Barge welding palavers - fluxcore question

[paulgt]

Hi,

I've posted on here a few times recently as I was considering carrying out some arc welding on a floating folly I am stuck/in love with.

I decided to get an experienced welder on board and he has done a fantastic job reconstructing the ribs.

The next job entails stitch-welding 60 odd 5m wide ribs (mild steel) with 20% coverage either side. The steel we are dealing with has been cleaned with high pressure water blasters and is 5mm.

My man tells me that it could be done much more efficiently if we hire a fluxcore machine.

I must confess that this project is like living in a bad episode of grand designs. Don't get me wrong, I have HOLD FAST tattooed to my knuckles and I want to see it through and have something I can sleep well in at night.

Over the course of two years I have learnt that there are many opinions at every stage (sometimes valid, sometimes laughable given the luxury of hindsight). Is fluxcore worth the expense? I ask out of complete ignorance as I have never heard of it before.

I have a dream of finishing the structural work and thinking about services and doors, floors and window by Xmas so any pointers would be greatly appreciated

All the best,

Paul

 

[TechnicAl]

if youve got a lot of welding it may be worth it but if its mostly fabricating......probably not

Flux Core is gas shielded or gasless.........I doubt they mean gasless

So if its gas shielded you need a gas bottle as well as the set.......and the torch will be 5 metres max.........so any more than that and you need to move the whole lot

 

[premmington]

A friend on my Father built a narrow boat, in the first year of his retirement.

He bought a new diesel set and MMA welded it all together.

He made a nice job of it!

The new diesel set had 1060 hrs on the hour meter when he finished the boat and sold it!

I think he used the welding set to power tools up to fit the inside out as well.

But it does give you some idea of the time spent building boats.

1000hrs on a welder/generator for power tools, is 20hrs a week for a year!

 

[sardine]

Let's see this floating money drain then.

 

[Screwdriver]

I'm guessing you've seen this YouTuber: SV Seeker

Enough welding on there to last a lifetime.

S.

 

[paulgt]

This pic should give you a good idea of the scale of the best. The fabricating/reinforcing of the ribs is pretty much done. We now need to stitch weld the ribs along the length of the boat.

I'm just wondering if flux core is really the right approach.

Many thanks,

Paul

 

[HughF]

Fluxcore, either self shielded or gas shielded is much faster than stick, stronger/better with slightly dirty steel than mig, there is a reason that it is the go-to process for nearly all structural steelwork in the US.

You'll need a high duty cycle CV power source, either engine drive or 3 phase. Seperate feeder will be a must on a boat job, power source stays on the hard, wire feeder with gas and +ve (if it's a VS/across the arc feeder) cable goes down into the heart of the boat.

It is the process I would use, but then I wouldn't be hiring in, I'd be buying second hand. Personally I'd use dual shield wire with 100% CO2, probably an ESAB product.

 

[Bill Edwards]

For that amount of welding I would certainly be looking at alternatives to stick welding - it has it's place but on a job like this it will waste a lot of time.
As it is for welding rather than fabricating hiring a machine in might not be too expensive, on the basis it would be in and finished with fairly quickly, so I would certainly price up hiring as well as buying second hand.

 

[wheresmejumper]

I would estimate actual arc time would be half with the flux core. That doesn't include changing gas,changing wire,wire feed problems,gas shielding problems,access and more delays.in theory it would be a bit quicker but you are not banging out fillets at a welding bench.i would stick weld with low hydrogen

 

[premmington]

I would estimate actual arc time would be half with the flux core. That doesn't include changing gas,changing wire,wire feed problems,gas shielding problems,access and more delays.in theory it would be a bit quicker but you are not banging out fillets at a welding bench.i would stick weld with low hydrogen

I too would MMA it. Yes you can get more metal down with wire feed welding. But with MMA you need less gear in the hull, just welding leads and a man.

7018 rods and a diesel set outside with long leads.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Bit puzzled here. Everbody that I know that has built a steel boat has used (or realised they should have) a mig.

 

[HughF]

Suitcase 8vs... Nothing smaller, hardly much more stuff in the hull, less if you count no rod quiver.

 

[premmington]

Bit puzzled here. Everbody that I know that has built a steel boat has used (or realised they should have) a mig.

The job is not a hull construction, it is only just stitch welding in some ribs.

 

[wheresmejumper]

I just gave my opinion based on my experiences.not saying either one is right or wrong

 

[sardine]

If its inside, there's no wind to worry about disturbing the gas shield, flux cored would have no benefit would it ?

The welder you employ should price up the job, its up to him to supply the plant he wants to use. If he can save time with flux cored that's his business isn't it ?