Gas/No gas

[Smokeone]

Ok welding gurus, i am new to this, so i need to pick your brains!

Can you explain pros and cons of using gas on a 110v mig? Does one make a better weld? Will adding gas make welding thicker metal easier?

[The Czar]

[Smokeone]

Better than what i figured i was gonna get from you DC!

[KILLSWITCH505]

i cant say if you can weld thicker stuff with gas but i do know that you can weld thinner stuff a whole lot easier. i like the looks of flux core on thicker metal it almost looks like a 7018 pass. so i'll i can say for sure is that i dont know and ill try to look that up

[Dino B]

I guess my reply didn't go through
with mig you can use slick wire or flux core, slick wire uses(75%argon25%co2) makes a clean weld, flux core you can use gas or not, I think flux core welds hotter, I don't use mig very much, mostly tig and stick. Hope this helps.

[Blazer]

Fluxcore is definitely cheaper to use. I use a miller 220 volt mig with 98% argon 2% ox that gas burns in hot. I think the guys with 120 volt machines could benefit from this mix for the extra heat in my opinion.

[Frank_Cox]

Flux core on a 110 volt machine will not give you as strong of a weld on thicker metals. now the flux core does make a nice weld and is a lot like using 7018. I use it on portable jobs for thin stuff. If you use a 110 volt machine on 1/4" or thicker mild steel with or without flux core you will need to V grove and make 2 passes for your weld for strength.
Blazer, I have never used that mix before. why do you prefer that? I have always used 75/25 mix for mig.

[Blazer]

I like it because it burns in on thick metal but it also runs good on thin stuff to. I do some heavy stuff from time to time, that way i dont have to drag my bobcat out. I like 75/25 also but more for sheet metal.

[Gizmo]

I'm a F---ing idiot on welding and the only thing I know is 110V flux-core with C25 gas. As you can tell from my posts, I'm welding the thin stuff -beautiful welds AS LONG AS I KEEP THE GAS TO IT - when I forget the valve or somethin' then bad crater marks and ugly welds and prolly no strength. I welded a hitch jack plug-in last August with 2 passes on an inside corner - been holding fine but not trusting it to road work - just around the shop.
Finally! somebody asked a welding question about something I've actually done - instead of some of this other stuff I can't even pronounce..

[Smokeone]

thanks all for the replies. so if i understand gas basically helps the weld look prettier? gas doesn't help with thickness. just trying to get my feet wet on welding, before i tear into it.

[Gizmo]

I think it helps appearance and strength but thickness is still a function of the welder's settings and capability.

[Frank_Cox]

Gas is called "shield gas" because it pushes the oxygen away from the arc and molten metal so that the impurities in the metal and the wire or rod do not contaminate the weld puddle.
one thing about using flux core is you need to reverse the polarity of you gun before welding or you will have a bad weld.

[Gizmo]

So I must be screwing up the past 10 years cause Ive never reversed polarity on my little welder.
Maybe that was done at the dealer?
Or do I just put the AA batteries in backwards?

[Frank_Cox]

haha, nope. it should be on the inside door of your welder. at least it is on my lil hobart

[Smokeone]

From what i've seen of your work EK, i wouldnt change a thing!

[Gizmo]

Thanks!

I think...