Question to all the welders out there!!!

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sbmopar318

sbmopar318

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I'm finally planning on trying to learn some welding skills and have a few old fenders etc to cut n weld n patch on. I am thinking about getting a reasonable 110v mig/flux plan to use flux how will this work??
 
sbmopar318 said:
I'm finally planning on trying to learn some welding skills and have a few old fenders etc to cut n weld n patch on. I am thinking about getting a reasonable 110v mig/flux plan to use flux how will this work??
Click to expand...

its great for starting to weld but you will soon find you don't like it, doesn't weld nearly as good as a gas welder and has way more splatter then one, however you can use a flux welder anywhere outside; gas you can't
 
Flux core wire is indeed messy, but it can be used. A decent welder that has the gas hookup is optimal, but may not be in your budget, they can get pricey.

IF you can afford a decent welder from the start that would be the way to go, and don't look back.

If not, Horror Freight does have some 110 welders with a gas hookup for minimal expense.
 
Look at the HF Dual-Mig line, both flux and gas, I got a Dual-Mig 131, scored it at a Fling for $40! Small gas bottle was another $40.....
 
Dad bought me am economic mig welder u can use flux core as I am. Or it can also take the bottle. Flux core wire came with it so Im using that for now. Pics will be up in a few days after my Lca's are done.
 
The wire is pretty important for a good weld. get a few small rolls from different vendors and find out what works best for you. Miller stuff is pretty good, HF is hit or miss but cheaper.
 
This topic comes up every month, look it up, I say flux is fine, you have to clean more, that's a bout it. I did a full restoration with one, so yeah, they work.
 
gas pressure shields your weld ( liquid metal) from contamination
the flux when heated produces a gas and does the same thing...just not as effective
 
I vote for gas not flux. I suggest you get the best welder you can for your budget then work with it for hours and hours on old junk until you perfect it. Don't get to up set with the welds at first, play with the heat setting and wire speed. Most important is make notes on the setting that work best for you. Good Luck
 
all else fails go to your tractor supply store and but a hobbart weld they are built by miller but for a much better price. other than that crags list
 
I bought a Hobbart 187 e-z handler 220 volt gas or flux. I've only used flux wire as I'm learning. I got it for around $400. Nice welder for me. Works like a champ.
 
Another variable to consider is the thickness of the wire. For thin sheet metal, thinner wire allows you to put less heat into the metal. I've had good luck with .023" wire for auto body work.

Also, don't try to weld a continuous bead. A series of small stitch welds less than 1/4" is what you want. Lay one, then move to another part of the repair and lay another. Come back and fill in the gaps allowing time for the metal to cool. This will help prevent the metal from warping.
 
Flux core is splattery but i dealt with that for years on automotive as well as fence lines lol. i converted mine to mig. Flux core can be workable but mig is the way to go on automotive sheetmetal. I can still switch mine out to flux core in just a few minutes by disconnecting the gas, installing the flux core wire, and swapping the leads inside the machine. Then i can go do fence line work and still have the portability.

Whatever you buy get something that has a true variable setting for wire feed and not a click type setting for wire feed. This lets you fine tune your wire speed so its not too fast or too slow.
 
A good weldor is like a good guitar player - they can make a piece of trash sound great, or a crappy welder lay down nice beads. But if you are just starting out, by all means make it easier on yourself - get a gas mig and not a flux core one. And buy something you can grow with. A 110 volt machine is good for sheet metal and light gauge stuff but if a roll bar is in your sites save your money and get at least a 170 amp 220 volt machine NOW, not later when you find out your 110 volt machine won't cut it.
 
Never underestimate the importance of a good ground when using a mig welder.
or any welder for that matter.
Often porosity problems when mig welding can be caused by an inadequate ground.
 
If you buy a flux core only welder and it's just that. Mig/gas allows you to run either. Flux core is easier to repair dirty (to a point) metal with and is more forgiving say on frame rails. You can always turn down a 175 Amp and up 220 welder adj using by using smaller wire for sheet metal plus most everybody has a dryer outlet to plug it in to. A 110v light weight welder can only be turned up so far.BTW They are good to use for tacking heavier parts together and then using a cheap 250 Amp buzz box (ac stick) to complete welding.
No matter which (the first one) one you chose to buy, as you get better it doesn't take long to out grow it. At least that's the excuse I tell the wife ;D
 
When someone asks a question like this, - it implies that they are not an experienced welder. That's OK. We all learn as we go.

But I think that if your first experiences welding are with flux core you will get very frustrated. It's difficult for an experienced welder to get good results with an inexpensive flux core welder. The extra amount of spatter means constant tip cleaning. They usually don't feed wire at as constant a speed as the better welders. That translates into more difficulty running a nice bead without blowing through sheet metal. Heat is your enemy when you're trying to avoid distortion. It will be harder to avoid when you find yourself fighting your welder. If a decent new mig is out of your price range, I'd consider buying used or farming the work out.

Keep in mind that it IS possible to do the work with flux core, but my advice is geared towards the guys with minimal experience.
 
65DartGTConv said:
Another variable to consider is the thickness of the wire. For thin sheet metal, thinner wire allows you to put less heat into the metal. I've had good luck with .023" wire for auto body work.

Also, don't try to weld a continuous bead. A series of small stitch welds less than 1/4" is what you want. Lay one, then move to another part of the repair and lay another. Come back and fill in the gaps allowing time for the metal to cool. This will help prevent the metal from warping.
Click to expand...

.023" is where its at for sheet. Much smoother. I've also found that its a good idea to do your welding, before stripping the entire panel of paint, just the work area, if you MIG/MGAW weld it, so you don't have to clean up lots of slag with a file.

adiffrentcity said:
Craigslist! There are mig welders every day at good prices.
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Yep.

Ultimately, I've always liked gas shielded welding, over any kind of flux, but they all work.

You should know that flux core wires have a more porous weld than a gas shielded MIG/MGAW.

The wire feed flux core will do sheet metal, exhaust and all kinds of stuff without any problems, but you can't do things like fluid tanks and I wouldn't risk structural parts, because of the weld strength. You aren't even supposed to do fluid tanks with a MIG, because they still have signs of porosity, even with good stickout length on the wire and a good gas nozzle, you still get some porosity and risk leaking or weeping seams over time. That's why you see fusion and TIG welds on tanks. There is no hydrogen contamination between the two metals to create microscopic voids/ pockets.
 
I have a 110v flux core welder. Used it to weld in a patch on driver quarter panel, messy and tough to do. Reason it's tough is cause it's not as forgiving. You don't have as many adjustments as far as wire speed/voltage. If you're not very good, you can and will burn through, or your weld won't have the depth needed to be good. 208/220 will give you that flexibility. Also the 110v can not be used to lay out a bead. Best use is spot welding metal up to about a 1/4 inch thick, so it's not the heavy duty, you're limited to what you can do. The transformer will not handle being on for any amount of time, the overheat function will shut it down. Not to scare you, but that is what I know. If you can get a cheap one, then it would be great to use as a learning tool. Then eventually move to the better more expensive one. But overall look, look, then look some more before buying. And learn the pros and cons of each one. Do a LOT of research first.
 
Fellows I new to the site but I need to find some help. I am building a dart with a 360. I'm having trouble getting the headers to seal. I'm using mr gasket gaskets. The first set was the white one and they leaked. I have since installed the mr gasket copper gaskets and the still have a slight leak. Does anyone have any ideas?
 
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