Very good explanation for beginners. As a retired welder, the only thing I might add for clarity is that welding "sun burns" are more product of UV rays than from the heat of the weld. Hence the "sun burn" reference. That and sparks is the reason for protective clothing. Glad you took the time to make this video for folks.
I honestly never noticed the burns until I started to be able to run beads. After about 30 mins or so my whole arm was bright red, thats when I realized something was up
Great comment and spot on accurate. Also, I hope nite wrencher is not welding in those rubber gloves. If those nitrile glove see a spark, the glove material will burn down into your skin.
For a rollcage, a 110 machine is more than enough. You'll want to weld on plates to where the rollcage is going to go. This allows the pressure to be spread out much better and makes it super easy to weld the cage to. Since you'll be lap welding the plates, you just need enough heat for solid penetration but dont go to far or you'll poke holes in the frame. On a stick you need to move forward and back because your hand feeds the filler material but with a mig machine, the machine should make the ripples on its own without needing to move it yourself. That being said, if youre going to be welding with gas, you can push or pull since theres no flux to create slag. You can use the same technique to create dimes with a mig like with stick welding by moving away from the weld for a split second and push the puddle back in. You gotta move faster to prevent cooling the bead too much but not too fast or your gas wont be able to shield the weld well enough
Excellent demo, covered all the most common faults and gave a good account of how to eradicate making the errors and what to do about improving your technique
For once…someone produced an informative lesson video that did NOT waste time with endless and unnecessary useless points and info. This one was clear and right on point. You tubers take note… THIS IS HOW TO MAKE AN INFORMATIVE VIDEO that gets thumbs up and likes! Well done, mister.
My HERO!! That was exactly what is always left out in other beginner flux user videos-tip length, distance to/from what your welding, angle and direction of the tip and the IMPORTANCE OF that distance and angle in getting the actual bubble or slag to drag. You were clear and concise. Thank you for not talking down to the viewers and assuming we will just “get it” like my BFF does while”helping” teach me why 4 of my 5 welds look like hell, and NOT HOW or WHAT I did to get the ONE PRESENTABLE WELD out of the bunch. You’re THE BEST! So smart man! Thanks to you!
This makes way more sense to me now. Every other video I watched would say, “do it this way not this way” but never explained why, thanks for clarifying!
If you are a beginner and really want to be good ... you have to learn the theory and understand what and more importantly WHY you are doing/choosing what ever method you are ....otherwise its just monkey see monkey do ...
Proper penetration results in even thickness throughout the ENTIRE weld gap between Materials.. I learned from my dad around age 6 which is why passing the tests were achieved ONE semester. Work all week come in Saturday weld and pass three weeks of work to achieve the Credential.
As a beginner welder using flux core, this was by far the best video instruction I’ve seen. Concise and quickly answered soooo many questions that I lie awake wondering after my first few times welding. Great info delivered efficiently. Thank you.
I have been welding for years and have watched a lot of videos and no one has been able to explain it so easily to understand as you have. Awesome job, keep up the good work. you are helping a lot of people. I look forward to watching more of your videos
Great video! I'm 70 and beginner with cheap Harbor Freight Flux core welder. Have learned (the hard way) about sun burns, red hot sparks, super heat, bad angle, too fast, burn through, pushing instead of dragging etc and finally decided to learn properly from watching utube stuff. I know stubborn too. I've watched about 20 or so videos and found yours real good because you showed my work #1 and what I'm striving to do #4. I'll try again today if it doesn't rain, get too cold, feet don't hurt, arthritis in right hand lets up, racoons haven't stolen my tools or crapped on them, get new glass eye protector (current is burned white). Damn, perhaps GOD really doesn't want me welding!!! Regards from Florida...
