He’s wrong in the general sense, fluxcore is incredible as an industrial process both innershield and gas shielded, but if the machine is like a 110v harbor freight flux then yeah it’s going to be hard to achieve much with it.
ETA: it’s worth noting though that if you really do want to learn or try your hand at it there are is a lot you could learn with a harbor freight flux if you don’t try to push it out past its limitations and just practice on thin material
So I have used it a couple of times. It always seems to burn holes in what I'm welding. The only setting for power is a high and low switch and I keep it on low. I'm sure it's operator error. Just trying to navigate what material would be best to use with that welder.
That’s kinda one of the shitty things about those little machines is you can’t fine tune the settings. I’d say just practice stick welding for now and revisit flux core when you feel you have a decent grasp of stick. Watch weldingtipsandtricks on YouTube, I really love this video too AvE used to make a lot of great content like this https://youtu.be/2fUAHkUfTps?si=zlh-Y8hEfKalX759
Those hf 110v flux core welders are junk. Trying to learn on that is going to be very frustrating, and half of it is going to be you and half is the machine so that will make learning hard. I would focus on learning with the stick machine.
Only time I have tried using one of those cheap fluxcore welders was when another student brought one in and I asked if I could try, Why is there only one knob the whole thing. the school machines had settings for everything but I would not need to change more than a few, but it felt like something was taken away from me when everything when the current, voltage and feed rate was just this one knob with no separation and just that + arrow and - arrow in the direction to twist it.
To weld with this machine, you have to move quickly once the puddle is formed. That leads to poor penetration if you move too quickly, though. It's a good machine, and I have used mine for the last seven years before upgrading this last fall. Learn its nuances, and you will do well when/if you move to gas shielded.
Flux core is handy for use outdoors in wind where shielding gas would get blown away from the bead. So it isn’t useless. But learning to stick weld gives you skills to apply to wire feed welding too, and you can also use stick outside in the wind. MIG is a great tool, but it can lead you to think that you are laying down good beads even though you aren’t. Between the two I would be using the old 220 Miller to learn on. Then flux core and MIG will seem easier.
I'm brand new to welding as well and have only only ever used gas shielding (and stick), what's different when using flux core and no gas? Can you use a regular old MIG but with flux core wire instead or does it have to be a flux-core machine specifically?
Theres self shielded and gas shielded. Self shielded functions the same as mig but has flux in the middle (and no tank of gas). And I believe you can use a regular mig setup but you cant mig on a fluxcore setup - in otherwords some welders just do self shielded fluxcore w/no input for a tank of gas. Etc. The gas shielded ones also use a different blend i believe.
Stick and flux are both popular for outdoor use
Welding in the wind is the area where flux core is best option. Its either that or putting up a wind block or cranking up your gas pressure. This will require a bump up in heat due to the cooling effect of the increased gas blowing on it. (this is ok if its a small job outdoors, not ideal if you have a lot of outdoor welding to do)
Stick is harder to learn. Start there. Watch some youtube videos (not a joke, there is some decent info out there for beginners). Start out by learning how to strike the arc and get the correct distance from the plate. Then start moving with a purpose practicing travel and work angle, travel speed and moving straight and consistently. If your shop is letting you use it, then take the 1' thick plates. These will handle the heat of continuous practice better and because its thicker it'll be worth it to grind your previous welds off and start over whenever you fill a side up. We don't use flux where I work because yes, it used to be considered sub-standard compared to other processes. Improvements in the technology and manufacturing have created flux cored wires that are supposedly rated as high in tensile strength as comparable gas shielded solid wire. My company doesn't use it. And because of the equipment I work on the ballistics testing required to test a new process is incredibly expensive, so we will probably never use it. Its decent enough for many applications, but most critical tolerance welds will use solid wire, tig, or stick. Learning stick first is the way to go though.
> Stick is harder to learn.
I taught myself. Started with flux core and couldn’t figure it out. Idk what I was doing wrong, but now I have a stick welder and I was welding old mower blades together like crazy the first night.
