hi guys,new to welding so a few questions! :)

[davelee]

well ive got an old mini and i plan to weld up the rot... i have attemted some practice runs and im using the flux core wire i got with the welder .9mm i think!

basically i am running beads on some sheet steel (1.2mm) and they just look flat.. i used the calculator on here and have the wire speed low and on the lowest power setting of the 4 if i increase the wire speed more than about 2.5 it will blow holes

the welds i am getting now are these......(steel was clean last night!)

front

reverse side

before i go any further and to a great expence... is it me needing more practice? doing something wrong?, or the gassless wire on thin metals?.... at the begining of the year i managed to weld this hinge panel and repair the under light bit...

and not blow many holes at all....... but i want to improve my skill and get a nicer looking weld thats very strong and profetional looking like ive seen on here!

any help would be grat guys, thanks for taking time to read this, hope to hear some great feedback

dave

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

My advice would be to practice first on some thicker metal. Thin stuff is tricky at the best of times and getting some confidence without having to worry about blowing through will help no end.

 

[davelee]

sure the mrs wont miss the baking trays......

i will prob never weld anything thicker so should i still practice on thicker metal? do you think the welder and flux core is up to par for thin gauge steel then and its just my shoddy attempt? lol

 

[cumbriasteve]

Flux wire is not easy to use on thin bodywork, also a lot messier than gas wire so it will take a lot of practice and a lot of cleaning up afterwards.

A steel heat sink placed behind the weld area will help if at all possible, a lump of copper is ideal.

Not sure what your lowest amp settings are but still looks a bit high, although the fluxed wire does run hotter.

Finally, is that zinc coated steel?..seems a lot of 'white' debris around the weld, if it is then that's not going to help your chances.

 

[davelee]

Hi. Thanks for your reply. It's just 1.2 mm mild steel. the lowest power setting is 30 amp I thought the white was from the flux . I'm pretty sure it's craps wire... it came with the welder and I think it's .9 If it would help i may buy a new roll of .8 flux core I believe it's the smallest available.. or .6 wire and a disposable bottle of gas? What's best?

 

[cumbriasteve]

Yes you get the white from the fluxed wire, just seemed an excessive amount so made me suspect there was zinc involved.

Disposable bottles are costly and empty fast, you could consider a pub co2 bottle, not quite as good as argon/co2 mix but better than no gas.

That would allow you to use .6 wire and benefit from less heat produced at the wire end.

 

[davelee]

Cheers mate. I wold love the argon mix but can't justify the cost of rent... I'm watching a few co2 bottles on eBay... will it be a lot better than the flux core?

Cheers for the help mate
Dave

 

[cumbriasteve]

Yes I think you will find it loads better.

I think you need to get out and about your local area regarding gas, I went to a local calor gas agent and found they stocked all gases

Co2 pub bottle was £12 a year rent and £11 to refill
Argon/co2 full size was £32 a year rent and £30 refill

Even the pub bottle will last you for ages, a lot of people manage a full restoration without emptying a bottle.

 

[keith19]

Dave, some flux-core wire is a lot better than others. Lincoln Innershield is about as good as you'll get for thin metal and bodywork. It is possible to to weld down to about 1.0mm steel and below with 0.9 flux-core wire, and well below that with 0.8mm wire if its good quality flux-core.

I've done repairs to minis, rovers etc with 0.8 flux-core, and I've only had a year or so experience with it.
As Steve says, practice on something like 2 or 3mm at first, it will be good for learning basic techniques, and how best to hold the torch, what position is most comfortable for you, etc, without having to worry about blowing through.

When you're doing the thin stuff it's best to use what is called on here the 'Thin Metal Technique' - check out the tutorials. This way you are making a series of tacks rather than a continuous bead, and the metal isn't heating up enough for your weld pool to drop through. On really thin stuff I make my first series of tacks maybe two or three inches apart on the first round, then tack up to the ends of the first welds when you go round the second time. And so on, till the job is done. You need to study how long it takes to hold the tack, but that just comes with practice and more practice.

Flux-core will never look a first-class job on thin metal compared to gas wire, but it's ideal for working outside, and if you run out of gas it can be very handy for finishing a job. By the way, flux-core welding always looks 'flatter' than gas wire welding, all things being equal.

 

[davelee]

Yes I think you will find it loads better.

I think you need to get out and about your local area regarding gas, I went to a local calor gas agent and found they stocked all gases

Co2 pub bottle was £12 a year rent and £11 to refill
Argon/co2 full size was £32 a year rent and £30 refill

Even the pub bottle will last you for ages, a lot of people manage a full restoration without emptying a bottle.

If I could get argon mix for that I'd defiantly take it mate. Was that with a calor gas company itself or say the local shop or garage who sells the odd bottle?

Dave, some flux-core wire is a lot better than others. Lincoln Innershield is about as good as you'll get for thin metal and bodywork. It is possible to to weld down to about 1.0mm steel and below with 0.9 flux-core wire, and well below that with 0.8mm wire if its good quality flux-core.

I've done repairs to minis, rovers etc with 0.8 flux-core, and I've only had a year or so experience with it.
As Steve says, practice on something like 2 or 3mm at first, it will be good for learning basic techniques, and how best to hold the torch, what position is most comfortable for you, etc, without having to worry about blowing through.

When you're doing the thin stuff it's best to use what is called on here the 'Thin Metal Technique' - check out the tutorials. This way you are making a series of tacks rather than a continuous bead, and the metal isn't heating up enough for your weld pool to drop through. On really thin stuff I make my first series of tacks maybe two or three inches apart on the first round, then tack up to the ends of the first welds when you go round the second time. And so on, till the job is done. You need to study how long it takes to hold the tack, but that just comes with practice and more practice.

Flux-core will never look a first-class job on thin metal compared to gas wire, but it's ideal for working outside, and if you run out of gas it can be very handy for finishing a job. By the way, flux-core welding always looks 'flatter' than gas wire welding, all things being equal.

Cheers mate. I just think it looks messy and too flat ....I'll get time in the garage again tomorrow to have a play. Maybe I'll just have to get the penny's out for some gas..

Cheers again guys... more updates and pics tomorrow I hope

Dave

 

[cumbriasteve]

If I could get argon mix for that I'd defiantly take it mate. Was that with a calor gas company itself or say the local shop or garage who sells the odd bottle?

It is with an independant gas company called Inngas, they have a massive yard full of various bottles.

There are many places the same now, just a case of finding them..worth checking the industrial estates and asking a few questions.