Anything welding

I have been running hard wire outside for longer then I want to think about.

Unless your talking serious wind like a constant 20 mph it is not bad then with a little thinking even that can be solved .

I had issues when self shielded wire first hit the market never used it again Though all the Wire reps keep telling me it is much better 30 some years later

 

Yeah, all the weld videos and blogs I see (weld.com, weldingtipsandtricks, etc...), there really seams to be this misconception that flux core is an inferior process, but it's really not, at least not now.

I'm relatively new to welding (maybe 5 or so years of hobby grade stuff), so the wire I've always used has never been a problem (as long as I used name brand stuff). When I first started and that first 12 feet of wire you get with the machine ran out, I got a 2# roll from Ace Hardware, whatever that "brand" is. I was always frustrated that I couldn't get a consistent pool, and chocked it up to not knowing what the hell I was doing. Once I went to Lincoln NR211-MP it was a different world. I still don't know what the hell I'm doing, but my welds instantly went from a 0, to a 1 at least.

Flux core definitely makes traveling a LOT easier. I've done a few different projects for friends/neighbors (gates, bumper brackets, repairs, etc...) and it's nice to not have to worry about traveling with a gas bottle, too. One less thing to lug around and futz with.

Gas might have to wait until my birthday. My wife's eye twitches whenever I talk about buying something (for me). Apparently the 25k I spent on my shop wasn't enough, lol...

 

Yeah, my 125 "technically" did too. As long as I was okay with doing 16 passes, lol. I went back and forth on what size to get, and I ended up just going bigger than I thought I needed to, just so that I wouldn't be buying another one a few years down the road if my needs changed. Though I highly doubt I'll ever need to weld anything that's 3/8". 3/16 was pretty much the absolute max for my 125.

The thing that really put it over the top for me was that I can switch from 110 to 220. Nice if I'm going to a friend's house I don't need their drier plug, and my shop (where my 220 is) is far enough away from where I park my truck that even my 50' extension cord doesn't reach. So I've been using the 110 to tack things in place, then switch to 220 to finish off the truck.

 

Improving a little at a time

 

Made a frame for a friends workbench so he can roll it in and out of his shop. Took it and had it powdercoat painted. He just happens to be a MAC tool salesman and would rather trade than pay

 

Here’s the hypertherm plasma cutter I bought at that auction. It was grey, I painted it blue to match my miller welders. I’m not sure how long the drop cord is. All this came with it and it’s been a great machine for $1,050.00

 

At least I hope it does not get to cold those torches are like a cheap garden hose impossible to get straight

 

It doesn't get below 55 out here in the shop, that's what the heat lowest setting is on. I brought it to my work since I don't do a lot of side welding anymore at home and my boss let's me do most everything here as long as I have the milling machine running.

 

The sale any where near New Bern one of our Techs went down that way a few years ago to repair that type of equipment.

Can`t recall the company name.

 

No, I bought this at a sale in Pilot Mountain about 15 years ago.

 

Grinding disc are expensive, too. Also a time suck having to grind.

 

Bench fit like a glove and got a couple tools I needed.

 

As long as your Happy !!

Did The Mac Tool Person give you the tools based on his cost or list price ??

 

I didn’t ask him a price, I told him what I wanted and ask if I owe him anything. I have $54 in this project

 

I don`t think I used two 4 1/2" grinding discs in the last 3 years maybe half a dozen flap discs as well

 

If you know a method that produces a perfectly smooth finish like a plate bumper that doesn't require grinding, I'd be all ears...

TIG doesn't even do that, though....

 

The point is to try to improve your skills to the point that minimal grinding is needed.

Adding gas to the welder will shorten the learning dramatically.

 

I'm not vouching for durability though.

 

Try the flap discs they are much better for blending then grinding discs

You can fit your joints so your weld beads do not have such a high profile making blending so much easier .

Plus going to hard wire just about removes the splatter

 

Oh for sure. One of my weaknesses when I did my bumper (with my Lincoln 125) was that it was hard to get enough heat in the joints especially with multiple passes. The 210 makes 1 pass a lot easier. My main problem is just consistantcy. I don't do it enough to have that innate feeling and that "touch" to create consistent beads for long periods. It's also pretty obvious where I start and stop because of overlap. Sometimes I even get a little off course on wide butt welds, where I don't have a corner or an edge to help guide my hand.

I've seen enough people weld back to back with gas and without to know (or at least have a very strong suspicion) that having gas doesn't make anything any easier, at least enough to warrant "needing" to switch to gas just to make my welds better. You can get just as good a weld with flux core as you can MIG, it's just messier. If anything, you add complexity which is not something a beginner needs.

Seems like most people think flux core is crap because they probably forgot to switch the polarity, lol...

How do you think I fill in the holes from bad porosity?