Basic Flux Cored Welding on Square Tubing 

Doc's Wood Den You're welcome and I am actually a converted woodworker myself, so hang in there!

Michael Garewal Certainly, and thank you for saying so.

dogbyte555 You're very welcome and I'm glad you find it useful!

+corey mcdonald You are very welcome. Keep in mind, the voltage controls arc length and not necessarily arc force, or dig. A higher voltage will produce a higher arc and a wider bead. The reverse is true of a lower voltage. Good luck with the job and let me know how it goes.

i keep failing i try so hard

+corey mcdonald in welding going slower is usually better. you get the most penetration right before you burn through.

Thanks I'm slowing down now in Oakland CA welding war craft

+NOBOX7 I am glad that it helped you and thanks for the comment.

That was key!

+waldan1701 Try counting, or welding to the rhythm of your favorite song. That helps keep your travel speed consistent.

Thanks, I never thought of that. I will try it.

I've done it on a sheet of metal no thicker than about 1/8th of an inch.

+MidGAOutdoor Assuming you are referring to the wire wheel I use for cleaning, it is a mild steel, branded, wire wheel for a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder. I use the Harbor Freight ones, as they are reasonably priced , and hold up when used correctly.

+Matthew Cuba Yes, these single pass wires rely on admixture or dilution with the base metal to produce the weld deposit. If used for multi pass, then after a few passes you would begin to have an all filler or all weld metal deposit, which could result in an undesirable weld bead and cracking, due to the resulting alloy content of the weld bead. Hope that helps.

Glad you found it helpful and thanks for the nice comments.

+Sammy Snead Choose the thicker for the setting. Lay on the thicker material longer, and sweep over to the thinner so as not to burn through. You will get the best fusion this way.

+WeldFever Thanks Dan!

Drcool52 Depends on how dirty it is, but usually not enough to remove mill scale.

I've used a 110 machine on 100' cord, just make sure its a heavier wire, like 12/2.

AnythingVG What you need to do is clip off the end of the wire before every new weld. This is a common problem, because most don't realize this is the correct way to do it. When you start up again with a dirty, slaggy, burnt end, it usually won't start and bounce off, because there's too much junk on it to complete a circuit. Also, make sure your metal is clean, and you have a good ground/work connection. Next week I'm doing MIG/FLUX troubleshooting, so stay tuned for that!

WeldFever Thank you very much for your reply. I actually was welding on something different, so I adjusted my settings accordingly. I believe I was welding with settings on 18ga or so, and with the slower pace, it was actually having no issues at all. It's also a dual voltage machine, and I am running on 120v on a 20a breaker, so that may be a contribution to the problems!

+Martin Walters Since I am flux cored welding, I am using a special flux cored nozzle, since there is no shielding gas needed. If I were to switch back to MIG, then I would have to put the MIG nozzle you described back on. The flux cored nozzles can be purchased at welder supply stores and I have even seen them at big box hardware stores.

lexoaz If you're welding outside with winds over 5 miles per hour, then flux cored.

+1999Shortstuff That is correct and it is not me saying it, it is the manufacturer. Here is what Lincoln Electric has to say about it: "Certain FCAW-S electrodes are limited to a maximum steel plate thickness in which they can be used. If used with plate thicknesses beyond these recommended limits, then the cooling rate of the weld metal could be faster than desired, due to the thermal conductivity or weld quenching effect of the thicker plate. This in turn could potentially create an undesirable microstructure in the weld metal, from which weld cracking issues could potentially result. Electrodes with plate thickness limitations are listed in the table directly below." Myers, T. (2015) Innershield wire, FCAW-S Welding Guide, Lincoln Electric Co. www.lincolnelectric.com

+xjmachine Generally, flux cored welding is just as acceptable as any other process of welding with one exception. You must know the thickness limitations of certain flux cored wires. For example, the wire I use for general small fab and repair is Lincoln, NR-211-MP, in .035, and it is only meant to weld a maximum plate thickness of 5/16." So, if your project's metal thickness is greater than that, you could not use this type of wire and would need to look at another type of flux cored wire, which may or may not work for you. Good luck.

***** What specific prep are you referring to?

Rick Rabjohn Great question! According to Lincoln Electric, single pass (FCAW-S) electrodes rely on admixture or dilution with the base metal to produce the weld deposit and if used for multi-pass welds, after the first few passes you would begin to have all filler, or all weld metal deposit. The resulting alloy content of the weld bead could be undesirable and cracking could potentially result. Sorry for the bad news.

my honest advice is start with a stick welder, once you master that a MIG is easy to run. and go with one from Harbor Freight. cheap and easy.

I got a Lincoln 125 machine from my local Lowe's. I don't remember how much it was but it wasn't too expensive.

I just welded 14 gauge square tubing with my titanium on D 4.5 worked great

rolyat13013 Are you in the U.S. and is it Lincoln 211 flux cored wire you are looking at? if so, look at the fine print on the label that will indicate if it is a multi pass flux cored wire, or not.

Thank you! I never new that, now I know what to look for.

Mobile AutoMD There really is no trick. Not changing polarity is usually the culprit, but since you say you have that covered, I would next look into the wire you are using. Make sure it is a quality wire, and that it has not become wet, rusty, and is not very old. They usually have a shelf life of about a year or so. Make sure your stickout is around 1/2" (more than you would with MIG), and that your base metal is clean. If all that does't help, send me another message with a few more details and we'll keep at it. Good Luck!

WeldFever Another note on sickout (more properly known as contact tip to work distance CTWD) for certain flux cored wires it is recommended that you have a 3/4" to 1" CTWD, but I find that 1/2" works well with this smaller nr-211. Sometimes I wonder off as far as 3/4" with no problems.

Well sir you have nailed the problem I suspect... the wire I have has been laying open in my work van for 2 year AND it's the cheap stuff that comes with the welder. The solid wire didn't seem to mind that as much though.

Mobile AutoMD Well how about that. I hope that solves your problem. Good luck and let me know how it turns out when you get some new wire.

Mobile AutoMD I also have a HF MIG 170, and I promise you that the issue is the junk flux-core wire it came with. Toss that stuff and get a roll of good quality flux core wire and you will be much MUCH happier.

+trevor kannady Unfortunately, sometimes the angle and the light play tricks on the appearance of the weld on camera. Believe it or not, the welds were actually flat to a bit convex, though I can see how you would believe otherwise. I try to lay down fillet welds so that the leg size is as close to the thickness of the material as possible. This cuts down on the heat affected zone, which as I am sure you know, is the weakest part of any part welded. Thanks for the comment.