Titanium flux 125 unboxing,setup, & intro to flux core wire welding

Harbor freights titanium flux 125 unboxing, setup, and tip video. Even if you don’t have this particular welder, watch this video for a ton of flux core wire tips. This is part 1, part two has actual welding and tips regarding that. As always thanks for watching, feel free to drop a comment 🐌👍

[@elgkas9928]

I am in my sixty’s and figured better late than never to learn flux core welding. Your videos are informative and give me confidence to keep going despite my welding mistakes.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Welding is all about making mistakes and then coming up with a plan to fix them. It’s also about keeping going when things aren’t going well. If you look at welding like riding a bike, you will fall a few times before you learn to ride. Once you learn, it’s pretty smooth sailing. Don’t give up 👍

[@howardbridges1273]

Me too. I'm tired of figuring out where to start. Finally I'm like just start for God's sakes. It can only get better with experience and learning,, mistakes and all.

[@T3glider]

Putting welding glove back on before handling the instructions - obviously had a few bad paper cuts in your life - safety first!

[@costasmalaszowski575]

Pp

[@amberzareva9551]

I found you randomly tryna figure out flux core welding and it just so happens we have the same welder. You have already pointed out so many things I fucked up and I am so grateful u posted this.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

No problem. Once you get things dialed in you will be amazed at how well it works and how much you can do with it 😀

[@danstubbs5032]

" When you get older you just can't trust yourself". Truer words have never been spoken on the internet. 👍👍 I double/double check myself all day long.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

That’s for sure lol. Way better to double check than realize you made a mistake when it’s too late to easily fix it lol.

[@itsfonk]

Hi Mr. Greg, I just came across your series on flux-core welding today after receiving a setup similar to this. It took me a while to determine exactly what I had in hand because I couldn’t find any stickers that indicated what gas I would need! Lol… Once realizing it’s a gas less flux core welder I came to KZbin. These half-dozen videos you provide on the subject seem to be vastly more extensive than the multitude of others I saw. I’d like to thank you for making this information freely available for first timers like myself 🤙

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks for the kind comment and taking the time to respond. I am glad the videos helped you 😀. Flux core wire isn’t hard to learn, and it is actually very solid/useful. I actually like it better than normal Mig welding due to improved penetration and how easy it is to run uphill. It also gives the average person with a fairly inexpensive welder the ability to make really good stuff, which I like. I will be diving back in to flux core in the next week, so be on the lookout for a few videos on it (with arc footage and everything). I am sure it will have useful info for you 😀

[@bryanrocker5033]

I am laffing with you because I have to do the same thing :)

[@luisvasallo3646]

Quick tip: i have the same welder and at the begining i didnt like it so i stuck with my miller 215 then covid hit and it was hard to find gas so i pullout the titan and gave it another try what i didnt like was the gun so what i did was opend it up and put the trigger on top and the black plastic sticking out at the bottom i press the trigger cut most of it off and file the rest so its even with the trigger and boy was that a game changer see we are all master at holding pens and pencils all our life we mater that technique now hold the gun were the trigger is like your holding a pencil and weld and you will notice the different i like it so much that i did it to all my welder and the best part is i dont need to prop with my other hand im welding just with one and hold the parts in place with the other .this idea came from a video from wellding tips and tricks .judy was fixing his friend gate using a hobart and in the video just for a split secon you see him welding with the trigger on top of the gun.

[@littlebullseye901]

I just bought this today. Never welded. Watching your videos and will give it a whirl!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Follow my videos, practice a bunch, and you should be doing good in no time. Keep in mind I may make some things look easy, but I have a lot of experience welding stuff. So don’t get discouraged if you struggle for a bit. The key is use the settings in the machine for the thickness you’re welding, keep a drag angle, and slowly drag the rounded/oval molten puddle along. You have to let it deposit metal and not rush ahead. Also keep a eye on keeping the contact tip to molten puddle 1/2in to 5/8th of a inch away. The less you vary the tip distance the better. It’s like riding a bike, at first you fall off and within a short time you can make it to the end of the block. You got it 👍

[@Thedoug369]

