Welding with flux core

Oldschool

Oldschool

New Member
#1
#1
Just wondering if there is a significant difference between the Chinese wire in my HF 90 welder and some more expensive wire from Miller or one of the good supliers?

For that matter can anyone recomend an easier to weld with wire .030?

I am getting some real ugly bubble gum with what I have.
Spent the day welding grinding out my welds and rewelding on my frame to add some gussets. I am not a welder and haven't done much welding since high school with a stick so this is still rather new to me.

So to make a long story short, lots of spatterm and voids, the bead lays down like its a cold weld. I tried adjusting my feed rate lower to get more heat in to the steel but this just seems to cause an unstable arc.
Also kind of windy today.

I tried to clean the welds with some Phosphoric acid on my last pass. This seemed to help a little but I wonder if my trouble might also be just because welding a mini frame is near the upper limits of the welder's ability to penetrate.
 
M

metal man

New Member
#3
#3
the wire i run is 035 but , i have run blue demon it seem like it was really good stuff forney is ok stuff . flux core does have some splatter problems compared to wire /co2 . check your ground it can really mess with your welds on a wire feed . unlike a arc where the weld will stop wire will just keep pushing it out . watch your stick out too if the wire is sticking out to far you loose alot of bite . try and keep it real close to the tip like 1/2 inch or so . also go here he has a ton of vids and info on welding YouTube - weldingtipsandtricks's Channel
i have never used the hf wire but i have 3 boxes of the rods 6011 6013 7014 i think it is , and to me there is no difference from the ones i got in town . prostar or some crap like that made by pracs air . same bite just as good looking weld and a hell of a lot cheaper . ill buy more from hf when i need some . beats $20 a dam pound for 6011 from pracs . i miss dow chemical they had cheaper stuff :crying:
 
Modding_out

Modding_out

#4
#4
metal man said:
the wire i run is 035 but , i have run blue demon it seem like it was really good stuff forney is ok stuff . flux core does have some splatter problems compared to wire /co2 . check your ground it can really mess with your welds on a wire feed . unlike a arc where the weld will stop wire will just keep pushing it out . watch your stick out too if the wire is sticking out to far you loose alot of bite . try and keep it real close to the tip like 1/2 inch or so . also go here he has a ton of vids and info on welding YouTube - weldingtipsandtricks's Channel
i have never used the hf wire but i have 3 boxes of the rods 6011 6013 7014 i think it is , and to me there is no difference from the ones i got in town . prostar or some crap like that made by pracs air . same bite just as good looking weld and a hell of a lot cheaper . ill buy more from hf when i need some . beats $20 a dam pound for 6011 from pracs . i miss dow chemical they had cheaper stuff :crying:
Click to expand...

I buy my rods from tractor supply....they only sell hobart welding products and i can get them for like $18 for 5 pounds....I guess it's not such a bad deal:shrug:
 
penchant

penchant

New Member
#7
#7
Oldschool said:
I am getting some real ugly bubble gum with what I have. Spent the day welding grinding out my welds and rewelding on my frame to add some gussets.

... lots of spatterm and voids, the bead lays down like its a cold weld.
Click to expand...
Make sure that the power is running inverted for flux core, so the power flows into the wire as opposed to out of it. When I bought my 110v welder (used) I had the same exact issue, and after some searching on weldingweb.com I found this key tip. After switching the power leads properly it now welds like a champ with minimal splatter.
 
Oldschool

Oldschool

New Member
#8
#8
penchant said:
Make sure that the power is running inverted for flux core, so the power flows into the wire as opposed to out of it. When I bought my 110v welder (used) I had the same exact issue, and after some searching on weldingweb.com I found this key tip. After switching the power leads properly it now welds like a champ with minimal splatter.
Click to expand...
This is a pure flux core welder with no DC.

I have thought about buying a bridge and trying to weld DC with it.

