Anything welding

Anybody know the settings for .035 blue demon gasless flux core wire. I tried welding 1/2" round bar to 1/4" flat bar and the recommended settings didn't work out. I used dcen. No flux coverage. Maybe this wire sucks? I am a beginner welder. I ended up using 3/32 7018 stick 110v at 100 amps. The stick welds came out better than the flux core making some bed rails.

 

Just what were the fluxcore problems ??Mislabeled wire would not surprise me.

Not enough output to much output??

Wire speed not what you needed for the voltage ?

Did you not try to adjust things to fix the problem? Every machine coming off the line can vary within 20% so each one is going to be different

So many things can effect the performance

 

3 years ago today I laid my first bead. A shitty flux Amazon welder using a cardboard box as my workbench because I had no idea what I was doing. Oh how my skills have changed.

 

The tig welder works

 

I tried 14-16v with 160-220ipm and the bead would lay fine but the flux would only be on the edges of the bead and not the top. I've used the same settings at the shop with different wire brand and the flux covered fine. I don't know if this wire is like that but I can't find the sweet spot.

 

Holy fuck...

 

My hood pins were causing cracking in my core support so I formed and welded some 14 gauge reinforcements. I hate working with the thin stuff.

 

I’ve been out of the tig game for quite some time. A day of sub par welding and managed to start scratching some decent ones out the following day

 

Is that stainless or mild with stainless filler?

 

Mild with stainless filler. Just playing around with some scrap material I had and some different cup/gas lenses

Will not be used for anything structural etc

 

It just comes down to what you are used to .

Try welding some 26 gauge sheet metal.

The reason I use .023 hard wire for all but serious welding

 

I need to see some examples of gaps that are not an issue for using .023. I've never used anything but .035 in the last 25 years. 1/8" bridging is a non issue presently.

I have a second machine that is getting low on the spool. Trying to talk myself into loading it up with .023.

Will I like using the stuff or hate it since I'm so accustomed to .035?

 

Screw it! I ordered up an 11 lbs. spool. I'm looking forward to being amazed!

 

Personally never used .023 myself, but I love dropping down to .030 from .035 occasionally. I think the .030 just runs more fluid and is much easier to manipulate. I’m sure .023 would be a same experience

 

I would guess your going to have a learning curve.


Did you get the liner or liners for the 023 wire and a bag of contact tips ??

Poor fit up the fitters get blamed but when you do the whole job it comes back on you.

This is a completely personal thing. I like being able to go from under an 1/8" to 3/8" and just change voltage and wire speed.I like using the 160 amp guns not the big clunky 400 amp guns

The larger size is just for those odd small jobs a few inches of weld it would take far more time to swap feeders for a few seconds of welding

Rebuilding buckets I do enjoy .052 dual shield

If it is any welding paying the bills the largest wire that will get the most amount of weld deposited in the shortest time.

 

I’m a fan of .023 on any welder 200 or smaller and .030 on bigger machines. The smaller welders just don’t have the power for .035

 

Last time I had one of my machines on the load bank it put out 325 amps .

.023 works for me.

 

.030 seems to go really well on my little 141...but maybe I should try something smaller sometime.

 

Anytime I’ve welded sheet metal, especially the thin body panels I always use the smaller wire. It really helps when welding at lower settings.

 

Good to hear, Craig. Both my 200 series Millers included drive rollers, so I was taking a gamble they should run that wire fine.