Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey i know its been awhile sense ive been on here sorry ive had alot goin on. Anyhow i got a question about flux core (it may be a stupid one but its been a long time sense ive done it) i was at work and saw this guy fcaw with 3/32 7018 as an extra filler for the light stuff we were welding. Question is that safe?

Trapperdude464 wrote:Hey i know its been awhile sense ive been on here sorry ive had alot goin on. Anyhow i got a question about flux core (it may be a stupid one but its been a long time sense ive done it) i was at work and saw this guy fcaw with 3/32 7018 as an extra filler for the light stuff we were welding. Question is that safe?

You won't find it in any approved WPS, but I've seen it done. Also seen it done with stick welding, dipping a second rod in the puddle for filling large gaps. The slang term for it was "Mexican TIG", which sounds like an insult, but actually referred to people having to make do with what they had to get the job done. Adding the extra metal, along with the extra cooling from a cold rod being introduced, works pretty well with practice. In the "stick on stick" method, I've seen people beat the flux off the second rod to avoid an excess of slag.

Steve S

It was thin walled pipe 4 inch in diameter and i believe they said it would have about 80lbs of pressure on it. If that sounds right

I have done that with SMAW. Every time my boss would see me doing that, usually to fill in a big gap on something, he would say something like: "There goes Ghetto Gary welding again!" So ....

Hey, if it works it works! I guess it depends on the necessary structural integrity of what you are doing. I knocked all of the flux off of any 'filler' rod before I used it, leaving what we called a coat hanger.

And yes, before school is done I do show this to the students and explain when it can and can not be used. It is just another skill to throw into your arsenal of junk welding skills.
Gary

haha.. I've heard of this. never had to do it or seen it done. good post because I had almost forgot about it.

We call it "Texas TIG" hereabouts. Had to do it about a month ago on some bad fit-up on a fence made with used oil field pipe. Just knock the flux off an electrode and go for it.

Probably not the best video but here's the Texax TiG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZtE7IuDxIo

"Texas TIG" ... oh man ... I love it!
Gary