I left out a key detail in this video! When you set up your MIG welder, OR switch from solid wire MIG to Flux Core, make sure the POLARITY of your machine is correct. Most machines, including this one need to be set to either electrode positive, or electrode negative in order to flux core/MIG weld correctly. Check your machine and make sure the electrode and ground are connected correctly for your particular process for the best results!

@zviper

28 күн бұрын

metal no sticky :)

@1pcfred

28 күн бұрын

I didn't think this was a tutorial for how to weld. Just comparing the two processes. As far as the cheap Harbor Freight welder goes you can modify those to weld better. They're cheap because they leave out some parts that are nice to have. Like a rectifier, an inductor and a capacitor. Those parts increase the cost of the machine. But they also stabilize the arc too. The HF el cheapo is AC.

I have two welders, an ESAB emp 205 Rebel and a HF Titanium 125, the welder you mentioned. While most of my welding is done with the 205, I do use the 125. The 125 is a surprisingly good welder, considering it’s a 125 amp unit. That does limit one. But within its range, if you know what you’re doing (I’ve been welding for 50 years), you can get excellent welds up to 3/16”, if you buy the appropriate size wire 0.035” and the right type, not GS, but 11T, you can weld thicker metal to about 5/16” with multipass. That’s more than thick enough for most everything the average person will need to do. I’d like to point out, in response to the negative statements he keeps making about fluxcore, that with the proper machines and wire, fluxcore is used to build skyscrapers, ships, etc. You get deeper penetration with fluxcore than with MiG.

You skipped over a HUGE part of flux core setup and that's polarity....flux core has to be welded DCEN, vs DCEP on mig with gas....most people who buy a mig machine and use flux core, don't realize they have to swap polarity, so they get crap results so the poo-poo the whole process. Your machine prob swaps polarity automatically when you tell it what process you're welding. Most mig machines dont. The fact is you can drop dimes with a flux core setup, and weld thicker material. Some people just suck at flux core. But it's far from an inferior process.

@MakeEverything

28 күн бұрын

Good catch!! Its second nature for me to switch to DCEN/ DCEP, and I forgot to mention it in this video! Ill Pin a comment about that now to remind people! So many people who have asked me for help with their machines fail to read the instruction on HOW to set them up! Its crazy! I've had great luck with Flux core welding in the field and on really dirty and thick material in a pinch! Its a shame to see people upset when they buy a flux core only machine and realize they can never use gas!

@camden7488

28 күн бұрын

Completely agree

@coldfront7914

25 күн бұрын

I recently got a Hobart 190. I've only been running flux core and the welder is a beast.

@jayquick6520

10 күн бұрын

Flux core is too convenient to turn your nose up at it.

Its been a couple years since i looked at my miller, i could swear the polarity had to be switched for flux core. I could look it up but yeah it makes a huge difference

@coldfront7914

25 күн бұрын

Hobart is made by Miller and you do have to switch the polarity in my experiences

If you're looking at appearances, I find if you just use a cupped wire wheel on a 4.5" angle grinder to remove the slag. Gets most of the surrounding spatter too all in one shot

Just getting into some welding and using the HF Titanium 125 because of initial cost. Thanks for the explanations and resource links, they'll help a lot. - Chris

That's one thing I've always needed to learn is to the weld. I hate paying a man 75.00 an hour to make a a minimum of tack weld. Thanks, very educational.

@MakeEverything

28 күн бұрын

Its such a great skill to learn! And honestly, its much easier than most people think... There are a lot of gret online resources now too where you can get virtual help where someone will literally zoom call you while you learn to weld and help you dial in your settings. Look up The Fabrication Series here on youtube, hes got a few great programs!

Very helpful distinction, thanks.

key point being USE QUALITY WIRE. especially with flux, It can be the difference between getting a nice quality weld, and a pile of bird doo doo and BBs stuck to everything.

@sll-tt6bj

28 күн бұрын

There's another video from another welder on wire and Forney and yes welder wire came out on top

I don’t even need to watch to answer. I have several welders, two of which are twins: a Lincoln weldpak 100 with fluxcore, and a second with so it’s mig. They both work great!

@jayquick6520

10 күн бұрын

My Lincoln 90i FC has taught me the basics of welding and paid for itself in less than a years time. I’m teaching myself stick now and have thoughts of adding a portable plasma cutter to the arsenal.