Bill Ellerby:
You have the same welder as I do.
do you find you can weld tubing on a mini with it with decent penetration?
I need to weld a swing arm next on the next bike and this is not a place I want bubble gum and weld failure.

Some Devcon covers all sin.
I'll run a drum sander all over this and clean things up so it looks resentable.
clone stuff :: 100_9972.jpg picture by Dougwp - Photobucket
Other things I noticed.
I have some distortion in the frame. Nothing you would ever notice unless you were measuring it againts some very tight jigs. My fuel tank now ever so slightly touches the frame rail. It was very close before but its not a big deal.
 
Richard Trotter

Richard Trotter

#9
#9
Penchant is right. Find out what polarity your wire needs. DCEN means your electrode is on the negitive terminal and your ground on the positive. DCEP is the other way around. It should be listed on the wire spool label. Best book for info "Welding Essentials-Galvery and Marlow". I got my copy at HF.
 
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Oldschool

Oldschool

New Member
#10
#10
Richard Trotter said:
Penchant is right. Find out what polarity your wire needs. DCEN means your electrode is on the negitive terminal and your ground on the positive. DCEP is the other way around. It should be listed on the wire spool label. Best book for info "Welding Essentials-Galvery and Marlow". I got my copy at HF.
Click to expand...
This is just AC not polarity....

Does that realy make a difference?
Because if it does I will modify the welder.
 
birddog1148

birddog1148

New Member
#12
#12
Oldschool said:
Just wondering if there is a significant difference between the Chinese wire in my HF 90 welder and some more expensive wire from Miller or one of the good supliers?

For that matter can anyone recomend an easier to weld with wire .030?

I am getting some real ugly bubble gum with what I have.
Spent the day welding grinding out my welds and rewelding on my frame to add some gussets. I am not a welder and haven't done much welding since high school with a stick so this is still rather new to me.

So to make a long story short, lots of spatterm and voids, the bead lays down like its a cold weld. I tried adjusting my feed rate lower to get more heat in to the steel but this just seems to cause an unstable arc.
Also kind of windy today.

I tried to clean the welds with some Phosphoric acid on my last pass. This seemed to help a little but I wonder if my trouble might also be just because welding a mini frame is near the upper limits of the welder's ability to penetrate.
Click to expand...
I am guessing this is your welder:
http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/98000-98999/98871.pdf

It doesn't look like you can hook the polarity up wrong like on a machine that uses shielding gasses. I have owned and used a flux core welder for over 20 years and NEVER got really pretty welds out of it. You only have 2 heat settings on that machine I believe so you have to play with wire speed, and there seems to be a very narrow sweet spot for that and I think it tends to be slower than faster. And the flux core creates the shielding effect at the arc. The best use of a Flux core welder is outside where wind would blow away shielding gases. Several years ago I upgraded to a Lincoln Pro Mig 175, its a 220v machine with 5 heat settings and variable speed. Not the greatest machine by any means but works for everything I have needed from derby cars to building a self contained Dirt Late Model hauler. Once you weld with shielding gasses you will MUCH prefer it over flux core. Flux core is messy, nasty stuff compared to the clean welds you get with a shielded gas weld. I am no expert by any means, I was self taught up untill a year ago when I took an adult/vocational welding class on MIG welding, and I am just trying to offer what little help I can.
As a previous poster said, this is a good site for info:
WeldingWeb™ - Welding forum for pros and enthusiasts - Powered by vBulletin

PS Watch your duty cycle on that machine, 25% @80amp
 
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turftech 1

turftech 1

Member
#14
#14
I buy Lincoln spools from a welding supply store. I get the ten lb spool which lasts 10 times longer than the little spools they sell at Home Cheapo or Lowes. I weld quite a bit, and have NOT had to change my spool in over a yr.

Flux will have some spatter, if I am going for looks, I run the smooth blade of a chipping hammer over the surface right after I finish welding, this removes most of the splatter. If you are not getting a good weld-pool, then either your not using enough power, or you are moving too fast or running your wire too fast.

