Reply:wow a lot of ?? to start off withthe welder is built live wire ---just be careful where ya lay down the gun---- nature of that beast --as for  the bead   are you using F/C wire or soild wire  with gas and is it hooked up rightMig with gas  it will electrode + (positiveF/C  no gas  electrode  - (negitiveidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Prop-Doctor, Thanks for the reply. The welder that stays hot all the time is a flux core machine. It is loaded with flux core wire of a brand I've never seen before.  As to the polarity ? The leads are hard wired to the transformer. (IE can't be changed without cutting wires)   My  volt/ohm meter  shows AC voltage but not polarity so I don't know what to do next.