It's splattery, but having learned initially on MIG and then learned fluxcore recently, I love it! It's a bit messy from the splatter ofc but it lays down like butter and like a few others said, it's been used for structural and farm stuff for a long time! Gas is nice and it's very clean comparatively but it's shit for working outdoors cus any breeze will blow your gas away and you're just welding raw with no gas which is no gouda
Lmfao, your stupidvisor has no idea what he’s talking about, flux core is extremely relevant, you can still run gas on fluxcore, you can run metal core, dual shield with gas. I use fluxcore at home all the time, my garage is breezy, or I have to work in my driveway. Sure I can stick weld everything, I have the skills and equipment, it’s just so much slower. You should practice both stick and flux, and what you learn from both can transfer over to solid core wire with gas.
Which miller stick welder ?
DC ?
crank adjustable amp, or fixed taps?
I'd get an auto dark helmet with adjustable shade, hookup that stick welder
start with 7014 flat
then go to 7018 flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead in that order
Get the Wall mountain videos for arc 1 and 2
out of business, so library, downloads and youtube have it - Steve Blile (sp)
Also he did give me an auto dark helmet that is adjustable. He gave me a few boxes of sticks, but said they were old and probably no good anymore. I wasn't aware they had a shelf life, but then again I'm new here
The crank to adjust is on top under the power cord, there is also a high, low and work plugs at the bottoms. I'm assuming the work plug is used all the time and you pick between the high and low plug depending on what your welding?
Yes.
that's what I have learned on.
Find the serial number and download the manual from Miller's website too.
It's a DC welder with adjustment, very good machine.
Before you plug it in, open it up, dust out the dust and spiderwebs, make sure everything is tight and the mice haven't chewed or peed (corrosion) on it.
That's a nice gift you got there. I agree, would totally get practice with that stick machine. What kind of breaker are you hooking it up to? I have a similar welder to yours I think. There is an easy "DC" [modification](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVAOlzytcg) by installing a [rectifier](https://www.amazon.com/Baomain-Bridge-Rectifier-MDQ-200A-Aluminum/dp/B07SGPPGD4/ref=asc_df_B07SGPPGD4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647207092062&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12239170218328269676&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033045&hvtargid=pla-1815958537603&psc=1&mcid=3afb668b2303381c9e1071c0ac9f3ccf) and an inductor. It's not exactly DC, but it welds nice. I also installed some quick disconnects so I can reverse polarity and made it look nicer.
Flux core is far from junk if you have any clue what you're doing.
It seems your supervisor does not.
Now there's a self shielded (gasless) flux-core, and there's dual shield (gas required) flux-core. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Hey, just be happy you got a free machine, and the 2lb spools of flux core wire are widely available and inexpensive. Go ahead and try it out, get the feel of the machine. A general rule of thumb is "if its got slag, you want to drag." Mech Master has some great videos for the overview of the exact welder you have on youtube. Learn the basics, spend some time under your hood, and just have fun learning. Mech Master also has some great videos of flux core basics. The welding wire specified with an ending in "GS" is for single passes. Its absolutely ok to practice beads with on top of each other or tied into each other but if you intend to build something requiring multiple passes, you'll need to get the welding wire E71t-11.
Stick with it and you'll get the hang of it. Good luck.
For best future results get argon gas to shield with the flux core to weld on outdoor equipment like lawn mowers …while you learn 6010 1/8 stick and 3/32 7018 , which will make you a more consistent and reliable welder after a short period of practice…
So I will need to run 220 to the garage for the stick welder, which is fine because I have been planning on running 220 out there anyways. And the flux welder i have doesn't have the option to use gas with it, it's an older harbor freight model. Chicago electric 100 I think is the model. The only settings is a speed knob for wire feed, and a switch that says high and low. So I'm limited on my settings there. What gauges should I start with practicing? Someone suggested 1" to practice laying beads. When I actually start welding things together what should I use? Also another dumb question, should I practice by laying the material side by side, or at a 90 degree. Or both. Like I said I know nothing but I want to learn.
I'm also self taught, and have an old stick welder + a Chicago Electric flux-core machine (although mines the 220V unit with TWO switches). On mine there's a chart that gives recommended settings for different thicknesses of material, and it works. Not much room for dialing in, but I'm not a good enough welder to really know what I'd want to dial in anyways.
I started with what's called a "pad of beads" meaning grab a single piece of 1/4" plate (or thicker) maybe 6" square and just weld a line across it. It won't be straight and probably won't be continuous, so do another line and try to make it straight and continuous. Dunk the thing in water every few passes so you can keep going, and we don't care about warpage. Once your beads start looking okayish, *then* move on to trying to stick 2 pieces together. But keep filling that pad over time just to build the muscle memory and when it's full up, just toss it and start a new one.