I bought one of these at a local pawn shop for $100 that was practically brand new, not a scratch on it. Mine came with the strap and two rolls of .35 wire. I did have to go to Harbor Freight and get some tips but otherwise it was good to go. Works great for exhaust and sheet metal work and probably not recommended but I've even used it to fix a roll cage in a buddy's race car. Hey, it worked, I just had to crank up the voltage and go slow. Love the little thing. If the tension is too tight, it won't really hurt the feed motor it just crushes the hollow flux wire. Just fyi.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Nice score. Flux core wire has the capability of welding roll cages, it’s just that NHRA spec says no flux core or stick. I think that’s to prevent “bubbas” from gluing stuff together and wasting inspections time certifying it. By just saying “none at all” it’s disqualified from the start. I wouldn’t hesitate to use flux core for a repair or even to weld a cage if that’s what I had. It makes solid penetration welds. The fine spatter can be hard to remove but beyond that I like it a lot.

[@victorbarranca2910]

Nice information, I did lot's of homework and found the arccaptain 130 to be a better choice, it enable you to be able to do Mig, Tig and stick, price point is real good as well. Been playing with this new welder and so far so good.

[@T3glider]

Almost saw your face! Your handler in the witness protection program will be pissed!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yes he will, especially because I am under protection as a witness In the great maple syrup smuggling ring of 2020. Wisconsinites were sick of paying high prices for maple syrup so they ended up tapping Canadian trees illegally. Without me there is no case 😅

[@optimumpcyt]

Bro the sane thing happens to me where i set the wire at .30 but can't remember so i also have to double check when i was younger. Exactly like you said it when we get older you just can't trust yourself lol. I thought i was hearing myself think when you were talking. Did this dude just read my mind? Lol.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I should put a sticker on it to make it easy to see what wire is in it lol. .030 to .035 makes a big difference in settings lol. Sucks when you try to weld with the wrong settings lol.

[@The-NightShift]

Hey Greg, are you from Northern Wisconsin? By chance you sound like you’re from Bayfield county

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

From Milwaukee area, but I would fit right in up north 😅

[@M70ACARRY]

The Arccaptian 130a is a much better choice. It's a multiprocess machine. It's better, cheaper and has two year warranty.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Arc captain has reached out and tried to get me to test there products, I have turned them down. The issue I have with them is 3/4 of their products they lie about specs. I have seen enough videos that show the machines actual output is far less than they claim. Their meters are inaccurate as well. They claim features that they don’t have. Not to mention they are annoyingly persistent at trying to get me to test their products to the point I have blocked their email address and they have sent from new ones. I won’t recommend them over harbor freight because (shockingly enough) harbor freight doesn’t seem to lie about their products capability nor are they a million dollar ad campaign that happens to sell welders lol.

[@kj7569]

Thank you for your videos,they are a big help for me as a beginner welder

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Glad to hear they helped you. The key is practice, focus on being smooth and consistent. As you get frustrated at the start just keep up with it and it won’t be long before you can build some cool stuff 😀

[@josea3312]

Mine keeps coming out just like in the video it won't melt it any ideas what it could be PS It's brand new and my first Tim's welding

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

If it feeds wire out and nothing happens, make sure that your ground cable clamp has a solid bite on the metal your welding. Make sure the contact tip is in flux core gun as well. If that is all fine you might have a dud, exchange it for another one and you should be good 👍

[@BPattB]

I have had both the black Chicago 125 and the Green Titanium. Welds on thin and thinker base metal with the Titanium is so much easier. It's not going to weld its self, you will have to manipulate the puddle and learn to whip the slag out but at least you can do that with the Titanium. Chicago is basically spray and pray. It takes a better man then I to be able use that turd and make consistent welds.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You’re not lying on the black box one taking some skill. I bet when you switched to the titanium you had a “holy shit, this thing actually welds” moment lol. I bought one when they first came out years ago and was shocked at how well the sucker worked for random small jobs. At that point I had been stick welding rusty exhaust on stuff I owned (can’t tig it lol) and I finally broke down and bought the titanium 125. I will never stick weld exhaust again lol.

[@BPattB]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg exactly. I completed a 4 year apprenticeship and welding was a major part. I thought I could buy a black Chicago and be able to use it. Nope. None. Not at all. I needed a welder to weld on some traction bars and thought "crap I try the green one". I was shocked. I would love to just run gas to this machine with flux core and see how it did poor man's dual shield???