I've been welding for 30 plus yeand I have many machines for various projects. And I just used a titanium 125 flux core welder today, in fact. To weld a truck frame. And I put fish plates on that were quarter inch thick and had absolutely no problems with it. And I have done many things likwith similar machines. And I've also got a 6 in 1 welding machine that does big tag stick. Flex core, you name it. It's got a lot going on with it and the machines. They make lower price than the old machines are surprisingly well made. Granted, I do have some of the older machines and still use my trusty. Old Lincoln stickwelder as well as other old machines to get jobs done. But I am surprised and astonished at how well some of the new machines really work. And I'm also embarrassed and surprised at how litthe tech schools teach the kids today and how to weld as fabrication and so forth. My generation had far more education and we also learned how to gas weld and weld using 100 Amp alternators and wire hangers on the farm

This is very helpful, I am going to be making a short video of my working on my welding. I also have a harbor freight welder and if I am being honest, it is pretty discouraging from how bad the unit works but I am going to get better wire with less spatter and do a real project with it. I want to get a good welder and Jimmy DiResta recommended the 180mp since I have 220v but need to do some more saving before getting it. Thanks for the video and happy to see you are well. ❤👊🏼

this is the 1st video of yours I've seen.Noticed the 360MP in the background-I run one at my 9-5, dualshield and aluminum push-pull.It's a beast! We had Miller 350P's until I brought in my 350MP with a Python.Now the Millers collect dust while we run 2 360's,2 260's and a big watercooled powerwave 350pushpull that's getting replaced with another 360

I run flux core for work & have a couple of humble suggestions. First would be buy a Hitbox or Yeswelder machine if you're on a budget. Second would be run 1mm wire only. Nothing else. 1mm. Third would be get a good wire wheel in your cordless drill & wheel off every weld right after you lay it. The flux is corrosive, so get it off quickly & thoroughly, For me, it's a great process & I love it. One tiny "Tip" I would add is bin off the "gas shield nozzle" , cut a bit of rubber fuel line & use that to cover the end of your gun instead. You can bin it when it burns up, put on fresh (it lasts surprisingly well). It stops the tip arcing off stuff if you accidentally touch.

I love my Hobart handler 210. For a home welder, it's hard to beat for the money.

Obviously you can't cover everything in one flux core vs. solid wire video, but you did a great job in covering the basics. Flux core has its purposes and you mentioned one of them briefly, it runs hot. Whenever I want to weld something thicker (before I got my 285 amp machine), I would switch to flux core because I knew it penetrated deeper and let me stick thicker pieces of metal together. :) Love the channel!

Thanks for the info.

@MakeEverything

28 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching!

Thanks Chris! - John

It also helps to weld downhill with mig. Especially on the outside corner weld

By sequencing the welds differently than done here, you can really reduce how much the heat will pull your corner out of square. Do the outside corner first, then do the two diagonals, pulling from inside to out. Inside corner last.

@1pcfred

28 күн бұрын

I had to laugh when he said his clamping held the pieces from distorting. Nothing in the world is going to stop that metal from moving. A literal ton of fixturing wouldn't do it. I don't know how much force expanding metal exerts but I know it is a lot.

@5ivearrows

28 күн бұрын

@@1pcfred 100% yeah. The best you can do is understand how it is distorting the metal and use that knowledge to minimize it as much as possible

@1pcfred

27 күн бұрын

@@5ivearrows There's people that can play the distortion. They'll set stuff up out of square and when they're done it's square. I'm not one of those guys. Jodie did a video about distortion where he put a laser on the steel. That light beam was doing the watusi. Metal moves. There's zero chance it'll be in the same place when it cools down too. You get steel hot enough to weld and you're changing its atomic structure. It's like musical chairs. Them atoms are dancing around and when the music stops everything is somewhere else. I watched a video of Caterpillar doing huge weldments and they knew stuff was going to move. They have all the resources in the world and they just accepted the fact that they're machining the weldment when it's done.

I’ve welded flux core and Gas for over 40 years I prefer Gas in the shop fluxcore outside because everything flux core is usually on heavy equipment 1 inch thick or over steel get beautiful wells with flux core never a problem- nr 211 5/64 wire And sometimes i weld dual sheld 😊

I just picked up a titanium 125 and man it is a pretty useful tool for $150. Spool of wire and a 110 outlet, just go to town. As you said it is a smoking monster so have to provide for ventilation if indoors. Worse than stick welding.

Long time all process welder. Got a 350p, and a few other Millers, but shopping for a cheap portable flux 110 machine for my truck/generator. Can't believe all the Amazon brands and goofy youtube videos calling flux MIG. The "mig" branded cheapo flux machines even come with mig nozzles ha ha. Guess society is just getting dumbed down. And that is one sweet corner jig and table you got there!

This is great. Guess I should just stick to MIG. Just looks easier. I have a Northern Tool unit. Need to upgrade at some point.

The ONLY thing I think flux core really sucks for is welding thin metal. Because its hotter it tends to blow through a lot more. I always recommend ppl get a machine that cab use gas, because once you use gas you never want to go back to flux if you can avoid it.