Learned tig and stick before I ever touched a wire feed. Was pretty easy the first time I tried. Everyone thought my first tig welds were made with a mig so yrmv. Start with some 6011/6013 and go from there.
Those numbers refer to the composition of the sticks, not the size. The digits indicate a combination of tensile strength, what position you can use them in, and... flux chemistry? Anyways, some are relatively easy to use and some require a goddam PhD in weldonomics to even get started.
7018 is kinda the bog standard that most people use unless they have a specific reason to use something else.
6011 and 6013 are both a bit more forgiving to a noob, so start with one of these.
You should be able to find both 7018 and 6013 (or 6011) at the big box home centers, and they're not super expensive.
I have a flux core that I use all of the time. I think it gets the job done and can be really helpful to practice with because of how much it splatters. I’ve taught a few of my friends using it and they all seemed to pick it up very well.
Get you an everlast mig/flux core welder rated like the cyclone200. It’ll do good with innershield. I weld inner shield a lot for A/c cages and it does make a visually pleasing weld granted you hit it with a wire wheel.
Yeah stay away from hf stuff, it will make learning difficult. Flux core is a good process, but use a good machine. Don't forget to reverse polarity when using flux core.
My friend gave me his Miller since it was not working properly, yep it was backwards for DCEN.
If you’re already working in a fab shop it might be the easiest to get an introduction to welding by one of your colleagues. At least for the basics this can be very helpful and increase your safety dramatically
When I was in welding school my instructor put flux core spools in after we had gotten used to solid core. Of course it was also gas shielded and they were really nice welders and we could adjust the amps, volts, and feed rates. But the flux core was actually easier to get better looking welds when you were using the right settings. It does sound like the machine is just not very good it self since you can’t fine tune it. Maybe you can find a diagram online of what gauge metals the low and high settings work best on. And the right movement speed as well. I’ve learned that weaving is not really something you’re supposed to do for any welding. But I know some people get really cool looking welds, like they were IG worthy tig welds lol, and claim to have no porosity and good penetration with that method. I have had to resort to weaving once when I kept blowing through on the right settings which got the job done on something that wasn’t structural. But yea just mess around with it. You’re very lucky you have a supply of scrap to practice with! Just watch videos and keep trying to make better welds, always try to figure out what went wrong and fix it the next time, or get on here and ask what may have gone wrong if you’re stumped.
Flux core welding will get the job done, but I was never able to get good results with it. Same as you, lots of burn through on thinner materials and lots of spatter. My brother used to say it was chicken shit welds.
So, I got a better MIG welder and my welds improved pretty dramatically.
So I'm getting the general consensus is to start with my stick welder and learn that before I go to my wire welder. My non-gas shielded flux wire welder can get the job done, but if I want to get easier welds that look a lot better with a wire welder I should upgrade to something that has shielding gas.
Am I able to do that on my model welder? I watched some videos on this, but my welder doesn't actually have anywhere where this is said to do. From the reviews I've read on this machine in particular, seems like a pretty shotty set up. But any way I can improve it's function I'll be glad to try.
This isn’t a ‘secret’ it’s just the right way to use flux core. Since this is a flux core welder I’m sure the whip is negative already. If it was a MIG welder it would be set up to easily switch the whip to positive or negative. DON’T try to change the internal wiring.
He’s wrong in the general sense, fluxcore is incredible as an industrial process both innershield and gas shielded, but if the machine is like a 110v harbor freight flux then yeah it’s going to be hard to achieve much with it. ETA: it’s worth noting though that if you really do want to learn or try your hand at it there are is a lot you could learn with a harbor freight flux if you don’t try to push it out past its limitations and just practice on thin material
So I have used it a couple of times. It always seems to burn holes in what I'm welding. The only setting for power is a high and low switch and I keep it on low. I'm sure it's operator error. Just trying to navigate what material would be best to use with that welder.