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

@@BPattB so I tried to run gas on self shielded flux core wire in a video a few weeks ago. It reduced spatter slightly and improved any evidence of porosity, however beyond that it had little effect. True dual shield wire runs DCEP and not DCEN like self shielded wire. And I have a feeling the wire itself has less flux/thicker wall so it handles the increased heat on the wire via DCEP. I also tried to run self shielded wire on DCEP and all it does is turn to molten balls and produces a ton of spatter 😅, even with shielding gas. Put a few holes in my pants doing that one 😅

[@SWATT101]

Great advice. We get the same little welder up here in Canada from Canadian Tire store. It's a good deal when on sale only. Anyways, I'm taking the spool out for storage this morning 😊

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The worst welds I have ever ran on flux core were with a buddies welder in his garage. He had a 3 year old spool that sat in the machine. The whole weld looked like Swiss cheese 🧀 lol. Even a plastic bag will drastically help keep it from picking up moisture 👍

[@Gyppor]

I actually just realized this looking at the welder when he pulled it out of the box.

[@mike-yp1uk]

I got that cheap welder. Terrible welds

[@billpeto958]

Thank you for the tips on the wire. I am returning my second Chicago Electric 125 for an upgrade to this welder. I have the extended warranty and they will honor the exchange for an upgrade. The welds are horrible. Feed problems. There is a way to convert the Chicago electric to dc output,but right now,I don't have time. It is a beefy welder with a transformer compared to a switch mode power supply that will run hot and in time fail. Being a retired electronics tech,I would advise buying the extended warranty on the titanium because of that.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

No problem. The titanium 125 is definitely a much better welder. You can actually dial it in and weld all sorts of things. You are correct on the warranty, it’s probably worth getting it. I was successful at blowing one 125 welder up, I welded with it at max output for 5-6 hours in a day (mostly on and some off lol) on 1/4in steel and it smoked a mosfet. Considering the machine was already 2 years old and heavily used it was still well worth it.

[@billpeto958]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg , I like it. I'm relatively new at welding, but a fast learner. Nothing like getting info off of people and hands on. I took on the challenge of welding frame stifteners on my 94 Chevy. Inspection station told me last fall that I needed some things done on the front end and tires,so I dumped the money in that plus the time. They said I needed my bed supports changed so I ordered them and built a gantry to take it off. After that I had some suprises with thin frame on the back end and one crack by a bed mount weld. The fuel lines, shock mounts,shocks and a busted leaf spring u bolt which upon looking at the others,they all need changed. Rear crossmember too. I have a lot to do. I'll definitely get some welding experience and trying not to mess it up.

[@Radishboy]

This video is such a blessing man. Thank you!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You’re welcome 😀

[@andyb4071]

Extremely high quality video. Thank you

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You’re welcome and I am glad it helped you 😀

[@NRYT2360]

Is that wire speed control actual wire feed rate, or is it just turning up amps… or both?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So all flux core/wire welders function on wire feed and voltage. In simple terms they are CV (constant voltage) variable amperage welders. Stick welders are CC (constant current meaning amperage). The amperage that’s produced during wire welding is a function of whatever it takes based on the wire feed, and it varies a fair amount during welding.

[@Being_Joe]

This welder is on sale right now and I was thinking of picking one up. I only have a 15amp circuit in my garage. Eventually I want to upgrade those to 20 and install 240 but for now how would I run this on a 15amp without tripping the circuit?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

If you only have a 15 amp circuit you could possibly weld up to 3/16th max thickness. 1/8th in thick shouldn’t be a problem at all. If anything else is on the circuit (such as lights) the best you will probably do is 1/8th thick. Hope that helps.

[@Being_Joe]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg found one 20amp circuit in my garage, on the ceiling, powering the garage door opener, WTF?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

@@Being_Joe it must have been code only for that. By code a 20 amp circuit needs to have a #12 wire, a outlet rated for 20 amps, and a 20 amp rated breaker. It’s possible that you have #12 wire from a breaker to your outlets and a 15 amp circuit breaker was put on it (I have seen this but it’s unlikely). The main thing you don’t want to do is have a breaker over the current rating of the wire, or you can cause the wire to fail. If the garage door circuit is a real 20 amp circuit you could use that to power a welder and likely get the full 120-140 amps out of the machine.

