Flux core welders

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Dartswinger70

Dartswinger70

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Has anyone used flux core type welder to do their bodywork? Or is there a reason that they are priced so low(like you cant use them for anything)
 
You do NOT want to use flux core for sheetmetal/bodywork! Flux core wire takes more heat to make a proper puddle, which is WAY to much heat for sheetmetal.

Get yourself a roll of .023" solid core wire and a bottle of CO2 or tri-mix gas for your shielding gas. You'll be MUCH happier with the results and it will be a MUCH easier task.

Flux core wire is used mostly for heavier(thicker) metal where the extra heat will help with the penetration. It's also a good choice when you are outside in windy conditions where gas shielding would be affected by the wind.
 
I had a Weld Pack Lincoln mig welder, I had used it with both flux core wire and with solid wire with co2 argon mix gas. Flux core wire is ok, not great, for heavier metal but I was never very successful with sheet metal. Using co2 argon mix gas and .024 solid wire it worked ok on sheet metal. But I found there was still a few problems. Lincoln welders makes a line that get sold through Home Depot and other discount stores. These welders are not the same as the Lincoln welders sold through welding stores. I always had problems with the feeding of the wire if there were any bends in the cable housing between the handle and the machine. I am not sure the cheep welders would be any better also the duty cycle of the cheaper welders can be a problem. Recently I sold that welder (thank you Craigs List)
and purchased a Miller 140 w/gas. The wire feeds smoothly and I can weld sheet metal easily with .024 solid wire. It also has infinite controls on wire speed and amperage. The other cheaper welders both the wire speed and amperage controls are stepped, I think my old Lincoln had 4 steps on each(I have tried to forget about that mistake) I have been very happy with my Miller 140 I cant say I weld like a pro but its much easier to weld with.
 
The cheapest of those Harbor Freight Tools flux core welders is worhless. It makes a fine mess but not much of a weld. The oil in its wire feed gearbox leaks down into the DC drive motor also which shorts out the speed control board :(
 
I agree with everyone else regarding flux core wire and sheet metal. Beside the arc being much hotter the flux sprays off the end of the wire which tends to blow through thin sheet metal.

Also, I purchased my Lincoln welder at Home Depot and it is exactly the same unit that the local welding supply house sells, MIG-135. Can't imagine a reputable company like Lincoln putting the same model number on a unit and cheapening it down to sell it at a retail outfit.

In any case the Lincoln unit works great for sheet metal work.
 
Flux core welders are great for outdoor repairs on heavier gauge steel/farm equipment where the wind would blow away the sheilding gas of a MIG, but as said before they spatter and are too hot for body work.
 
Hay dgc333 I hate to tell somebody that they are wrong but you are, Lincoln dose have two levels of welders. The Lincoln Weld-Pac series of welders like the Weld Pac 3200 HD and my old Weld-Pac 100 are the Home depot and discount store versions. If you go to a welding store they should be selling the Lincoln Power Mig 140 and Power Mig 180. These are much better welders than the Home Depot versions. I am not sure if they still call the Home Depot versions Weld Pac's but if they aren't Lincoln Power Migs they are a second tier product line and they are not the same as Lincolns Power Mig line of products.
 
Body work can be done with a flux core welder BUT be prepared for a steep learning curve. Everyone above is correct, it is hotter, makes a spatter mess, and is best suited for heavier work. You have to go really slow, cool the surface often, take many breaks and be really patient. I would suggest getting some old fenders or something to do LOTS of practice on, as you WILL burn holes in things till you get the hang of it. It ain't fun or the "right" way to do it, but it can be done.

TopHat
 
Rob64GT said:
Hay dgc333 I hate to tell somebody that they are wrong but you are, Lincoln dose have two levels of welders. The Lincoln Weld-Pac series of welders like the Weld Pac 3200 HD and my old Weld-Pac 100 are the Home depot and discount store versions. If you go to a welding store they should be selling the Lincoln Power Mig 140 and Power Mig 180. These are much better welders than the Home Depot versions. I am not sure if they still call the Home Depot versions Weld Pac's but if they aren't Lincoln Power Migs they are a second tier product line and they are not the same as Lincolns Power Mig line of products.
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The Home Depot near me was selling Power Mig 135's which is the same as the Power Mig 135 that was being sold at the welding supply house that I get my gas at. When I got mine there was no Mig 140, it must be a newer model. Home Depot was about $50 cheaper and I had a gift card so I got it there.
 
