just got a flux welding machine. yeah i know most of you dont like flux. but i dont got much space and might be doing some outside welding. on top of that ive never weld before.. So any input? any recommendations?

 

Clean ur material very well, clean the area that you use for ground very well as well. U can also buy some anti spattering spray from homedepot or any welding supply place..

I went from flux to gas about 1 year ago & I can honestly say that flux is a waste of energy.

 

I don't think flux rigs are a waste of energy. Depends on what you're doing. A flux core machine is great to have out at the track for emergency repairs. They are light, usually work on 120v and unlike mig and tig they are not affected by wind, try using a mig or tig in the wind. I agree, not the first choice for fab work, but just like every tool, they have their place. They are also good rigs to learn on, it's really hard to mess up flux core, and they are good for welding thick stuff, they put the heat into the work not the wire.

Keep welding, and when you do get another welder, don't sell or trash your flux rig. Just another tool for a different job.

Gabe

 

speed on the wire would depend on thinkness of the material?

any more inputs?

 

Depending on what and where Im weldig FLUX has its place even in a shop. Flux will have more penetration power on thick metal then per say than mig but this is in metal over a 1/2" thick. Flux for working on your car is about worthless, Dont get me wrong it might get the job done but it will be a pain in the *** and ugly. i started off with a flux machine about 7 years ago from tractor supply now I have real machines and the difference is night and day. I have a lincoln precision tig 275 and millermatic 300 mig. Save your money and buy a real machine

 

i have been welding with flux for a while and a word of advice... do not buy the cheap wire go with whatever the company requires it does for a reason. i bought some cheap *** wire and it would not stop splattering even with the spray and would constantly have to clean the nozzle. with good wire you will get a clean strong weld with minimal splatter.

 

I'm just saying, when I had my flux core machine, I couldnt weld worth ****.

Now that I have my mig I can actually weld without leaving pin holes & having spatter all over the place.

 

I use a fluxcore box at work. It is powered off my miller bob cat. It is more of my co-workers thing. I would rather burn some rods than use the box but, That thing is fast and you can lay a huge weld with out even trying. It will burn you up with all that splatter. IMO it is a very good tool to learn on. Hopefully one day I will be doing jobs out of my garage building frames and what not. I plan on using a fluxcore welder. I am a stick welder though and I love it. I have been told that if you can learn to stick weld mig and tig will come easy. I have never tig welded though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Howitt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Depending on what and where Im weldig FLUX has its place even in a shop. Flux will have more penetration power on thick metal then per say than mig but this is in metal over a 1/2" thick. Flux for working on your car is about worthless, Dont get me wrong it might get the job done but it will be a pain in the *** and ugly. i started off with a flux machine about 7 years ago from tractor supply now I have real machines and the difference is night and day. I have a lincoln precision tig 275 and millermatic 300 mig. Save your money and buy a real machine</TD></TR></TABLE>

Agreed. When welding thick mild steel at high amps, I actually prefer to use flux. The bead seams more stable, and the penetration definetly is higher at the same amperage vs solid core wire. I'd also prefer to use it for any kind of outdoor welding situation.

However, when welding something small like an exhaust for example, I'd prefer to use the solid core wire.

 

I'm poor. All I use is flux core. I have a Lincoln Flux core from Lowe's. After a while, I got used to it. I dont really splatter as much as I used to anymore. It does wonders on thick metals. For intercooler piping and exhaust systems, just keep an eye on the heat and feed combo. If you are welding 2 pieces with 2 different thickness, lay the heat on the thicker piece first to minimize putting holes through.