[@trustjah]

For your 100th comment, a thank you. Lots of good info here.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks for the 100Th comment 😀. Glad the info helped you out.

[@DIYivan04]

This was incredibly helpful, thanks

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You’re welcome, I am happy to help 😀

[@bobd.fletcherjr4912]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@hjkjccdggjhvb]

i've never weld in my life, i figure why not... just got the same welde for $130 using a 25% discount...

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Welcome 😀. With a bunch of practice, and accepting the fact you will struggle for a while with it, you will be able to make some decent welds before you know it 😃. That titanium 125 is capable of building a ton of stuff. It’s the most useful sub 150$ tool I have ever bought.

[@hjkjccdggjhvb]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks bud, all your video are very helpful....

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Glad they have helped you out. If you ever have a question/don’t understand something feel free to post the question on any video 😀

[@arnol1x5]

Bro thanks for this video!!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

No problem 😀👍

[@bdanielcal4608]

Got mine a month ago mine is the same item number mine says easy flux 125 on the side

[@bloop6812]

They have these on sale right now for $150 with coupon until July 30th 2023. I've been watching the price on these for over two years I bought mine for $170 with coupon. Reg price $200. So if your interested I'd jump on that price.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

That’s a really good deal l, best 150$ a person could spend to be able to make some stuff. Since I gave mine away I might have to buy another one for future projects 😀

[@bassdaze]

i havent welded since highschool 30+ yrs ago, i bought one as i need to replace my rockers in my beloved '05 Duramax... gonna practice some but do you have any words on welding auto body stuff with this?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Welcome to the channel and welcome back to welding lol. I don’t blame you for wanting to fix that duramax, especially with truck prices today. To answer your question I have some advice: First and foremost I am not a auto body guy, and I despise welding it because it’s literally everything you don’t want (terrible material that’s thin, often rusty, and in poor positions to weld) In a job. With that said I am sure I could do it and with the titanium 125 at that. The main things you want to do is use .030 wire of the best quality you can find (Hobart fabshield 21b would be my pick). You must practice on the same thickness material in the same position so you know what you will get yourself into. Auto body is generally done in a series of spot welds jumping all over to prevent warping/excessive heat input. You can do that with flux core but it would be in your best interest to wire wheel the spot welds before you weld on them again. Flux core works great for general use however it has a bad tendency of getting porosity when run cold or in short spot welds. This is why .024 wire with MiG is preferred because it can be run cold without porosity. I am sure you will be able to dial it in for fairly clean spot welds on that duramax sheet metal, it will just take a bit of practice. Better wire will make a difference no doubt. If I still had a titanium 125 (I gave the one I had away) I would do some testing to get it right and give you some values, but since I don’t have it you will have to do trial and error. Since it’s spot welds and not longer runs you will be able to use a bit more heat without blowing holes. It’s doable, just practice a bit. Edit: it will pay to go on Amazon and buy a copper body work spoon too. Using a backing of copper will help prevent blow through holes (and to fill holes if they happen) if you can put it on the backside.

[@xXB.FunkXx]

So you CAN NOT run solid mig wire through this machine? Only flux core? Thanks you have a new subscriber because of that snail.😂

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You are correct, it’s flux core only. Believe it or not Lincoln electric came out with their own version of the titanium 125 that can do gas shielded Mig, flux core, and even run .023 wire. It’s called the Lincoln MiG pack 90i mig, it’s actually a 120 amp machine despite the 90 in the name. Glad you like Bob the snail 🐌 😅. It’s a cartoon I used to draw, it’s a narcoleptic snail that drinks coffee to stay awake. Wanted for tax evasion and does everything you probably shouldn’t do 😅

[@jon4915]

I just returned the bottom barrel harbor freight flux core AC welder for this one. This one is WORLDS better than that any AC transformer flux core welder. So much less smoke, spatter... voltage is so smooth and consistent, very easy to see the puddle. Being able to dial in the voltage alone helps a ton. If you need a cheap welder for body work, THIS is the move, don't bother with the cheaper one.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I am glad to hear you returned it, you will actually be able to do a ton with that titanium welder 😀. I can’t help but think of all the people that bought that AC unit and give up on welding because they think they just aren’t cut out for making even ok welds. Not realizing it was the machine more than them.