You CAN make pretty welds with a flux wire, but it takes some time and practice. I build ornamental benches, gotta have pretty welds to sell those, and I do it with my Linciln Weld-Pak 100 and .035 flux wire.

View attachment 36538

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C

cad650

New Member
#15
#15
similar problems with harbor freight 125v flux core welder

i dont really have the budget to switch to dc, what can i do as far as add ons to improve the weld quality, im looking for any sugestions no matter how dumb or simple they seem. Im also wondering if i should switch to a name brand of wire and if i should switch to 0.035 in wire instead of 0.03 in wire, will that make a difference?

-Thanks, Carter
 
FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#18
#18
cad650 said:
i dont really have the budget to switch to dc, what can i do as far as add ons to improve the weld quality, im looking for any sugestions no matter how dumb or simple they seem. Im also wondering if i should switch to a name brand of wire and if i should switch to 0.035 in wire instead of 0.03 in wire, will that make a difference?

-Thanks, Carter
Click to expand...
Carter, You will just have to try the brand name filler metals and see what you think. I would listen to the folks on here that use Flux core wire and follow their recommendations. I don't u\se Flux core so I cant contribute but lots of folks here do use it with good results.

I can say this and it just backs up what [MENTION=54935]Fantic Freddy[/MENTION] has said. Wire quality will make a difference.

Also I would suggest trying .023 wire if they make flux core in that diameter. I would NOT use the .035 wire as the larger the wire the more heat you need to use. .030 is a good all around size but the .023 will weld almost anything up to 1/4'' without multi - pass welds.



Here are some things that might help you narrow down you welding concerns.


1 - The wire can rust sitting on the spool and then you contaminate the liner. This creates drag between the liner and the wire. It also reduces weld quality.

I highly recommend using felt wire cleaners and lubbers on the wire between the spool and the drive rolls.

https://store.cyberweld.com/weaidlucopak.html


2 - Spool tension and drive roll tension needs to be properly adjusted for a constant wire feed speed to be maintained.


3 - Make sure that you use the correct sized liner and tips that match the wire size being used.


4 - IT IS POSSIBLE.... that the gas in the bottle is wrong. If you have been making good welds and when you change the bottle your welds go to junk. Swap out the bottle. It does and can happen. Almost never but it happens.

Ask questions. There are a lot of experienced welders here that can and will help.

Doug
 
C

cad650

New Member
#19
#19
more questions

Also I would suggest trying .023 wire if they make flux core in that diameter. I would NOT use the .035 wire as the larger the wire the more heat you need to use. .030 is a good all around size but the .023 will weld almost anything up to 1/4'' without multi - pass welds.




Ok, thanks for all your help. I need to weld 1/16 inch thick mild steel square tubing, the harbor freight welder i have has a high and low setting. the high is 125volts the low is 60 what combanation of wire thickness and voltage would help me create a slow weld? would a larger wire and a lower voltage and a slow feed rate help me with the thin material? im looking for any and all advice for working with thin materials.
 
red baron

red baron

Active Member
#20
#20
This might sound stupid but the Lincoln weld pac I used at work seems sensitive to the wall outlet it's used on. I had it on a 15amp circuit and it fought me. I used it another time in my garage on a 20 amp and it seemed much more powerful.
Here's what I'd do if it were me. Go through the machine or better yet have someone with experience do it with you. Check everything! Put in good wire, make sure the wire spool is rolling easily and not to tight. Make sure the roller groove is matched with the wire gauge,.030 wire with a .035 groove won't work well if at all. Clean the rollers is there grease or factory coating that needs to be cleaned off. Are you using the correct tip for that size wire. Make sure the electrical connections are all clean and tight. watch a video to see if your holding the gun the right distance away. a dirty contact point will reduce your welding power.Is the liner defective. If the machine isn't set up the best welder in the world won't be able to weld with it. The welder could be defective.
 
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