Around here Home Depot just sells the cheaper Lincoln mig welders and only the welding shops sell Lincoln Power migs. You are correct the Power Mig 135 is just an older model. They are nice machines and have a great arc.
 
A couple of other things I forgot in my last post.

I am not sure of the terms here, but I have found some cheep mig/flux welders that the gun is always "hot" and others that the gun is only "hot" when the trigger is pulled and wire is feeding. The always hot type is a huge pain in the a$$ to work with. My campbell hausfeld mig-flux 105 is an always hot welder and it is very difficult to do "tiny tacks" with.

Tractor supply sells and "switches out" gas bottles for what seems to be a somewhat reasonable fee.

TopHat
 
I Bought/Used a Lincoln Electric, Power Mig 135 to do my entire car. Versatile enough to do bodywork, Strong enough to weld my mild steel cage. Only thing ya gotta remember about MIG welding is that the weld is HARD and can't be bodyworked with a hammer and dolly where a Tig Weld can be easily worked. Hope this helps. Eric
 
All the hobby welding you see in these photos was done with a Lincoln wire feed welder, "Handywelder" or whatever they're called. 4 settings. 1/2 and High/Low. I would agree that you can blow holes easily and warp metal if you're not careful, but it can be done for sure. Just go slow.

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As you can see, anything that's not green or white was put in from a donor car(s)...pretty much everything from front to back and side to side except the trunk area.
 
i dont agree that flux core isnt good for body work. it takes some practice but works fine, but you do get splatter

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I agree with "Sweatybetty". I bought my son (21 and inexperienced) a cheap flux core welder from that Harbor Freight store mainly because I didn't want him starting and messing with mine and within 2 to 3 hours he was turning out some really nice work on practice body panels. No warping or burn through!!!!!! after some grinding and clean up you never know the difference. I've used it on and have no problems using it again
 
Nice job on the quarterpanel SwettyBetty! I am by no means a good welder, and I did not do all the work on the floor above, my buddy Tom did most of it..but we have the same welders and I'm learning from him.

If I was going to attempt lots of body work, I'd probably spring for a proper mig.

The flux core welder is great for frame repairs and heavier steel. I think the trick with thin sheet metal is just going slow and just dabbing the weld really quick then pulling out...don't hand around too long or you'll blow a hole in things.
 
I have the Lincolln 140 from Lowe's. it is not the same as the ProMig. The ProMig is much more adjustible than mine. it has stepped settings. It has done a good job fo me. I prefer gas over flux. I used the flux for the spring perches where you need good penetration. everything else with gas.

Even as a novice I would now prefer to have something with more fine tuning after getting some experience on my own.
 
I tried one of those 1/2 - High/low welders and could never get a weld that didnt look awful out of it.
 
I use the Lincoln100 I got from Home Depot on everything but sheet metal. It has 4 power steps and works great on pretty heavy stuff at the highest setting. The key is to keep the feed speed low enough to get good penetration. I can run a better bead with that than oxy-acetylene sometimes. It's a PITA cleaning up the splatter afterwards, but the cheap/easy part offsets that for me.
 
Hey,Thanks to all for their information,I had a freind helping me with my Dart,and most of the welding is done,but I'm on my own to finish the car,and have a small amount of welding to do,The info. was very helpful THANKS Again!
 
The other day I had the opportunity to do some welding on my Dart Sport, with my buddies 4 setting flux core Lincoln (the same unit that did all those nice floor welds posted above). I have the same unit, but now I remember why I really want a proper mig welder.

Even though I did say above "You can weld with a flux core!" I will admit it's really hard to do and I'm not a very good welder. If I find myself with a lot of welding to do, I'm going to find and buy a better welder and learn how to use it. The 4 setting jobbie is good for this and that, but if you're serious about doing some nice bodywork I think a small investment in something better is a good idea. Just my 2 cents.
 
not only is it hotter before you paint you have to get rid of all the remaining
flux
or some time later it will pop out thru the paint like the old brass brazing
used years ago
mike
 
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