[@keithert]

You had said you were going to cut across the weld. Did you do that in the video? If so, at what point?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I have done a ton of cut and etches of flux core. Here are a couple relevant videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmq2k4CmhZWDjNksi=m7WK2usYI_BrLWTU kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4iUhGN4fsmops0si=9wyTI5-SwHzRacUF

[@Liazon098]

I loved your tip on tension at 2 inches it can bend when it hits the surface.

[@shermanyoung8185]

Im curious Greg, what is the model number on the top of the box ??, thanks and a very informative video too, it's a a😢 awesome diy welder

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I ended up giving that unit away so I don’t have the actual part number. I know without a doubt that there are internal differences between the titanium 125s. I have actually opened up 3 different part number ones and they are all different internally. I have a feeling some might weld better than others, however all of them I have used welded decent so it’s hard to say.

[@mumlee0127]

Thanks so much for these videos! I'm picking this skill up for the very first time and you've been most helpful. 👍

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

No problem, I am glad I have helped you 😀. A few tips and some words of encouragement can change everything around, I am just happy to be someone who is part of that process 😀

[@Dr.CandanEsin]

Particularly useful details. Thank you. Most welder companies do not put data sheets and you cannot know if it is AC or DC. Is there a method to understand it from measuring from the tip and ground clamp with multimeter?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So if you have a part number for the machine you can generally look up the factory manual and find out. However until recently even harbor freight didn’t label their black box Chicago electric welder as being AC output (even in the manual). I would suppose if you measured voltage from the contact tip or the internal lug that sends power to the MiG gun to the ground clamp you could see voltage. If the meter is set for DC it will read wonky and if it’s set for AC it should read somewhere between 15 and 24 volts. Now to further complicate this 😂 some very cheap welders (like my 99$ stick welder) output such poor rectified DC power that there is some of the AC wave form left in it lol.

[@Dr.CandanEsin]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thank you once more for your detailed reply. Best wishes.

[@duanecoatney6432]

I have watched many of these presentations, This one was far the best. I feel you even taught me something. Thanks

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks for the kind words. I am glad you learned something 😀. Flux core is very easy to learn, but everything must be “just right” for it to work properly. With a bit of knowledge and some practice it will come together.

[@ComicCaper2]

Great video. I wanted something that was thorough on setup and this video fit the bill. Keep it up.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks 😀. The titanium 125 is a awesome welder, so much better than those black box harbor freight units.

[@BmwolotlE90]

Ah man wish you'd shown how to set the tension as youre doing it lol. Great vid though

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So the tension is pretty simply set. I am sure I covered it in some video but I can’t remember where 😅. I will just write it out: since flux core has knurled rollers (for added grip since the wire is hollow and will typically crush with normal Mig rollers) you don’t need a whole lot of tension. Ideally you want to see the wire come out of the tip on the gun and not be smooshed/flat and be round. If the tension is too high the wire will have groves cut in it or be deformed. If the tension is loose it will spin the roller on the wire and occasionally the wire will burn back to the tip (from lack of wire feed). I would start at the halfway point with tension and if it feeds ok you’re probably fine. Adjust based on criteria above 😀

[@BmwolotlE90]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Haha no worries 😸. Thanks appreciate it 👍🏼. Got it going for now, wire feeds okay from what I see, it doesnt seem crushed or have any markings on it coming out of the tip. Welds dont look the best, but it works! 😹

[@gjohnston281]

Great video , learned something I never knew witch is not to leave the wire in the machine , explained a lot thanks

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Glad I could help. It does suck to pull the wire out when you aren’t going to use it for a while, but it will help in the long run. You could also try to put a bag over the spool and some desiccant on it, or desiccant along with a machine cover. If it’s going to be stored over winter you’re still better off pulling it.

[@JRsVsO]

Where can I get those packets you mentioned? I've never heard of leaving those in the machine while I have flux wire in my machine.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Search for desiccant or silica gel on Amazon. Basically it’s a super absorbent pack of silica. That will help keep moisture off the wire. Ideally you would store the wire off the machine during extended non use (store it in a ziplock bag with silica pouch. I have found the pack works pretty good to keep the wire from getting surface rust. If there is surface rust there is picked up moisture. If the wire gets to that point it’s pretty much junk.

