My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I'm finally getting decent with this thing

http://67.33.14.41/flux1.jpg

http://67.33.14.41/flux2.jpg

http://67.33.14.41/flux3.jpg

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

thats preety good for what you are using, you would be amazed what you could do with a decent machine ;)

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

Yup. Hopefully in the next 3-6 months I can get a decent MIG. I'd love a TIG though. Maybe one day. :y

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I got a miller 185 at work and a new miller 210 at home, I want a miller tig next then and plasma cutter, lathe and tubeing bender for home (never ends)

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I can jump really high.














































------- showoff ::) ;D

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

does it have the gas option or no?

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

O dont worry it will be a while before I can swing a tig or anything else for that matter, I just had a baby girl, bought the wife a 4dr,my work is slow(flat rate) shes off work and I think I have to sell my new sled. Highrollers not so high right now :1 The mig at work isn't mine either its the shops ;)

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I can make a pretty nice bead like that with my chicago elec flux cored, mines usually a litter wider, probably because I have the feed on 6 or so

But most of the time I dont even give myself the chance to make a bead, always filling big ------- gaps and ----

Any specific technique you use?

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

No gas option. For the weld thats zoomed in, it's low power, speed 6 making little circles. It's the Chicago electric 90amp deal. As my fiance would say - excellent penetration

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

Those welds are very good for what you have. I believe I have the same unit, was it around 90-100 bucks?

Here's a sample of my fluxcore slag madness that you mighta seen already

http://img25.echo.cx/img25/3824/dp20vf.jpg

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

i cant get any beads with my flizzux welder. those dont look too bad.

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I'll show you how it's done at the meet this weekend. Sunglasses and all O0

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

hahaha. We'll see

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

Harbor Frieght FTW!! O0 Machine's good for what you pay for it, welds wont be pretty, but ---- they hold.
My first few hours of hottness:
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/4817/tmp99627tm.jpg
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6752/10011602jg.jpg

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I've only tried flux core wire once when I ran out of mig wire.I hate the sound it makes.It "hisses" and it scares me :l

:P

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

that came out really good. i need to practice :)

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

Werd, looks very good! Now do that on a thinner pipe & you'll be better than 95% of the people doing flux. Better than I can. :\

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

flux is gangster except for the spatter, I cover that ---- up with heat wrap :P

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

To anyone who buys any of these machines: throw away the wire that came with it and buy something better. World of difference.

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

Yeah I can use this machine just ------- tits if I would learn to measure things a few time and mock ---- up

My downpipe was a massacre at first, filling huge gaps and ----

When I get 2 pieces aligned perfect with little or not gap and can make a nice little bead, easy ----

Welders paid for itself a few times alredy easily

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I cannot emphasize this enough. I couldn't get a bead w/the HF wire. I bought some lincoln wire from Home Depot, and it turned my flux welder into a champ.

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

The flux core stuff is not too bad does the job... I got a MIG welder from a local shop in UK after serveral practice it is turning out not bad. However I do have 2 problem with it. One is wel welding body panel or thin metal it just burnt right through it even at the lowest setting available and go through it as quick as I can. Also when bridging gaps, think I need to do some learning on those matter as I don't think it is the machine fault.

Oh yea the flux core wire is pretty expensive too over here, but it is handy as our weather in UK seems to be windy all the times hence using gas outdoor would not be ideal :(

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

yeah its def a lot easier to weld thicker stuff. im going to have to flux weld a manifold together, we'll see how long that baby holds up :6

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

If you keep doing it, you'll find a comfortable rhythm. Angle the tip about 45 degrees. Sooner or later, you'll minimize that splatter. My welds barely has splatter now. I use the Lincoln version tho from Home Depot. Definitely worth it and paid itself off tenfold. I've done plenty of DP, DT, intercooler piping, blah blah.....

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

you pushing or pulling yer welds

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

Most of us are using .35 or .3 wire & lack proper heat adjustments. Low settings piles welds up with no penitration, high settings blow through. If I were going to stick with my HF flux core welder, I would give thinner wire a try.

I think it would be benifitial for most of us doing flux-core to swap to thinner wire for pipe.

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

i do both, however, i find that pulling the weld with a small amount of circular motion gives the best weld with little spatter, max heat and 75% speed, on thicker metal, gives good penetration.

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

+1

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

definitely +2 here.......

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

I run mine @ 50% speed usually for everything

Is that to slow? The motor seems to be hauling ass at 7-8, like gonna burn out if I weld for 2 min fast

Re: My welds (Harbor Freight Flux Core)
 

if i were to weld for 2 mins straight, non stop, i would blow the circuit breaker or the welders thermal protection would kick on.

15-30 seconds max per bead for me


50% speed isnt to bad, as long as your getting enough material in the bead and the penetration is good, then you should be fine. i personally like to weld a little quicker, and with the max heat setting and a faster speed you can to.

but if 50% works for you and you have decent welds, then keep doing what your doing.