Flux Core Welding Tips | Get Better Looking Flux Core Welds

Flux core welding is how many new welders start and it can be frustrating trying to get good looking welds. With a few simple tips and tricks, Flux core welds can look great!
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[@GarageHobbyist]

💥💥Come hang out on the Garage Hobbyist Discord Server! discord.gg/9VpKkYxphe

[@danburch9989]

Voltage, wire feed speed, stick out, gun angle and travel speed makes all the difference in the world. A lot to remember, but practice makes perfect.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Absolutely. It just takes time and practice

[@miningsimple1924]

I just recently got a titanium flux 125. An im glad to have found your videos, alot of great information!! Keep up the good work an awesome content. Got it for 129.99 from an open box sale. A deal I couldn't pass up.

[@GarageHobbyist]

That’s a fantastic deal! It’s a great machine. Thanks for watching 🤘

[@mikejohn3265]

I will say this after watching dozens of videos. People are obsessed with the look of welds. Even though most defects can be pointed out visually, a "pretty" weld doesn't automatically mean it's strong enough.

[@GarageHobbyist]

That is very true, and for most projects there is such a thing as good enough!

[@peteranania7166]

So far the best flux core video. I guess I'll have to start practicing 15 years after I bought my welder.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching. A couple hours of practice will get you well on your way!

[@matthewcarroll7787]

Thanks for your down-to-earth approach to teaching, man. Those of us starting out with cheap flux core machines are usually talked down to, but you make the concepts accessible. Maybe you could throw up a video of basic welding "exercises"? I know that practice and repetition is key, but having some structure of what to work on would be great. Thanks again and keep up the great work!

[@GarageHobbyist]

That’s my goal brother, just showing people it doesn’t have to be hard or expensive to build some cool stuff. I’ll work on that video for you in near future🤘👍 I've also started recording a podcast, it’s on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. First episode will be posted tomorrow.

[@lakerdigital]

I have a cheap Chinese flux core machine. I'm glad nobody's ever talked down to me.

[@archwaytech]

This was brilliant!! Thank you for the great info. You gave some really good practical advice that most other KZbin videos don’t include, like looking at good and bad welds and comparing them to ours. Thanks 😊

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching, and for the feedback! I’m glad it was helpful!

[@drincogni]

I am a hobby DIY welder ,always found MMA a bother, since i bought a gasless mig i have used it 2 times by myself and welded a tube to a large roof support which had broken weld, and welded a support to a bin door.They are not pretty looking but they perform.Flux core is a winner!

[@GarageHobbyist]

It definitely has its place!

[@robFFFtrumpet]

Thanks for your welding videos. I’m using a T125 welder for my small at home projects. I’ve been able to weld some pieces on my go kart and mini bike without difficult, although it was all mild steel. I recently saw your video on welding stainless, which would come in very handy with my next project, a backyard roller coaster. The car itself is welded easily enough, but the articulating system which allows the car to turn without the wheels binding requires welding a bolt. A lot of the material I get at Lowes and Home Depot are not mild steel and I’ve wondered if I could try it. You’ve inspired me to give it a try.

[@GarageHobbyist]

That sounds like an awesome project! Welding stainless with flux is a bit of a challenge, but it can be done with a little patience. Good luck on your project, let me know how it goes!

[@chordsofpower117]

👍 "If it has slag, you gotta drag!".... ;)

[@GarageHobbyist]

Words to live by 😂

[@privateassman8839]

Spatter can be alleviated by lowering wire feed PRESSURE (the pressure on the drive wheels). If the pressure is too high, the electrode moves out and pushes your gun away, then breakks contact with the metal, then re-contacts the metal causing sparks and spatter. Lower feed pressure allows some drive wheel slippage once the electrode contacts the base metal, meaning it stays in contact instead of bouncing, leadung to less sparks and spatter

[@Mickparrysstepdad]

Interesting. I've watched quite a few videos and this hasn't been mentioned. Thanks :)

[@brianjensen9199]

Thanks for explaining that. I just bought a new roll of wire, much cheaper than my previous one, and it just doesn't seem to work well. It's always stubbing into the base metal. But after reading your comment, I think I have the drive rollers to tight, like you said. Thank you so much I was about to spend $90 more to get expensive wire.

