I have an older "MultiMig" wire feed welder I was using to fill trim holes. I dont use any gas- just flux core wire. I've done some small patch panels with it and attributed the ****py welds to my inexperience. I decided I was going to build a custom gas tank for my motorcycle and its not going well. I adjusted the speed and current but am still making these splotchy blobs of weld. Then I grind it and try to fill in any holes. This aint gonna work on a gas tank! I was gonna try to reverse the polarity on the welder as had been suggested in other posts I saw but am unsure what to switch.... I ***ume the wires running to the feed and handle? I saw an "Example" of a good mig weld and I am definitely not getting it right. Any ideas what im doing wrong? Shoudl I post some pictures of my ****py work?
You could try turning the heat up and the wire speed down, you just have to watch not burning through... I always run 75% 25% with my mild steel even while using flux core.. Also make sure the feed rollers are adjusted correctly...
Pictures would help. I would suggest since you aren't very experience that you stick with easier stuff now and find an experienced welder to weld a fuel tank for you. Any Hambers near?
I've rolled and built motorcycle gas tanks from scratch. I would not attempt this with a mig welder. You need a tig to control the heat because of leaks.I've stretched and modified existing gas tanks with a mig. Normally you flip the cover open on your welder and you flip the two heavier cables around + and - labeled. It does make a difference with flux core or gas. Is the wire feeding through smooth.
Do you know someone that knows how to weld well, that can try on your machine. Maybe its just you. You can buy a brand name wire feed for cheap with a conversion that will damn near last forever.
The welder i have I think already can use gas... i just dont. My dad bought it years ago and got pissed cuz he kept running out of gas so he just started using the flux core wire. When he gave me the welder I just continued the same way. I'll try to take some pics and post them if I can tonight. I think the gas tank is quite a bit Ambitious for me, but I like to do things myself. My next few car projects I plan to do are basically cobbling together parts from many different cars... so I have to improve my welding skills. On a side note- since I already have the tank formed, only need to weld it togther, my only other option (Besides having someone else do it) is brazing it... is this a seriously bad idea?
What kind of wire are you using. I have a HF cheapie welder, and I only use it for body work. Didn't work worth ****. But , if you use a QUALITY wire it makes all the difference in the world. Now I get my wire from the local Miller dist. and it works great. Not that much more cost either. Give that a try.....Ole Pork
Yeah.....your not getting a nice looking weld because it's flux core. Using the g*** shield process gives you a better product. a 75 / 25 ratio Argon / CO2 or 85/15 ratio Argon / CO2 are both great. You can use just plain CO2- but really.....that's for beer. Carl Hagan
flux core is awsome stuff.... for big heavy iron. it has its place like anything else, and its not on cars. you can not in any way compare flux core to mig.
Thought I would give an update on this. Turns out the problem was me- not the gas or the poloarity- ALL ME! I cranked the current and speed all the way down and tried laying a bead on some thin sheet metal. that worked well. then I tried overlaying 2 peices and welding them together- Not so good. So I upped the current- BURN through. So I upped the speed of the wire and I moved faster- MUCH BETTER! Then tried thicker metal (Trailer Fender) Cranked the current and played around with the speed a bit- Need more practice for that. But it is definitely workign alot better. I apparently had the current too low and the speed too high and was making globby welds, the new welds look SOOOOOO much better. Thanks for the help.
Actually, you can. Flux core can be done very well and be used on multiple automotive applications. You just don't know how to use it if you think it's useless. As for needing TIG to weld a tank, what a load of ****. MIG is just as applicable to this as TIG, preferable if you don't have a lot of welding experience. There's SOOOO much to take into consideration.... torch angle, machine settings, travel speed, parent metal, preheat, gas mixture, gas flow..... People seem to forget that the welder doesn't care what you do. Welding is 95% the person doing the work, and 5% the machine/process. ****... if you know how to wire feed well you can do anything with it.
Why not use gas? MIG + GAS = EASY, and the easier it is the more you get done. If your smiling at the end of the day, thats been a busy but easy day.
Theres one solution to getting pissed off about running out of gas. Dont get pissed, get more gas. I have a second bottle handy all the time.
The Jalopy Journal