Getting the basic settings like for solid wire , straight polarity electrode positive work negative, reverse polarity electrode negative for flux core work positive really smooths out beads less angle drag on heavier gauge steel for penetration and manipulation of weld puddle rolling dimes , practice makes perfect good welding..👍✌️😊🙏
Same as this guy, I only use oxy acetylene for lead welding but started brazing and now trying steel. Once I master oxy acetylene I might buy a machine.
@@PeakyBlinder same here, I did a little oxy acetylene welding and brazing but it was many years ago. I'm looking to get my first home/shop use welder now, thinking about a MIG/flux core welder - seems it should handle most of the projects I need to tackle. So much to learn before I get started.
I recently got back into using my welder. Tip for people learning to weld. When you create small tacks to hold pieces together and you're coming to a tack, your puddle should be hot enough to begin melting that tack before you get to it and then when you run though that tack and it should become one uniform weld. You will see improvement over time, but I struggled for the longest time getting it right. Tack welds don't need to be large either just enough to hold.
Great tip, might not apply to everyone here but this makes sense to me as I'm day 4 into a new job and I'm just training. Stop and start weld are annoying but I'm literally brand new but with my nvq being 12 years old
Quick warning to the newbies among us about the gloves and jacket: don’t use rubber gloves or synthetic fiber gloves - they make fireproof (well, resistant) welding gloves that tolerate being sprayed with liquid steel without burning you. Same for jackets - both are available from where you get your welding supplies; but if they’re out of stock you can get them online too. Personal experience: the gloves that harbor freight sells at 10 bucks for 3 pairs seem OK; they are large and well insulated and seem to hold up to use besides welding. I wear them when driving my tractor in the winter because the insulation works in reverse also; keeping my hands from freezing. There are other brands with more bells & whistles; though.
If im going to be using a titanium 125 flux core welder for small projects, do you think I should invest in a jacket? Im thinking an old heavy cotton sweatshirt should do, but i have no idea. Thanks!
@@philipgillett603 My experience: yes. I have a Lincoln Pro-MIG 140 (120v machine, from Lowe’s) and I run flux-core wire in it, and it does throw hot blobs of liquid steel far enough to make having a jacket worthwhile. Also, that’s something that will stay with you if/when you upgrade to a bigger machine; or get other stuff like a plasma cutter (I’ve personally managed to spray my face with liquid steel because I had the plasma torch angled just exactly wrong when starting a cut in the middle of a plate of steel - good thing I was wearing my full kit; I would NOT have liked getting that in my eyes!). I also picked up a cheap leather apron from Amazon; it keeps small bits of liquid steel from making their way thru my jeans.
Just leather gloves a long sleeve shirt and a hood. That's all you really need. If ya want FR stuff that's up to you, but really not needed for a casual welder. I've welded for years and I use 100spf sunblock on my arms with a short sleeve and basic leather gloves. If ya want cool stuff, I suggest buying a quality hood!
I've done a lot of instruction in my life, in several fields. I'm picky about giving the right information in a consistent, understandable fashion and not confusing the subject. I also am big on language skills so you can actually convey your thoughts to others in a succinct, clear fashion. I said all this to say that if I were to pick one video to explain the most pertinent information in a clear and understandable fashion that even a beginner could understand, this would be it. In fact, I'm going to forward this to a beginning "apprentice" of mine so that he can get a feel for the info ahead of time, then when I go over this it will be familiar and I'll be reinforcing what he's already heard instead of contradicting or confusing the situation or leaving things out. Even if I do, he'll have this to go back to and fill in any blanks or questions. Great video!! 😊
I’m just learning how to weld and I’ll admit it’s one of the harder hobbies for me. After about a week of looking You nailed my issues. Perfect explanation thank you!
As a relative novice, but someone who understands the “science” behind this process, I have to say I’m EXTREMELY impressed with this video. Thank you for the pointers.
I'm a 65 year old beginner doing welding nightschool but with inert gas (Argon / CO2) - equipment that is more professional than I can have at home. This is a great intro that I can relate to and it gives me the feeling I will be able to do flux core welding at home. Many thanks!
