Welding Tips and Tricks

OK let me start my saying I am an absolute beginner. I have attached 2 pictures of my flux core arc welding attempts.

What kind of metal is it? I’d also recommend posting a picture of your machine.

Def will help if we know what machine, settings used, what metal, thickness, etc

Welder is the Harbor Freight basic entry level $100 flux core arc welder. It has low and high. I set it to high. Wire feed speed set to 5 out of 10. Metal is 1/8" thick hot rolled steel. I was joining it to a large L bracket. No idea what the L bracket is made of.

The other picture is where I tried to mend the inset for my table saw.

Do I need to clean/prep the metal?

Yes clean steel always welds better. Are you able to get a stable arc or is it trying to "pop" a lot? Meaning, if it is, you need to make adjustments to your wirefeed speed. Are you clamped directly to the work? If not, then you should.

andyTriesToWeld wrote:Welder is the Harbor Freight basic entry level $100 flux core arc welder. It has low and high. I set it to high. Wire feed speed set to 5 out of 10. Metal is 1/8" thick hot rolled steel. I was joining it to a large L bracket. No idea what the L bracket is made of.

go find the nearest bin and go throw that heap of crap welder into it.
sorry but flux core welders are the nastiest crap you can get and that makes it so hard to learn. you spend more time fighting the machine than you do welding.

go find a stick welder. even an old buzz box will do.
or a new inverter machine.
learn to stick weld. that will teach you how to weld really well and stick welders are always useful. so even if/when you buy a decent mig later on, you always have the stick welder as a back up. a small inverter stick machine is small and light, can be taken to mates places or just sit on the shelf.

Would it be possible to use a stick welder rod on the flux core machine. Like attach a clamp to the hot side(flux core) side. Will any stick welder do. I saw one at Walmart for 89$

andyTriesToWeld wrote:Would it be possible to use a stick welder rod on the flux core machine. Like attach a clamp to the hot side(flux core) side. Will any stick welder do. I saw one at Walmart for 89$

no.
the machines work differently. flux core and mig are constant voltage machines while stick is constant amperage.

the $89 machine from walmart looks like garbage and its most likely a fake. 400 amp machine for $80 yeah right
i don't know your brands or prices so can't really comment. but a quick look shows a few machines with good reviews in the $100 to $200 range. probably something around 140-160 amp. you probably want a 120 volt machine but dual voltage would be good.
grab some 3/32" and 1/8" 6013 electrodes. (once you get going you can branch into 6011 or 7018 rods etc if you want/need to) i hope you already have a decent enough helmet, gloves and chipping hammer.

Another benefit of a stick machine is you can also tig weld with them. Since stick and tig are both constant current processes you can hook a tig torch up to pretty much any stick welder, tho some stick welders are AC output only. You want a DC machine preferably. Tig is the best option by far for thinner cleaner delicate work. Stick is far more messy and violent arc, some rods more than others, but is definetly the cheapest and most versatile of all.

I agree with Tweake on self shielded flux core. Its ok if you're in a pinch and have a decent machine. I'd hate to try to run in on a cheaper rig with very basic adjustments.

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tweake wrote:sorry but flux core welders are the nastiest crap you can get and that makes it so hard to learn. you spend more time fighting the machine than you do welding.

Yeap, it sucks when after 6 months of fighting the machine and also trying to learn the basics of welding that you finally come to the realization that the machine you bought was not going to do what you wanted it to do, and this whole time you could have actually learned how to weld decently with a decent machine. You don't get that time back.

when i started all the advice i saw on 4wd forums etc was "start with stick", which i followed.
so i started with stick. it took a couple of days to get some beads down (down side of being self taught is it takes longer).
when i went to learn mig, i also have a roll of flux core to try. then i learnt why people recommend starting with stick.

btw learning mig and tig is a whole lot easier once you learn stick.

OK, this thing isn't total crap. Take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBiBztRTvC0

andyTriesToWeld wrote:OK, this thing isn't total crap. Take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBiBztRTvC0

Ok, but you haven't elaborated any more any anything we've said/asked/suggested. Are you looking for advice?

