Flux core settings trouble

[cyberstrategist]

Looking for help here. I have to do a vertical corner weld where one piece is 1/8 and the other is 3/16. I can't get my settings down enough to get a good weld. I can get a nice weld horizontal but I get too much splatter verticaly. I'm using Hobart 030 Flux core wire. I've watched some videos and such but still can't get a weld that I isn't all messed up.

Any hints? I can control wire feed speed, voltage, and spot timing.


-Cyber

[Weldun]

More information might be helpful in helping you find a resolution to your dilemma, type of machine and type of shielding gas if any and are you trying to weld vertically using uphill or downhill progression?

[cyberstrategist]

More information might be helpful in helping you find a resolution to your dilemma, type of machine and type of shielding gas if any and are you trying to weld vertically using uphill or downhill progression?

Klutch MIG 140SI (Northern Tool's brand)
Flux core - no gas
Downhill

[mp4]

You're going the right direction. Make sure you have a very good ground. I've had that be the culprit on more than one occasion. Next - concentrate most of your heat on the thicker metal and zig over to the thinner metal to tie it in. This way you can keep your heat settings up and you'll get a better bead quality without burning through the thin stuff.

[cyberstrategist]

You're going the right direction. Make sure you have a very good ground. I've had that be the culprit on more than one occasion. Next - concentrate most of your heat on the thicker metal and zig over to the thinner metal to tie it in. This way you can keep your heat settings up and you'll get a better bead quality without burning through the thin stuff.

I've been running it at V between 6 and 7. At 7, it seems to be on the verge of being too hot and wanting to melt too far into the 1/8 material but it may just be visually deceiving me because there's no indication on the other side that it's melting too much material.

[Dirtytires]

This is probably something you tried already but I'll throw it out anyway. Try adjusting the angle of the gun slightly. I've found if I get pointed too far uphill I get a spattered mess and too far downhill my puddle becomes a mudslide.

For the record, I'm not using flux but I assume the same holds for either. I'm open to corrections however......

[Rodcrafter]

If "uphill" is the problem (vertical)? Then go down not up, you're not welding a high pressure vessel, you just need to seal the seams and weld the 2 pieces together.

Jm2cw


Making memories.

[Weldun]

I personally have zero experience with gasless flux core wire, I got to believe like any other welding if one experiments long enough making subtle changes along the way even if it's by accident you'll discover something that gives you satisfactory results.
One of the mistakes often made when trying to get through welding issues besides the obvious frustration is people tend to want to change everything at once, like amps/volts , wire speed, arc length, direction of travel, travel speed , etc. when often they are right at the threshold and need just a minor tweak to one or two variables, Take some scrap and simulate your joint don't overthink it and when you get close take baby steps and peck away at it until you get where you want to be. When all else fails you can always do the "zoop zoop" technique one spot at a time to seal her up. I know this doesn't give you a magical answer but I hope it helps!

[cyberstrategist]

I finally figured it out. I ended up getting a couple more welding clamps to be able to move the ground a little closer to where I was welding although, I was only at about 18 inches away before. The voltage setting seemed to work well so I didn't change that. I did change the weld pattern I was moving the tip in to be more the cursive e technique with the major portion on the thicker material. I also started over by replacing the steel, grinding the area smooth again and wire brushing it clean. I did this one step at a time (as Weldun notes above is always a good thing to follow) and all seemed to work well once I started back up.

Thanks for all the tips guys!! I think the biggest thing may have been moving the ground so now I just attach the ground to a welding clamp attached to the metal being welded.

Now I have a new handle, toggle clamps, and lip for my door gasket all attached. Tonight, I'll seal the hole where the old handle was (it was just a piece of flat with a notch in it that was bolted on) and apply a gasket to the door.

-Cyber

[Dirtytires]

Sweet! Glad you metal is melting again.

[Rodcrafter]

[thague90]

Just throwing my two cents in. Location of the ground can be the issue for a lot of different reasons. Current & voltage loss over the distance traveled, even creating magnetism in your part that may repel your arc. I've found that sometimes I can get spatter to go away just by banging on my part with a hammer (un-aligns molecules and demagnetizes) you may want to stay away from magnetic clamps if you are having spatter issues in a corner joint.


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[Pete Mazz]

just by banging on my part with a hammer

Ouch!

[Squiggle]