Id like to add that if your mig gun is being pushed off of or away from your base metal you need to adjust the tensioner on your drive wheel. Back off on the tensioner knob so that the wheel slips just a bit whenever the wire stops feeding. If the wire is stopped for whatever reason at gun and theres too much tension it will push the gun away or cause a "birds nest" in the machine at the drive wheel. Ive been welding 41 years and MIG is the easiest welding process there is if you take time to make sure everything is setup correctly.
@@billycolwell4263 I've seen it happen one time. It was because the fella welding had just installed a new 2lb spool of wire but he didn't tighten the nut securing the spool tight enough. So instead of the axle allowing the spool to float with just a bit of drag, when he pulled the trigger it released the spool allowing it to free spin. It bird nested the new roll. I helped him get the wire properly wound back on the spool and then demonstrated how to find that balance of enough tension vs too much/too little. This was on a Hobart H140. So, as you mentioned .. tighten the drag on the spool .. but .. gotta find that sweet spot.
Hey I really appreciate the flux core training videos. Your clear and calm explanations are the best instruction. I had been putting in lots of practice and still got inconsistent welds; but after learning from you; changing my gun angle and dragging, it's like a revolution, I want to weld everything now. I was able to repair my exhaust after someone tried to steal the cats from it. Even with my harbor freight (A/C) welder, I'm getting satisfactory welds now. So guys, improve your skills before you blame the equipment. Become better, then upgrade. Thank you for the effort put into these videos, it helps a whole lot of us.
Some people just like to have a project to do so they don’t have to be in the house with the wife and kids so upgrading a welder isn’t very hard you only need a few parts and it keeps you busy i haven’t met one person complain about this welder but i wanted to weld thicker steel for a small bike frame and the ac didn’t have enough strength so I did the dc conversion and replaced the HF wire with Lincoln and it came out perfect
Dang, the first two welds look just like my handiwork. Once in a while I'll produce a weld like the third one, and on the rare occasion, one like the fourth weld. I could never figure out how I produced the last, and would just stand and stare at the weld in amazement. Thanks for outlining what to look for!
Todd Z, the answer my friend... is blowing in the... no wait ? The answer sir is patience. It takes a LOT of patience to weld... and if you think about it, it's all about heat, temperature, time (for puddle), angle and blah blah blah... you can't just "hurry" things up, which is my own biggest mistake. I used to hold my breath, but the young man that taught me my basics always said "Breath Vic", and so I try to remember this every time I pick up the gun. My welds are definitely better too . . . when I am patient and breath.
Of hundreds welding videos on ytube, you're the only one that actually taught me valuable lessons. Wire length, gun angle and how it effects weld pool are the coolest information and these help my stick welding as well. Thank you for all other videos as well.
Good I just learn how to weld I bought mine today and Jesus 10 mins and a pro already I went back to back and came out perfect with your instructions pretty self explanatory idk how anyone could just fuck it up maybe I haven’t got to the hard part yet I’m gonna get ahead of myself it happens a lot but I always get it done ✅
As an absolute beginner (hobby) all my welds looked like the first one! I thought I’d purchased a duff machine! This video is awesome! I can’t wait to get back at it! Thank you so much man 😊
Great video! Very quick and to the point. A lot of other videos wastes time with pointless filler. You made a 10 minute video that honestly felt like 3 because you were so concise.
This is the single greatest beginner welding video I have seen. Im just a hobbyist but the tips here helped me go from a frustrating mix of success and failure to strong and decent looking welds. No ones going to pay me for them, but they get the job done and reallg increased the fun in my hobby projects. Thank you so much!
Another thing you can do is remove the gas shield it's not needed with flux core wire. Helps a lot in tight places plus makes it easier to see what you are doing.
Really clearly explained. So many times it's just not concise and focused...often a guy rambling on while trying to think of what he's going to say next. In other words, they don't have the experience to tell the viewer what is critical and what is secondary. So bravo! Great job! Thank you!