I think I can make this machine do what I want. I just wish I'd have known it was an AC welder. Now I know that accounts for all the splatter. Damn, I would have definitely spend the extra 80 bucks to get the DC model. Do you think wire from a different name brand would make a difference? Also, there are 2 gauges the wire is available in. Which should I use?

I'm pretty sure you dont need more than 030 gas-less flux core wire for that welder. You'll still be fighting the welder IMO, while you're learning to weld. Dont say we didn't warn you.

andyTriesToWeld wrote:OK, this thing isn't total crap. Take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBiBztRTvC0

nephew after 10 min with a stick welder.

flux core in itself is not an issue. the problem is it can be touchy to dial in, even on my mig the settings have to be just right for it to run well. trouble is your machine has crude adjustments, you simply cannot dial it in. so your always going to be fighting the machine.

btw its not about you making the machine do what you want, its about you learning to weld. two very different things.

OK, The main purpose for getting this was to weld a go kart frame. Can you make some economical recommendations about the sort of welder and specific model I could try. I need to have it powered by 110v ac.

So if I understand you correctly I might be able to learn how to deal with the welder I have. But I would be the welder's servant instead if it being mine and making life waaaay easier.

andyTriesToWeld wrote:OK, The main purpose for getting this was to weld a go kart frame. Can you make some economical recommendations about the sort of welder and specific model I could try. I need to have it powered by 110v ac.

So if I understand you correctly I might be able to learn how to deal with the welder I have. But I would be the welder's servant instead if it being mine and making life waaaay easier.

the most important thing is to teach you to weld.
teach you how to weld up a go kart frame is a different ball game to be done at a later date.

we all have done this, want to do a project and want to learn just enough to do that project.
but with something like a go kart you do not want to get that wrong, the outcome could be horrible.
also if you learn good skills they really come in handy later on and also for work, sometimes in surprising ways.


for learning to weld i always recommend a stick welder.
there is only one adjustment, the rest is you. learn stick everything else becomes easier.
i can't recommend a welder brand/model due to being in a different country.
i like small inverter welders. light weight and compact. easy to take outside, to a mates place etc, and usually have higher output than transformer machines. always handy to have.
but there are also cheap 2nd hand transformer welders.

i find teaching your self is a slow process.
if you can find night classes, workshop down the road etc that can teach you, you will learn faster.
but if web sites and utube is all you have, its ok it might be a bit slow.
when i mean slow, it took me a couple days to get the hang of striking an arc and running beads with stick.
i highly recommend binge watching every stick welding video.

Those cheap HF flux core welders ain't all bad. You just have to recognize the machine's limitations. I bought one over 20 years ago, before they even had cooling fans in them, and it still works to this day. HOWEVER, they are very limited in power (80 AMPs) and require flux core wire. Here's some tips I learned with mine.

Don't be afraid of the arc. It's loud, it's bright, it smokes and sounds like something out of a horror movie if you're not used to the welding process. Also, flux-core wire throws sparks and bits of molten metal in all directions with a cheap welder. Get used to the sights and sounds of MIG welding. That will help.

Get and learn how to use an decent auto-dimming helmet. They are well worth the investment! Clearly seeing what you are doing WILL improve your welding. Also don't forget a good set of gloves and at least a set of "sleeves" to protect you arms from the UV light (a jacket is better). You can get a BAD "sunburn" quicker than you think when welding.

When using flux-core wire remember this statement " if you're slaggin', you're draggin'". This means you're pulling or "dragging" the weld if you are using a process that creates slag, and flux-core wire does indeed create flux.

Go slow, remember that no power thing? Also technique is important with cheap, low powered welders. Make tiny cursive "e"s (watch one of Jody's videos). That will improve the appearance of the bead. If you think you're going slow enough, slow down some more.

Cheap, low powered welders running flux-core wire do NOT like thin metals! Add to that, the fact that flux-core wire "burns" hotter than solid core wire. Even spot welding thicker sheet metal without burning through is a real bear with one of these welders.