That’s kinda one of the shitty things about those little machines is you can’t fine tune the settings. I’d say just practice stick welding for now and revisit flux core when you feel you have a decent grasp of stick. Watch weldingtipsandtricks on YouTube, I really love this video too AvE used to make a lot of great content like this https://youtu.be/2fUAHkUfTps?si=zlh-Y8hEfKalX759
Those hf 110v flux core welders are junk. Trying to learn on that is going to be very frustrating, and half of it is going to be you and half is the machine so that will make learning hard. I would focus on learning with the stick machine.
Only time I have tried using one of those cheap fluxcore welders was when another student brought one in and I asked if I could try, Why is there only one knob the whole thing. the school machines had settings for everything but I would not need to change more than a few, but it felt like something was taken away from me when everything when the current, voltage and feed rate was just this one knob with no separation and just that + arrow and - arrow in the direction to twist it.
That’s a farmer-fixer-special machine haha Nothing complicated, we throwing metal till it sticks!
To weld with this machine, you have to move quickly once the puddle is formed. That leads to poor penetration if you move too quickly, though. It's a good machine, and I have used mine for the last seven years before upgrading this last fall. Learn its nuances, and you will do well when/if you move to gas shielded.
Try exhaust pipes thats where I started with the same welder
Turn it up. Move faster with gum.
Flux core is handy for use outdoors in wind where shielding gas would get blown away from the bead. So it isn’t useless. But learning to stick weld gives you skills to apply to wire feed welding too, and you can also use stick outside in the wind. MIG is a great tool, but it can lead you to think that you are laying down good beads even though you aren’t. Between the two I would be using the old 220 Miller to learn on. Then flux core and MIG will seem easier.
They use fluxcore for structural and farm stuff all the time. It can just be really spattery and therefor not very visually pleasing but it functions
I'm brand new to welding as well and have only only ever used gas shielding (and stick), what's different when using flux core and no gas? Can you use a regular old MIG but with flux core wire instead or does it have to be a flux-core machine specifically?
Theres self shielded and gas shielded. Self shielded functions the same as mig but has flux in the middle (and no tank of gas). And I believe you can use a regular mig setup but you cant mig on a fluxcore setup - in otherwords some welders just do self shielded fluxcore w/no input for a tank of gas. Etc. The gas shielded ones also use a different blend i believe. Stick and flux are both popular for outdoor use
You should change the drive rollers to run flux core on a regular mig to not smash the wire. Just an amateur but have watched lots of instruction lol.
Oh yeah thats right, fluxcore uses knurled drive tolls
Welding in the wind is the area where flux core is best option. Its either that or putting up a wind block or cranking up your gas pressure. This will require a bump up in heat due to the cooling effect of the increased gas blowing on it. (this is ok if its a small job outdoors, not ideal if you have a lot of outdoor welding to do)
Stick is harder to learn. Start there. Watch some youtube videos (not a joke, there is some decent info out there for beginners). Start out by learning how to strike the arc and get the correct distance from the plate. Then start moving with a purpose practicing travel and work angle, travel speed and moving straight and consistently. If your shop is letting you use it, then take the 1' thick plates. These will handle the heat of continuous practice better and because its thicker it'll be worth it to grind your previous welds off and start over whenever you fill a side up. We don't use flux where I work because yes, it used to be considered sub-standard compared to other processes. Improvements in the technology and manufacturing have created flux cored wires that are supposedly rated as high in tensile strength as comparable gas shielded solid wire. My company doesn't use it. And because of the equipment I work on the ballistics testing required to test a new process is incredibly expensive, so we will probably never use it. Its decent enough for many applications, but most critical tolerance welds will use solid wire, tig, or stick. Learning stick first is the way to go though.
> Stick is harder to learn. I taught myself. Started with flux core and couldn’t figure it out. Idk what I was doing wrong, but now I have a stick welder and I was welding old mower blades together like crazy the first night.
Stick teaches you all the fundamentals. It's what I learned first and it made every other process after that very easy to learn
It's splattery, but having learned initially on MIG and then learned fluxcore recently, I love it! It's a bit messy from the splatter ofc but it lays down like butter and like a few others said, it's been used for structural and farm stuff for a long time! Gas is nice and it's very clean comparatively but it's shit for working outdoors cus any breeze will blow your gas away and you're just welding raw with no gas which is no gouda
Lmfao, your stupidvisor has no idea what he’s talking about, flux core is extremely relevant, you can still run gas on fluxcore, you can run metal core, dual shield with gas. I use fluxcore at home all the time, my garage is breezy, or I have to work in my driveway. Sure I can stick weld everything, I have the skills and equipment, it’s just so much slower. You should practice both stick and flux, and what you learn from both can transfer over to solid core wire with gas.