Just recently got the Titanium 125 and this by far has been the best video I've seen about welding with flux core. Thank you. I feel like I can take these tips and get a much better weld.
It's UV, not heat that causes the welders tan. All welds create it, protect your eyes, your hands and its really easy to cover your forearms with cheap leather welders sleeves. A low profile welders respirator is a great idea too but as long as you've got good ventilation, you'll get by. It's awesome that so many people are getting into welding & metal fabrication :)
THANK YOU for taking the time to make this great video. I’m not kidding when I tell you I inherited my fathers Campbell Hausfeld 105 wire feed when he passed away and it has sat unused for almost 10 years because I’ve always been a little intimidated and thought there’s no way I can teach myself. Well now since we are living in COVID times and my cash flow is much tighter I’m doing all the maintenance myself on all our trucks. Saving big big money even tho I do really miss simply dropping the trucks off at the local Ford dealer for service and repairs on flip side now since discovering I’m actually quite a good mechanic and have more patience than I ever thought I would and I actually enjoy turning wrenches I will be tackling the welding. Your video is clear and easy to follow/understand. Thank you again.
I just did my first welding yesterday. Wish I would have seen this video before I started. Thanks so much for posting this, great information about pull vs push for flux core welding. Much appreciated!
First time I've heard "slag you drag"...great advice! I have a friend that got frustrated and put his machine up and you explain this better than I could. Hope he gives it another try! Thanks!
Thank you..pull the flux...that's what I needed to hear. I've struggled with this HF welder since day one. It has made me a pretty good grinder..lol Thanks, maybe now I can save on grider discs.
Recently got Flux-cored welder so im learning how to do it and this video is really helpfull. Finally i know how to do it, now i just have to practice. Whoever i asked everyone told me to get MIG or anything else and nobody was willing to explain basics on how to hold the gun and what happens when its wrong. Btw im very beginner welder, never welded anything and this is very helpful, thanks.
Great video, NightWrencher! I watched about 50 "Beginner's guide to welding" videos, and was doing welds exactly like the ones you showed without knowing where I was going wrong. This is my missing link/light bulb moment. Thank you!
@@NightWrencher I was changing voltage, changing wire speed, the only thing I didn't change WAS ME!!! I think I need to take a valium before I try again. When the sparks start flying I turn into a basket case thinking it's a race! RELAX MAN!!! I will watch your other videos. Thanks again. ;-)
I'm a beginner welder a diy!! Just like you said I'm finally getting the hang of it and got sunburn on my arms and shoulders time to gear up!!! Thanks.
Was struggling with welding 2” angle on to a utility trailer for taller side and was questioning my machine until I watched this video! Now My welds are much more stronger and clean! Best welding for beginners on the tube! THANK YOU
Good explanations, I’ve never welded in my life but’ve been watching a lot on it for a while now. I understand what you’re saying. A great way for people to understand is to show each example in real time so we can actually see the techniques to avoid and how to really get a great weld. Thanks for your video very helpful✨
Thank you for producing this video. I have been teaching myself welding. And I have run into the exact problems that you have mentioned. But this is one of the first videos that actually demonstrates the problem in a way that makes sense.
That was really informative. I've found that making mistakes ( inadvertently of course ) makes you remember what you don't want to do. My buddy, who never had any experience with boats, bought a boat. First trip out the boat nearly sunk because he forgot to put the drain plug in as we put it in the water. Second trip we ran out of gas. That was 35 yrs ago and to this day I'll bet he's never forgotten those two rules of boating.
Great video...just what I needed. Did a lot of fabrication and different forms of welding back in the 80's/90's. I have a TIG/SMAW setup for my home (hobby) use, and just purchased a MIG setup. This brought back a lot of the issues I went through while learning to MIG, and this video will help me avoid an entire re-learning curve.
