Flux core AND gas

[rebeldart]

This tip was given to me by an experienced body goy - supposedly flux core with shielding gas gives best results. Anybody heard this and how/why does it work better? All I can say is I need all the help I cam get - I SUCK at welding. My liittle patches are killing me - I've warped metal and I've tried to fill the same small pinholes three and four times, weld, grind, weld, grind, weld. Am I expecting too much ? If I've got a dozen or so pinholes around the weld - should I move on to fiberglass ? Not fun - WARNING: if your a perfectionist - don't try this on your own without experienced help or classes!

[dave_demented]

as i said in your other post, welding small hols in thin sheetmetal is no easy task, if you have the heat or the wire speed up too high you'll blow right through it

[MARTINSR]

I think your friend is dreaming running the gas and the flux core. I don't think it will do a darn bit different than the flux alone.

Listen, welding like most anything else takes practice.

Have you read the "Basics of Basics" on mig welding here in the classroom at autobodystore.com? http://www.autobodystore.com/new_page_11.htm



Brian

[dchristian]

It does take patience and experience and practice. I started out with flux and it does ok but once I converted to gas my welding improved greatly. I can't imagine using both but have never tried it. Flux core has to be cleaned when done and if you don't clean it well it can lead to more problems with new welds and paint. My best friends when learning to weld was the guys at my local National Welders Supply. I ask a lot of questions and bought a lot of videos and books to learn the basics. I learned using Oxygen/Acetylene and lots of scrap metal using various thicknesses. Once you learn to control the weld puddle you got it made. The biggest mistake is watching the flame or arc and not the puddle of molten metal and not cleaning the weld area properly. For holes, if you have rusty pitted metal around the hole you have little hope, but if the metal is good then use a low heat setting and wire speed and bump the gun with short burst to keep from burning through. If the hole is larger than eighth" then you need to drill it out and cut a patch plug. Using some hole punch slugs works nice if you have a set. To keep from warping the metal just takes your time and do a spot and wait for the metal to cool before you do another small spot. Then work the area with a hammer and dolly to stretch any small amount of shrinking you have. I have also read that you can hold a piece of copper behind the hole and the steel will not bond to the copper but I have not tried this yet. Also be patient when grinding the weld and don't get the metal hot. Practice and Patience is the key to learning. Good Luck

[drizler]

This tip was given to me by an experienced body goy - supposedly flux core with shielding gas gives best results. Anybody heard this and how/why does it work better? All I can say is I need all the help I cam get - I SUCK at welding. My liittle patches are killing me - I've warped metal and I've tried to fill the same small pinholes three and four times, weld, grind, weld, grind, weld. Am I expecting too much ? If I've got a dozen or so pinholes around the weld - should I move on to fiberglass ? Not fun - WARNING: if your a perfectionist - don't try this on your own without experienced help or classes!

You suck for the same reason I did after all the welding I had done. Its real this metal which welds badly to begin with and you need to practice. Get with this board and cut some small pieces from old fenders and wail away. http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ You will get better believe me but its not easy. BTW I still suck but not so much any more. Its more of a rapid trigger pulling thing than constant weld to get it done well for us meer mortals. You will get it.

[ZRX61]

You're using FC on car sheetmetal???

[fordnut]

This tip was given to me by an experienced body goy - supposedly flux core with shielding gas gives best results. Anybody heard this and how/why does it work better? All I can say is I need all the help I cam get - I SUCK at welding. My liittle patches are killing me - I've warped metal and I've tried to fill the same small pinholes three and four times, weld, grind, weld, grind, weld. Am I expecting too much ? If I've got a dozen or so pinholes around the weld - should I move on to fiberglass ? Not fun - WARNING: if your a perfectionist - don't try this on your own without experienced help or classes!

how you doing i'am new on here i think this is the way to send you a message , your saying about filling pin holes or even small holes , in the past i've filled small holes using mig by putting a piece of copper if to can behind the hole and welding in the hole weld won't stick to copper, try it it works pretty good

[55chevrolet]

It may take a while but you will get it. My advice is too always start learning by using TOO much heat. Penetration is what welding is all about. I had to redo the welds of a friend who had done what he thought was a bang up job welding a patch in.

He had welded ON TOP on the metal and then ground it down. What he ended up with was a weld that was about 15 mils thick on a 20 ga panel.
That is about half way welded. He was afraid on blowing through and considered it a good weld because he did not blow through. On the contrary it was a terrible weld.

I say to start way too hot and gradually turn the thing down until you get to where you can weld up a seam without blowout. The trick is to be just at the point of blowing through without doing so. You will probably have to split the turn down between the heat and wire speed pretty much equally.

[DonG]

When welding sheet metal SIZE DOES MATTER. You really need to use .023 wire. If you use larger wire you greatly increase your chance of burn through and warpage. Copper backing helps a lot: reduces warping, gives you something to place the weld on when filling a hole.

Don

[buildin64]

I was told this myth before myself that using gas and the flux core wire would improve your welding especially for novices. I believed it for a while until I did my own test, flux core with and w/o gas, and I found for me anyways that using regular old welding wire and gas (75%/25%) worked the best and I for one will not waste the extra money on the flux core wire, at least as long as I have the gas available. I will keep the flux core around and use it if I run out of the gas and an inconvient time.

[Len]

Flux core works better than gas when you're welding outdoors in windy conditions. The wind blows the gas shield away and causes problems while the flux allows for better welds in the wind.