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Fabrication and Metalworking Get welding advice, discuss different alloys, share pictures of your first fabrication attempts, as well as welds you are especially proud of

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  #1  
Old 03-04-2005, 09:59 PM
ajohns900 ajohns900 is offline
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low amp flux core welding

I have been tooling around with a 90 amp flux core welder. It plugs into a standard wall outlet and uses no shielding gas.

Supposedly it is rated to weld 3/16 in a single pass and possibly 1/4 in multiple passes. Can a low amp flux welder do this if the welder has the skill?

The machine booklet says it can use .035 and 030 wire. I was told that .035 would penetrate less than .030 flux wire due to the limited amps of such a machine. Is this true?

I have tried to see which size wire penetrates more or less with the same amp setting; HI or LOw, and can not tell.

Is it your experience to slow down the wire feed for deeper penetration and stay in the puddle longer and move slower?

I used this welder to make a storage rack out of 1/8 walled square tubing. It worked fine. I tried it on thicker metal (1/4 & 3/16) and could not tell if I was making a strong weld or not.

Thanks for your advice.
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Old 03-05-2005, 12:59 PM
Allen Allen is offline
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John?

You've got a good welder to learn on, if that's what you're trying to do.

However, read on.....

Is 90 amps sufficient for 3/16 wall tube? Yes and no, but it's more no than yes.

Who told you that it was? Is it in the owner's manual?

There is a rule of thumb; 1 amp per .001" of material thickness.

So, in using that rule, your welder is good for .090" thick material.

That said, in my opinion, instead of 1 amp per, it's really more like 1/2 to 2/3 an amp per thousandths of mateial.

90 amps is quite sufficient for .120 wall.

You certainly don't need 250 amps for 1/4, it's actually closer to 200.

But for .188, you need at least 120 amps, if not a little more.

Would I weld 3/16" bumpers and such with it?

I would. But I'd run multiple passes. I'm quite experienced in that.

But I would not weld a winch plate, or recovery points with it. Even with multiple passes.

Yes, .030 wire will penetrate more than .035.

Run your machine on high. (What other settings are there?)

If you like it, welding and fabricating, and you want to upgrade, look into the Hobart Handler 180 230v model. If you get really serious, look further into the Hobart Iron Man 210, or the Miller Millermatic 210.

Allen
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Old 03-05-2005, 10:18 PM
ajohns900 ajohns900 is offline
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Thanks for your reply. I am just learning and was going from the information in the owners manual. I don't see this welder doing me much good as I have occasion to weld thicker material than 1/8 as I tinker on my jeep.
I suppose I will keep my eyes peeled for a good used one.
Thanks again
Aj
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Old 03-06-2005, 06:57 AM
Darrell C Darrell C is offline
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Trust Allen's info more than mine, as he's forgotten more about welding than I know.

I'll simply offer this: I have the little Lincoln Weld pac 100 which is a 100 amp welder, but rated at 20% duty cycle at 88 amps. I get good results welding 3/16 material, but weld slow to get good penetration. I have welded some 1/4" material with it, but the results were not to my liking with single pass.

BTW, the 20% duty rating on my unit is way under actual. I've pushed over 40% duty cycle without it thermally tripping. As I find myself wanting to weld heavier material on more regular basis, I'm considering a 220v powered unit.
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Old 03-07-2005, 10:02 AM
Robert J. Yates Robert J. Yates is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Darrell C
I have the little Lincoln Weld pac 100 which is a 100 amp welder, but rated at 20% duty cycle at 88 amps.
I just picked up the same welder. I'm a newbie and I couldn't beat the price and from what I have been able to tell so far, it seems to be doing what I want it to do. Are you using .030 or .035 wire Darrell?
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Old 03-07-2005, 01:55 PM
Darrell C Darrell C is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
I just picked up the same welder. I'm a newbie and I couldn't beat the price and from what I have been able to tell so far, it seems to be doing what I want it to do. Are you using .030 or .035 wire Darrell?
I'm using .030 L56. Not sure if you got it, but the MIG conversion is well worth it. I tried flux core and did ok, but the results with the MIG setup were much better. I typically use 75/25 mix.

For the most part, I keep the unit on the "C" heat setting, and about 3 1/2 on the wire speed. This does very well on material about 1/8" thick. Wire speed goes to up to almost 4 for vertical down and overhead.
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Old 03-07-2005, 02:24 PM
Robert J. Yates Robert J. Yates is offline
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I didn't get the MIG kit. I bought the welder used, in close to new condition for $100, and that didn't include the MIG kit which I didn't think was a huge issue

I also wanted to learn on flux because I am also going to be buying a Readywelder for the Jeep. I figured rightly or wrongly, that it would be easier to learn to weld with just one system until I get my feet under me. Thanx for the response.
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  #8  
Old 03-07-2005, 03:56 PM
BlueJeeper BlueJeeper is offline
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Isn't this a little Weld-Pak fest. I just happened on one of those courtesy of a kind fellow with a newly minted pace maker. He restored and modded panel trucks and built a tube frame hotrod with its help previous to the ticker. He just told me for thick stuff groove the material and fillet weld to get full penetration with it.
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Old 03-09-2005, 01:07 PM
ajohns900 ajohns900 is offline
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duty cycle?

Can anyone explain duty cycle to me?

For example
This is from a hobart handler 180 - Rated Output at 30% Duty Cycle 130 A at 20 VDC.
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  #10  
Old 03-09-2005, 03:30 PM
Allen Allen is offline
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Duty cycle is the percentage of a 10 minute period the machine can weld continuously.

In your specific case, a 30% duty cycle allows for 3 minutes of continuous welding at 130 amps at 20 volts DC.

If you up the amperage or volts, the duty cycle drops. If you lower the settings, you increase the duty cycle.

Allen
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Old 03-10-2005, 06:47 AM
zman zman is offline
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I had the Hobart Handler 135 and now have the 180. Both are great machines and pretty much are made by Miller, just a different case and name, all the inside stuff is the same. If you do go this route I strongly suggest you spend a few extra $$ and buy yourself some gas vs using flux core.

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  #12  
Old 03-10-2005, 07:35 AM
Darrell C Darrell C is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
I also wanted to learn on flux because I am also going to be buying a Readywelder for the Jeep. I figured rightly or wrongly, that it would be easier to learn to weld with just one system until I get my feet under me. Thanx for the response.
The RWs are neat little units, Robert, but the difference in power will shock you. With two batts in series (24v) I blew through 1/8" material because I was used to going slower with the Weld Pak.

In short, practice with both because your approach to welding will be different depending on the unit.
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Old 03-10-2005, 08:19 AM
Robert J. Yates Robert J. Yates is offline
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Understood Darrell. Clean DC is the bomb
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  #14  
Old 03-10-2005, 02:37 PM
ajohns900 ajohns900 is offline
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IF I had to choose

If I only had enough money for one welder, would you guys go with an on-board welder like the ready welder II or would you guys get a stay-at-home welder like the hobart handler 180?
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