Best explanation I've seen. I've been Welding flux core for 10yrs now with a Lincoln weldpak 140hd and a small bit of stick Welding. I usually end up with number 3 and sometimes number 4. I've been getting more splatter which now I have a solution thanks to you! Another thing that has helped me other than more protective gear is an auto darkening helmet. I want to get a flashlight for the mig gun but If I lighten my helmet darkness a little it helps me keep on track and watching the puddle. I have horrible vision and have had cataracts since my late teens early 20s way before I ever touched a welder.
Thank you for the info about the gun angle and pulling the weld towards yourself vs pushing. Welding is one of those things where, even if you can watch someone doing it, you can't see much with the welding helmet on! It helps to see the "bad" welds and have you explain what happened and how to correct it.
"If it's got slag let it drag" - brilliant! I will remember this for when I try gasless wire next. My welding instructor of 22+ years ago had worked on oil rigs etc as a coded welder, his stick arc welding was absolutely amazing. He rarely needed a chipping hammer, his slag used to peel off in one piece, by itself as the weld cooled. It was amazing to watch and his welds were flawless. Incidentally, he had also previously worked with Billy Connelly as a welder before Billy got into comedy.
had to pause 15 seconds into this post. The night wrencher has to be the coolest handle ever! Brand brand brand new to welding and I think I am going to watch all of your posts. And subscribed! back to vid
Thank you for talking about sunburns when welding. I found about those the hard way the other day. There was a gap between my jacket and my welding helmet, and got a very nice first degree sunburn at the base of my throat. It’s not just about heat-welding creates a whole bunch of UV light. Neck protection is your friend.
Saftey gear is number 1 i not only got sunburn ? I had cancer removed from my chest , area , i put it down to welding not wearing a jacket , i stress to every one , saftey gear
It has been a number of years since I was trained on welding and that was using stick. Your instructions on wire feed welding are very helpful and I will keep your site marked so I can get more information on wire feed welding. Thank you.
I have watched a ton of welding videos. You by far have given me more information to help my welding become better than any of the other so-called professionals. Thank you!
Thank you for this video. Really helped me. Now I understand what I have been doing wrong. Now I just need to figure out how to adjust my helmet lens so I can see better while welding.
Dude. So thorough, answered the questions that popped into my brain as you went. Perfection, man, thank you so much. I'm a guy on a farm that needs to weld every so often. Thank you!
This was very helpful man. I bought a flux core welder and jumped right in after watching a lot of welding videos. All of my work looks like the first example. 😂 and I have no idea how to adjust the damn thing. You’re explanation was the best I’ve seen so far. I’m taking a welding class this fall to get certified. I’m excited.
Thanks man, I have a few more videos on the subject if you wanna check them out. If you want to weld as a profession, stick or tig is what I would focus on. Theres not as much demand for mig or flux core. Flux core is more of a general purpose process, perfect for the hobbyist.
Just wanted to let you know bro that your video took me from almost giving up to being excited about keeping it going. I’m still not great but I’m better than I was and I’m keen to learn more. Thank you brother.
Wow this is amazing! I've only been welding for 3 or 4 years or so, mostly aluminium, took on bigger (for myself) projects than I really should have for a beginner, built a boat, etc BUT I recently got a cheap flux core MIG just for the small fixes around the house, hutch cover here, hinge repair there, chicken coop fixings, trailer jockey wheel, etc - whatever -- and after a few practice shots I have quite a wide variation in quality amongst these welds, from 'good/passable' to total popcorn mess! - and I hadn't figured out WHY yet... Your video has just helped me immensely as I have encountered all of these types of welds on my recent attempts and wasn't sure what I was doing wrong on each, I jsut knew sometimes they'd come good and sometimes they wouldn't lol THANKS THANKS THANKS!
Agreed, I actually took a class and they never spoke about fluxcore as it was a mig/tig class. I weld outside and the gas blows away as I am near the ocean so sh#t welds. Flux is good for me. Slag let it drag is my correction.