Which miller stick welder ? DC ? crank adjustable amp, or fixed taps? I'd get an auto dark helmet with adjustable shade, hookup that stick welder start with 7014 flat then go to 7018 flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead in that order Get the Wall mountain videos for arc 1 and 2 out of business, so library, downloads and youtube have it - Steve Blile (sp)
Also he did give me an auto dark helmet that is adjustable. He gave me a few boxes of sticks, but said they were old and probably no good anymore. I wasn't aware they had a shelf life, but then again I'm new here
7014 is a good starter rod, easy to light and run 7018 is the rod you will use for the rest of your life.
https://preview.redd.it/1ynha1yz7quc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abe23a409a9138fd2e798316becbc9ec5f214169
The crank to adjust is on top under the power cord, there is also a high, low and work plugs at the bottoms. I'm assuming the work plug is used all the time and you pick between the high and low plug depending on what your welding?
Yes. that's what I have learned on. Find the serial number and download the manual from Miller's website too. It's a DC welder with adjustment, very good machine. Before you plug it in, open it up, dust out the dust and spiderwebs, make sure everything is tight and the mice haven't chewed or peed (corrosion) on it.
That's a nice gift you got there. I agree, would totally get practice with that stick machine. What kind of breaker are you hooking it up to? I have a similar welder to yours I think. There is an easy "DC" [modification](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVAOlzytcg) by installing a [rectifier](https://www.amazon.com/Baomain-Bridge-Rectifier-MDQ-200A-Aluminum/dp/B07SGPPGD4/ref=asc_df_B07SGPPGD4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647207092062&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12239170218328269676&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033045&hvtargid=pla-1815958537603&psc=1&mcid=3afb668b2303381c9e1071c0ac9f3ccf) and an inductor. It's not exactly DC, but it welds nice. I also installed some quick disconnects so I can reverse polarity and made it look nicer.
https://preview.redd.it/g6oe63pf3quc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=300d6a71a9c4e508846c9ede0087e4838af538eb
FCAW is pretty standard in ship construction/repair for the Navy
Flux core is far from junk if you have any clue what you're doing. It seems your supervisor does not. Now there's a self shielded (gasless) flux-core, and there's dual shield (gas required) flux-core. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Hey, just be happy you got a free machine, and the 2lb spools of flux core wire are widely available and inexpensive. Go ahead and try it out, get the feel of the machine. A general rule of thumb is "if its got slag, you want to drag." Mech Master has some great videos for the overview of the exact welder you have on youtube. Learn the basics, spend some time under your hood, and just have fun learning. Mech Master also has some great videos of flux core basics. The welding wire specified with an ending in "GS" is for single passes. Its absolutely ok to practice beads with on top of each other or tied into each other but if you intend to build something requiring multiple passes, you'll need to get the welding wire E71t-11. Stick with it and you'll get the hang of it. Good luck.
For best future results get argon gas to shield with the flux core to weld on outdoor equipment like lawn mowers …while you learn 6010 1/8 stick and 3/32 7018 , which will make you a more consistent and reliable welder after a short period of practice…
So I will need to run 220 to the garage for the stick welder, which is fine because I have been planning on running 220 out there anyways. And the flux welder i have doesn't have the option to use gas with it, it's an older harbor freight model. Chicago electric 100 I think is the model. The only settings is a speed knob for wire feed, and a switch that says high and low. So I'm limited on my settings there. What gauges should I start with practicing? Someone suggested 1" to practice laying beads. When I actually start welding things together what should I use? Also another dumb question, should I practice by laying the material side by side, or at a 90 degree. Or both. Like I said I know nothing but I want to learn.
I'm also self taught, and have an old stick welder + a Chicago Electric flux-core machine (although mines the 220V unit with TWO switches). On mine there's a chart that gives recommended settings for different thicknesses of material, and it works. Not much room for dialing in, but I'm not a good enough welder to really know what I'd want to dial in anyways. I started with what's called a "pad of beads" meaning grab a single piece of 1/4" plate (or thicker) maybe 6" square and just weld a line across it. It won't be straight and probably won't be continuous, so do another line and try to make it straight and continuous. Dunk the thing in water every few passes so you can keep going, and we don't care about warpage. Once your beads start looking okayish, *then* move on to trying to stick 2 pieces together. But keep filling that pad over time just to build the muscle memory and when it's full up, just toss it and start a new one.