[@JRsVsO]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought of that.

[@vicpnut1]

Would this welder be good enough to say weld a tow hitch that half the mounting frame nuts broke? So id have 1 or 2 bolts on either side instead of 3 or 4 a side and then weld to make up for lack of bolts/nuts.

[@vicpnut1]

Boy i know all about older and not trusting yourself…i make list for everything, double check everything i work on and most ill triple + check 🤦🏼‍♂️😬🤷🏼‍♂️✌️

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Ok the flux 125 is capable (in the right hands) of safely welding 3/16th steel. That is clean steel and not painted/rusty steel. If the material is that thick or thinner, and can be prepped decent, it can weld it. As far as eliminating bolts for welds, yes and no. It comes down to how competent of a welder you are. A poor weld might only hold 100 lbs and a great one might hold 5,000. Bolts are useful because they handle a predictable amount of weight/stress, and don’t require skill to get consistent performance holding things together.

[@vicpnut1]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks , i more or less was thinking this …iam looking for am excuse to buy a small welder lol. I know at this point i wouldnt trust my own welding just yet ..

[@bajafishtaco]

Please dont ever delete these vids. I use them yearly lol

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Don’t worry I won’t, I will need to reference them myself when I can’t remember stuff in the future lol.

[@donaldfennell971]

Thanks for being so detailed.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You’re welcome 😀

[@MediumWolf227]

You have a glorious northern accent sir

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks lol :0

[@harleyman2233]

Just recieved this welder as a gift, 1st time welder. Glad I cam across your informative videos, thank you. Question, I have a stainless steel commercial Restaurant prep table can I use that as a starter work bench or would a wood workbench be better. Thanks for any advice

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Congrats on the gift and welcome to my channel 😀. Definitely use the stainless steel prep table. You can clamp your ground clamp right to the table and then put your metal you’re welding right on the table. It saves having to clamping directly to whatever you’re welding on. I would recommend picking up some “anti spatter spray” from tractor supply or Amazon, and spraying a couple layers on the top. That way the spatter cleans off easy.

[@harleyman2233]

@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks great news o wasn't sure and it's a great workntable for other things. With the splatter, what other suggestions do have for making the work space safe. I have your typical 2 car garage full of crap and all my moto mechanical stuff. Not a lot of room to work with. Just don't wanna burn the house down, lol. Appreciate your time.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

@@harleyman2233 it’s no problem 😀. Flux core wire does throw off some sparks. The main concern is to limit the flammables (paper, fuel sources, etc) in the area. I haven’t mentioned it but I always have a fire extinguisher close by, its cheap insurance. Flux core wire can handle air movement in the area, so setting up a fan to blow air out the garage door if it’s opened will help keep smoke to a minimum and help cool sparks down in the area. After you’re done welding don’t just leave the area without checking for any small fires either lol.

[@harleyman2233]

@makingmistakeswithgreg awesome, thanks great info. Looking forward to getting started soon and learning from your channel. Enjoying your Flux core series so far. I have future hopes of learning tig. First things first, thanks!

[@BobWolford-q2b]

If the drive roll tension is too tight, the wire will collapse on the core and won't weld worth a damn.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

You’re 100% right 😀

[@BobWolford-q2b]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg And of course that's exactly what you say later in the video, so I should have kept my fingers off the keyboard until the END of the video...

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

@@BobWolford-q2b haha it’s ok, I didn’t rewatch it to see if I did or not. I am 100% all for people sharing tips, the collective mind is better than the individual. I forget to mention tons of stuff so don’t be afraid to add anything 😀

[@bobwolford5927]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Well in any event, you’ve shown me plenty with that little machine so I’m going to pick one up at Harbor Freight tomorrow- I’m thinking either Hobart wire from Tractor Supply or Lincoln from Lowe’s- any suggestions between those 2?

[@bobwolford5927]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg Wow- picked up the Flux 125 and some .035 tips, then went to the welding supply house where they set me up with a 2 lb roll of Victory E71T-GS. That shit runs sweet with practically no spatter.