Brilliant. My welds did look like the first example yesterday, they were awful and I thought it was the welder (..a poor workman blamed his tools right!). I watched your video, took your tips on-board and today my welds are infinitely better, not perfect, but stronger, cleaner and effective. I still get some splatter but I was able to repair our snow-blower, which is really important right now as we are a charity and we clear snow for a bunch of seniors. Thanks for the clear and simple tips. Dave
Nice video, i was using my mig with gas for reparing a gate outside and wind blowing the gas, thinking of going the fcaw route but worried about the welds looking shitty. tnx for the video man, keep the good job !
This is about the tenth video I have watched on this subject today and is by far the most instructive for a beginner like myself, so thanks man. Great job.
Very good explanation for beginners. As a retired welder, the only thing I might add for clarity is that welding "sun burns" are more product of UV rays than from the heat of the weld. Hence the "sun burn" reference. That and sparks is the reason for protective clothing. Glad you took the time to make this video for folks.
I honestly never noticed the burns until I started to be able to run beads. After about 30 mins or so my whole arm was bright red, thats when I realized something was up
@@NightWrencher the better the bead/ longer the bead the more consistent UV light your producing.
@@NightWrencher to 0plolppololpl lol lolol lol lol of
Great comment and spot on accurate. Also, I hope nite wrencher is not welding in those rubber gloves. If those nitrile glove see a spark, the glove material will burn down into your skin.
Hi i loved this video im going into the welding trade soon i will be watching alot of these videos
Let me know if the video was or wasn't helpful!
help me a lot tq.. i am a beginer
Hi my friend tankyoj for your very exelente explanation very clear edgar guzman from santaana californiai have a25. 140 Welmark. tankyou
For a rollcage, a 110 machine is more than enough. You'll want to weld on plates to where the rollcage is going to go. This allows the pressure to be spread out much better and makes it super easy to weld the cage to. Since you'll be lap welding the plates, you just need enough heat for solid penetration but dont go to far or you'll poke holes in the frame. On a stick you need to move forward and back because your hand feeds the filler material but with a mig machine, the machine should make the ripples on its own without needing to move it yourself. That being said, if youre going to be welding with gas, you can push or pull since theres no flux to create slag. You can use the same technique to create dimes with a mig like with stick welding by moving away from the weld for a split second and push the puddle back in. You gotta move faster to prevent cooling the bead too much but not too fast or your gas wont be able to shield the weld well enough
Excellent demo, covered all the most common faults and gave a good account of how to eradicate making the errors and what to do about improving your technique
simplest and easiest to understand explanation I've seen ,straight forward plain speak , bravo sir! thank you
For once…someone produced an informative lesson video that did NOT waste time with endless and unnecessary useless points and info. This one was clear and right on point. You tubers take note… THIS IS HOW TO MAKE AN INFORMATIVE VIDEO that gets thumbs up and likes! Well done, mister.
Thank you! I really appreciate it!
no annoying background music
Yes this is great.
youtubers don't watch welding videos unfortunately
Indeed a great core welding video!
Thanks for takeing your time to show and explain how to properly weld with core wire.
My HERO!! That was exactly what is always left out in other beginner flux user videos-tip length, distance to/from what your welding, angle and direction of the tip and the IMPORTANCE OF that distance and angle in getting the actual bubble or slag to drag. You were clear and concise. Thank you for not talking down to the viewers and assuming we will just “get it” like my BFF does while”helping” teach me why 4 of my 5 welds look like hell, and NOT HOW or WHAT I did to get the ONE PRESENTABLE WELD out of the bunch. You’re THE BEST! So smart man! Thanks to you!
Thank you! I'm late to respond but I do appreciate it! I hope it helped you!
This makes way more sense to me now. Every other video I watched would say, “do it this way not this way” but never explained why, thanks for clarifying!
Thank you! Hope it helps!
Right?
Awesome !