[@privateassman8839]

@@brianjensen9199 Any time. Happy to help. The feed pressure should be high enough to where if you pinch the wire (sticking out of the gun, I tested using gloves--if that makes a difference) with the pressure you'd hold a toothpick with, the wire should push through your grip, but if you pinch with the force of holding a sewing needle (or slightly less), the wire should stop feeding. Other causes could be wrong polarity. Self shield flux core requires the wire to be negative, and the ground clamp to be positive, otherwise there's a ton of spatter. Feed speed can also cause spatter. Too low a feed rate will lead to the arc breaking and restarting, causing spatter. Just make sure that when you change your settings, you only change one setting at a time, otherwise it's super hard to pinpoint which variables are causing what. I'm still learning flux core (less than 100 welds completed), But I'm happy to help if you're looking for technique advice.

[@jvazquez53]

I use Lincoln 0.35 wire because is the only one that works on auto settings with my machine and I'm lazy! LOL!!! and dont get that many slag or spatter. I like how you explain this...

[@GarageHobbyist]

Nothing wrong with auto settings if it works! Thanks for watching 🤘

[@garypillischafske1425]

What about welder polarity? I’ve heard it should be +ground?

[@GarageHobbyist]

Usually yes!

[@genemyersmyers6710]

Are you using 120 or 220 ?

[@chrislingham757]

Hi I'm a diy ...new toy mig .welder...how to weld on body plate please help????

[@tommyprince9931]

In the video a gas shield nozzle is on the gun, is this a personal preference for flux core?

[@GarageHobbyist]

That’s just how this machine comes. It’s flux core only, no gas ports to worry about.

[@rgthomson1]

Something i didnt hear you talk about is putting your mig gun on the negative for straight polarity and this will cut down on the spatter big time, normal mig with gas will be on the positive

[@GarageHobbyist]

That is very true. A lot of the Flux only units are set up this way and are not able to be easily changed

[@morgb2321]

I'm a beginner, got a new machine , bought a high rated flux core wire from Amazon, set the machine up to flux mode properly, started to try welding on a picese of metal that is thick enough, the wire surprisingly doesn't weld and instead it creates massive splashes of metal everywhere on low and high voltage, why you think that is happening ? What could be wrong I'm doing ? Thanks.

[@jacobhamilton2473]

Make sure the clamp is on the positive and the gun is on negative. Even some Flux core only machines come set up like that apparently.

[@morgb2321]

@@jacobhamilton2473 I figured it out lately, when using the auto adjust for the wire speed and the current it don't work and it gives me no weld but just " metal pimples" on the work peice, I learned more about my machine and I used the manual settings and finally good results, interesting Machie lol , thank you for your reply regardless!

[@jacobhamilton2473]

@morgb2321 awesome I'm glad it's working well for you. I'm still getting my technique dialed in. Luckily my boss has let me take some scrap steel to practice on.

[@morgb2321]

@@jacobhamilton2473 that's my problem so far, I keep getting small metal parts online and it's pretty expensive to keep practicing, your boss is kind, keep up the good work and thank you again 👍🏻

[@WHEREVER-I-ROAM]

GREAT VIDEOS

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching!

[@GarageHobbyist]

🔥🔥Listen to the Garage Hobbyist Podcast on your favorite Podcast Platform! Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/468HSez3ZtEf6n5jXijNjN Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garage-hobbyist-small-workshop-podcast/id1662398205 Anchor (links to everywhere): anchor.fm/garagehobbyist

[@craighancock2604]

Anti splatter spray does the trick

[@GarageHobbyist]

It sure does. I need to get a new can!