The material must be CLEAN!!! You don't have enough power to blast thru any crud.


I hope these little tips help. Also practice, practice, practice!

I started welding with the $90 harbor freight AC hand me down. It's crap, but it can weld. I quickly found a used Miller Thunderbolt and what a blessing that was. Stick is so much easier to learn because you concentrate on welding, not fighting the settings or wire feed problems or the host of other problems that a cheap wire welder gives you.

You can learn on your own with that machine, but the deck is stacked against you. Good luck.

v5cvbb wrote:I started welding with the $90 harbor freight AC hand me down. It's crap, but it can weld. I quickly found a used Miller Thunderbolt and what a blessing that was. Stick is so much easier to learn because you concentrate on welding, not fighting the settings or wire feed problems or the host of other problems that a cheap wire welder gives you.

I agree, even the Lincoln Weld-Pac's are a little easier to learn on.

The biggest problem with those cheap flux core welders is that they are AC and flux core wire hates AC. However there is hope, for about $40 or so most of them can be converted to DC. It's not hard and the parts are easy to find. A simple Google search will yield lots of info.

Tim8888 wrote:Those cheap HF flux core welders ain't all bad. You just have to recognize the machine's limitations. I bought one over 20 years ago, before they even had cooling fans in them, and it still works to this day. HOWEVER, they are very limited in power (80 AMPs) and require flux core wire. Here's some tips I learned with mine.

Don't be afraid of the arc. It's loud, it's bright, it smokes and sounds like something out of a horror movie if you're not used to the welding process. Also, flux-core wire throws sparks and bits of molten metal in all directions with a cheap welder. Get used to the sights and sounds of MIG welding. That will help.

Get and learn how to use an decent auto-dimming helmet. They are well worth the investment! Clearly seeing what you are doing WILL improve your welding. Also don't forget a good set of gloves and at least a set of "sleeves" to protect you arms from the UV light (a jacket is better). You can get a BAD "sunburn" quicker than you think when welding.

When using flux-core wire remember this statement " if you're slaggin', you're draggin'". This means you're pulling or "dragging" the weld if you are using a process that creates slag, and flux-core wire does indeed create flux.

Go slow, remember that no power thing? Also technique is important with cheap, low powered welders. Make tiny cursive "e"s (watch one of Jody's videos). That will improve the appearance of the bead. If you think you're going slow enough, slow down some more.

Cheap, low powered welders running flux-core wire do NOT like thin metals! Add to that, the fact that flux-core wire "burns" hotter than solid core wire. Even spot welding thicker sheet metal without burning through is a real bear with one of these welders.

The material must be CLEAN!!! You don't have enough power to blast thru any crud.


I hope these little tips help. Also practice, practice, practice!

nah they are all bad

they don't like thin material but don't have enough power for thick materials, doesn't leave much to work with. being AC or DC negative reduces their 'heat' output so you need more amps which they don't have a lot of.
flux core can require fairly precise settings for it to run really well, but cheap welders don't have that.
i don't recommend manipulation like "e"'s as that can trap slag.

but mostly its the simple fact theres more to go wrong, more settings to screw you over. you never quite know if its the machine causing the issue or you.
that makes learning very very difficult.
this often means you learn to weld poorly.

and lastly, once you learnt some basics of welding, you have simply outgrown the machine. so it goes in the bin and you buy something else.
this is why i like small inverter stick welders to learn with. even if you go get a decent mig they are still very handy and useful for jobs later on.

Yes, upgrade the wire to Hobart's E71T-11. It will help a lot. The GS wire won't weld to a previous weld. The hobart wire is multi-pass wire. Slow down the wire feed also. My first welder was the same one. 3 was about as fast as mine could handle. It slows the process down and will get decent penetration. Flux core is a messy process, but it does work. That machine's max will be 1/8" material. Just slow down the wire feed and practice. A better machine would be about any dc welder. I have the Titanium flux 125 and its a pretty solid welder. Best of luck.

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