Finally : a welder who talks about the stuff i have here at home, not about Pro Gear.
Great tips for us amateurs !
Thank you! I appreciate it! 👍
If you are a beginner and really want to be good ... you have to learn the theory and understand what and more importantly WHY you are doing/choosing what ever method you are ....otherwise its just monkey see monkey do ...
totally correct... i have been waiting for a guy like this
Amen to that!
Night wrenches has no clue about welding
Ive been welding flux for a while as a beginner, this is one of the more well explained videos Ive watched on TH-cam
Thank you! I really appreciate it!
I agree, I was trained on shield gas to push the weld puddle but with my flux core welder that doesn't work at all. I'll be dragging it now. Thanks.
@@Dougs-Ear-Hole-Entertainment dragging let's you see the puddle and fold It for stacking dimes.
Proper penetration results in even thickness throughout the ENTIRE weld gap between Materials.. I learned from my dad around age 6 which is why passing the tests were achieved ONE semester. Work all week come in Saturday weld and pass three weeks of work to achieve the Credential.
The last 3/4 of the semester familiarizing with next weld process Tig " titanium is brittle , mig arc smaw Plasma pulse modulation brown's gas etc
As a beginner welder using flux core, this was by far the best video instruction I’ve seen. Concise and quickly answered soooo many questions that I lie awake wondering after my first few times welding. Great info delivered efficiently. Thank you.
I have been welding for years and have watched a lot of videos and no one has been able to explain it so easily to understand as you have. Awesome job, keep up the good work. you are helping a lot of people. I look forward to watching more of your videos
Thank you! I really appreciate it! Hoping to get my reach out there so more people can get into welding!
Is it possible to weld exhaust pipe around the back side if you pull the wire out farther?
💯% Greetings from Greece!
Great video! I'm 70 and beginner with cheap Harbor Freight Flux core welder. Have learned (the hard way) about sun burns, red hot sparks, super heat, bad angle, too fast, burn through, pushing instead of dragging etc and finally decided to learn properly from watching utube stuff. I know stubborn too. I've watched about 20 or so videos and found yours real good because you showed my work #1 and what I'm striving to do #4. I'll try again today if it doesn't rain, get too cold, feet don't hurt, arthritis in right hand lets up, racoons haven't stolen my tools or crapped on them, get new glass eye protector (current is burned white). Damn, perhaps GOD really doesn't want me welding!!! Regards from Florida...
🤣 thank you sir, hopefully you get back on it soon!
Very helpful! You identified most of the problems I was having as I am just learning basic welding techniques. You are an excellent teacher.
Thank you! I hope it helps you out!
Getting the basic settings like for solid wire , straight polarity electrode positive work negative, reverse polarity electrode negative for flux core work positive really smooths out beads less angle drag on heavier gauge steel for penetration and manipulation of weld puddle rolling dimes , practice makes perfect good welding..👍✌️😊🙏
Same as this guy, I only use oxy acetylene for lead welding but started brazing and now trying steel.
Once I master oxy acetylene I might buy a machine.
@@PeakyBlinder
same here, I did a little oxy acetylene welding and brazing but it was many years ago. I'm looking to get my first home/shop use welder now, thinking about a MIG/flux core welder - seems it should handle most of the projects I need to tackle. So much to learn before I get started.
I recently got back into using my welder. Tip for people learning to weld. When you create small tacks to hold pieces together and you're coming to a tack, your puddle should be hot enough to begin melting that tack before you get to it and then when you run though that tack and it should become one uniform weld. You will see improvement over time, but I struggled for the longest time getting it right. Tack welds don't need to be large either just enough to hold.
Great tip, might not apply to everyone here but this makes sense to me as I'm day 4 into a new job and I'm just training. Stop and start weld are annoying but I'm literally brand new but with my nvq being 12 years old
Quick warning to the newbies among us about the gloves and jacket: don’t use rubber gloves or synthetic fiber gloves - they make fireproof (well, resistant) welding gloves that tolerate being sprayed with liquid steel without burning you. Same for jackets - both are available from where you get your welding supplies; but if they’re out of stock you can get them online too.