[@ArcanePath360]

My Mig always vibrates and hums quite loud when I'm welding, at the point where I strike an arc and am wire feeding. Is this normal for a cheap welder? I don't hear it in any welding video ever. It sounds like it's struggling. I lower the feed rate but then I get worm holes below number 4. Spatter and slag is a nightmare for me.

[@GarageHobbyist]

It may be the drive motor for the wire feed. Also keep in mind that a lot of background noise is often reduced when it comes to video. In my videos I adjust sound to my voice so it is clear and easily understood, and that reduces some background noise.

[@ArcanePath360]

@@GarageHobbyist I see, thanks. The feed rate seems fine after I adjusted it the other day. It was slipping a tad. I'm most concerned with the scorched earth brown and black tan marks everywhere when just doing a quick tac weld, no matter how much I clean the metal or spray anti-spatter. Machine settings make no difference to this. I wonder if leaving my wire in the machine all over several winters in my shed has made it go bad. It still looks a bit shiny.

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@ArcanePath360 If you are using flux core, you are going to have that no matter what. Even with CO2 you can still get some browning that needs to be cleaned off.

[@ArcanePath360]

@@GarageHobbyist I see. Perhaps I should have taken up stick welding instead of MIG. Thanks for the info

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@ArcanePath360 I need more stick practice. Well...I need more everything practice

[@choimdachoim9491]

I bought a small fluxcore welder to repair my boat trailer and the problem I had was welding over a gap between a step made of thin galvanized metal to a frame made of thicker galvanized metal. No settings were perfect but somehow the globs held and I didn't burn through.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Galvanizing is a little rough to weld. Glad it held!

[@choimdachoim9491]

@@GarageHobbyist Yeah, it held but I'm considering covering it all with grey caulking because it's an embarrassing look.

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@choimdachoim9491 it happens to all of us. Some times there’s more grinding than welding 😂😂

[@colintinker7778]

​@@GarageHobbyist I read somewhere that welding galvanized metal gave off dangerous fumes.

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@colintinker7778 It does. I try to avoid it, but if you have to wear a respirator and make sure you have good ventilation

[@POOKIE5592]

Acetone or something along those lines, but NEVER brake cleaner!

[@tuomasholo]

I can’t stress moving slowly. I was moving too fast and having poor penetration.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Absolutely. It’s a common mistake in the beginning that can be a bit of a challenge

[@seansam8997]

Great video but I saw a flaw newbies shouldn’t follow. Change your nozzle to a flux core nozzle don’t use a MIG nozzle it will have you misjudge your stick out & if your machine does MiG it will clog the gas holes with splatter & ruin your gun . Find a flux nozzle when doing flux core it will make a big difference don’t use the MIG nozzle. You can but it’s really not suggested if you want a good flux core weld

[@GarageHobbyist]

Good tip for those running flux wire in a MIG machine. This is a flux only machine so there really isn’t a need to do that.

[@seansam8997]

@@GarageHobbyist if that’s a flux machine then why are you using a MIG nozzle . A flux nozzle should always be used so you can gauge the right stick out . Why do you think a MIG nozzle is okay to use on flux core? Common sense says you use a flux core nozzle for flux core . A MIG nozzle is designed for gas & covers part of the stick out which can lead to using too long of a stick out not only that a flux core nozzle is not as clunky as a MIG nozzle & gives much more range of view . I actually meant to say nozzle not tip .

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@seansam8997 Because that's what the machine came with and I haven't found it necessary to change it. It works fine for me and I haven't had any issues.

[@petermurphy3354]

@@GarageHobbyist I just remove the Mig nozzle when using flux core.

[@billbixby4431]

It looks like you’re welding in a bachelor’s kitchen.

[@GarageHobbyist]

😂😂 a little bit

[@efjefe]

Yes you can. Dont be a ghay IG TIG welder. Get dirty. Be a fabricator not a welder.

[@WHEREVER-I-ROAM]

Close ups are a thing you know? You need close ups

[@GarageHobbyist]

I will keep that in mind. Thanks for watching 🤙