Good Video, Why did you not weld inside corner?

I would like to hear your recommendations for proper gloves.

I missed your machine settings for flux core and mig settings wire speed and voltage

Would like to mess with welding one of these days, learned basic stick welding in middle school, but nothing since, and that was in the late 80's

@1pcfred

28 күн бұрын

If you're an occasional welder just get a cheap stick machine. With the right electrodes and being careful you can do the around the house stuff with it. MIG is worthless when you're out of gas. Most of the bottles you get from supply houses leak. They sell gas so they've no incentive to maintain their tanks.

Where do you get the welding table? Thanks

I uve a harbor freight flux 125. I also have a tig welder. The flux 125 is pretty dang good.

@1pcfred

28 күн бұрын

I'm looking at the schematic for that machine now and it is AC. The output comes right off the transformer. There is nothing there. But you may ask, what should be there? A rectifier a capacitor and an inductor. That will give you smooth DC. There's videos here that explain how to modify that welder to be more capable. The parts you need and how to install them.

Ok so I have a Hobart handler (I think it’s a 140) but it’s 110v and will do mug and flux core. My question is if I am welding 1/4 “ material will I get better penetration if I use flux? You mentioned I. The video flux gets hotter. I was welding 1/4 “ mig on highest heat setting and did fine but seemed like it could use more penetration.

It also depends on where you are welding, outside you want flux core.

Which is stronger, MIG or Flux core?

What gauge is the metal in this demo?

I have a MIG and a TIG welder. I don't use either anymore. Getting gas is a pain. All I do today is stick weld. It's the cheapest and easiest welding process to keep up with. A pack of sticks and I'm all set.

Don't you have to switch out the polarity the 2 wires

I have 200$ Chainse flux/mig (i can use gas or not) welder, and in workshop is good to use gas, but as Im not fabrycator, and i use welder only to technical support (weld broken log arch or tack weld something to weld it in workshop) in car I have only small flux. Make the job.

what gauge is the metal in your test?

@MakeEverything

9 күн бұрын

10ga / .120 wall

Don't you think a Siegmund table is a little overkill? I would understand it if welding is your full time job, but you seem to do a lot of everything.

@MakeEverything

28 күн бұрын

My business is mainly focused around metal fabrication these days. Specifically really high end art fabricating, so having an accurate fixture table is super important.

@J-Gx

27 күн бұрын

I see. What made you choose a Siegmund over a Fireball?

I just switched because I'm having trouble getting gas....I hate flux core ...porosity has never been a problem for me until I started using flux core. Several days in and I still haven't found the sweet spot for volts versus wire flow

@TalRohan

28 күн бұрын

Forgot to add I have a really good welder

@MakeEverything

28 күн бұрын

Have you tried changing out your wire? I know when Ive used old flux core wire that was exposed to humidity i get excessive porosity... That would be the problem. I really like this Lincoln inner shield wire.

@zviper

28 күн бұрын

polarity matters

@TalRohan

28 күн бұрын

@@MakeEverything thanks unfortunately its brand new...It might be cheap junky wire to be honest, because I am not normally this bad at welding....(don't buy vevor wire guys its awful) but I also have another that is turning out to be no better. maybe I need to spend more money which will be annoying but there we go.

@1pcfred

28 күн бұрын

Yeah I got tired of chasing after gas. The closest gas house to me is over an hour away. So you're talking a half a day to go get gas. Remember if there's slag then you drag. When you weld with flux you have to pay more attention to the puddle. The goal is to keep pushing the flux to the back of the puddle.The flux looks a little brighter. Use your angle and arc force to push flux back.

Flux core is the shit when used with a shielding gas.

The "mig" weldng core you use then its made fore falling verticale , whe you have too welding Aluminum must the all the pack with liner and welding gun replemented and mig weding cover more of more than stanlyes steel 😊

What about dual shield fluxcore. And you can do both theyre both types of mig with any machine as long as there is a gas input on machine but you can probably get around that with some adapter like usedfor making a dedicated SMAW machine run TIG. Also the polarity is reversed for each type most of you guys informing people on these two mig\fluxcore dont mention this. Many have issues with flux core cause they dont switch polarity and will stop using it......

I'm in ZAMBIA but unfortunately flux core wire are no. Where to be found, have DESHI 270 AMP from China

You know there is two different kinds of flux core wire a #2 stage has to have gas a one doesn't

Never trust a man that sets his grinder down like that

There is no such thing as gaskets mig welding It's called Flux core or wire welding

Grinding off a 🏔️ mountain of filler metal woo hoo fun fun . Lot of it is the machine and some is the operator inexperience . The bead should be flat not a motorcross jump for 🐜 ants .