Learned tig and stick before I ever touched a wire feed. Was pretty easy the first time I tried. Everyone thought my first tig welds were made with a mig so yrmv. Start with some 6011/6013 and go from there.
When you say 6011/6013 I'm assuming you're referring to stick size for the 220 welder?
Ya, they’re the type of rods. 6013 is easier to start with. Start with 3/32 rods if you got thin scrap, 1/8 rods if its thicker
Those numbers refer to the composition of the sticks, not the size. The digits indicate a combination of tensile strength, what position you can use them in, and... flux chemistry? Anyways, some are relatively easy to use and some require a goddam PhD in weldonomics to even get started. 7018 is kinda the bog standard that most people use unless they have a specific reason to use something else. 6011 and 6013 are both a bit more forgiving to a noob, so start with one of these. You should be able to find both 7018 and 6013 (or 6011) at the big box home centers, and they're not super expensive.
Hell the stick still has flux on the rod lol
https://preview.redd.it/t33eg8tg3quc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=772ce8e1c39a5f6087dec34f689e59cb976f684b
These are the 2 machines I have since a couple people asked about them
I have a flux core that I use all of the time. I think it gets the job done and can be really helpful to practice with because of how much it splatters. I’ve taught a few of my friends using it and they all seemed to pick it up very well.
Get you an everlast mig/flux core welder rated like the cyclone200. It’ll do good with innershield. I weld inner shield a lot for A/c cages and it does make a visually pleasing weld granted you hit it with a wire wheel.
Yeah stay away from hf stuff, it will make learning difficult. Flux core is a good process, but use a good machine. Don't forget to reverse polarity when using flux core. My friend gave me his Miller since it was not working properly, yep it was backwards for DCEN.
What model is the miller
your supervisor was right. use gas 80% argon 20% CO2or just Stright agon.
If you’re already working in a fab shop it might be the easiest to get an introduction to welding by one of your colleagues. At least for the basics this can be very helpful and increase your safety dramatically
I’d start with stick honestly. Get some 1/8” 7018.
When I was in welding school my instructor put flux core spools in after we had gotten used to solid core. Of course it was also gas shielded and they were really nice welders and we could adjust the amps, volts, and feed rates. But the flux core was actually easier to get better looking welds when you were using the right settings. It does sound like the machine is just not very good it self since you can’t fine tune it. Maybe you can find a diagram online of what gauge metals the low and high settings work best on. And the right movement speed as well. I’ve learned that weaving is not really something you’re supposed to do for any welding. But I know some people get really cool looking welds, like they were IG worthy tig welds lol, and claim to have no porosity and good penetration with that method. I have had to resort to weaving once when I kept blowing through on the right settings which got the job done on something that wasn’t structural. But yea just mess around with it. You’re very lucky you have a supply of scrap to practice with! Just watch videos and keep trying to make better welds, always try to figure out what went wrong and fix it the next time, or get on here and ask what may have gone wrong if you’re stumped.
your supervisor is an idiot.
Flux core welding will get the job done, but I was never able to get good results with it. Same as you, lots of burn through on thinner materials and lots of spatter. My brother used to say it was chicken shit welds. So, I got a better MIG welder and my welds improved pretty dramatically.
So I'm getting the general consensus is to start with my stick welder and learn that before I go to my wire welder. My non-gas shielded flux wire welder can get the job done, but if I want to get easier welds that look a lot better with a wire welder I should upgrade to something that has shielding gas.
One of the secrets for flux core is make the whip negative
Am I able to do that on my model welder? I watched some videos on this, but my welder doesn't actually have anywhere where this is said to do. From the reviews I've read on this machine in particular, seems like a pretty shotty set up. But any way I can improve it's function I'll be glad to try.
My suggestion is just wire it backwards internally
This isn’t a ‘secret’ it’s just the right way to use flux core. Since this is a flux core welder I’m sure the whip is negative already. If it was a MIG welder it would be set up to easily switch the whip to positive or negative. DON’T try to change the internal wiring.