Personal experience: the gloves that harbor freight sells at 10 bucks for 3 pairs seem OK; they are large and well insulated and seem to hold up to use besides welding. I wear them when driving my tractor in the winter because the insulation works in reverse also; keeping my hands from freezing. There are other brands with more bells & whistles; though.
I have picked up fire rated coveralls from "Ollies" for $30 or less as well as Bargain hunt.
Dont be stupid always wear protection no matter how pro you think you are. Nobody likes accidents during working just makes working that much harder.
If im going to be using a titanium 125 flux core welder for small projects, do you think I should invest in a jacket? Im thinking an old heavy cotton sweatshirt should do, but i have no idea. Thanks!
@@philipgillett603 My experience: yes. I have a Lincoln Pro-MIG 140 (120v machine, from Lowe’s) and I run flux-core wire in it, and it does throw hot blobs of liquid steel far enough to make having a jacket worthwhile. Also, that’s something that will stay with you if/when you upgrade to a bigger machine; or get other stuff like a plasma cutter (I’ve personally managed to spray my face with liquid steel because I had the plasma torch angled just exactly wrong when starting a cut in the middle of a plate of steel - good thing I was wearing my full kit; I would NOT have liked getting that in my eyes!).
I also picked up a cheap leather apron from Amazon; it keeps small bits of liquid steel from making their way thru my jeans.
Just leather gloves a long sleeve shirt and a hood. That's all you really need. If ya want FR stuff that's up to you, but really not needed for a casual welder. I've welded for years and I use 100spf sunblock on my arms with a short sleeve and basic leather gloves. If ya want cool stuff, I suggest buying a quality hood!
I've done a lot of instruction in my life, in several fields. I'm picky about giving the right information in a consistent, understandable fashion and not confusing the subject. I also am big on language skills so you can actually convey your thoughts to others in a succinct, clear fashion. I said all this to say that if I were to pick one video to explain the most pertinent information in a clear and understandable fashion that even a beginner could understand, this would be it. In fact, I'm going to forward this to a beginning "apprentice" of mine so that he can get a feel for the info ahead of time, then when I go over this it will be familiar and I'll be reinforcing what he's already heard instead of contradicting or confusing the situation or leaving things out. Even if I do, he'll have this to go back to and fill in any blanks or questions. Great video!! 😊
Thank you sir! I really appreciate it! That means a lot!
I’m just learning how to weld and I’ll admit it’s one of the harder hobbies for me. After about a week of looking You nailed my issues. Perfect explanation thank you!
It'll get easier with more seat time!
As a relative novice, but someone who understands the “science” behind this process, I have to say I’m EXTREMELY impressed with this video. Thank you for the pointers.
Thank you! Much appreciated!
Thank you for the BEST tutorial on flux core welding I have seen on TH-cam. Clear, thorough, excellent.
Thank you very much! That means a lot!
I'm a 65 year old beginner doing welding nightschool but with inert gas (Argon / CO2) - equipment that is more professional than I can have at home. This is a great intro that I can relate to and it gives me the feeling I will be able to do flux core welding at home. Many thanks!
You're welcome! Flux core is the go-to for the hobbyist. Its quick, compact and versitile.
❤ thanks a lot
Id like to add that if your mig gun is being pushed off of or away from your base metal you need to adjust the tensioner on your drive wheel. Back off on the tensioner knob so that the wheel slips just a bit whenever the wire stops feeding. If the wire is stopped for whatever reason at gun and theres too much tension it will push the gun away or cause a "birds nest" in the machine at the drive wheel. Ive been welding 41 years and MIG is the easiest welding process there is if you take time to make sure everything is setup correctly.
You need to tighten the drag on on the spool. I've never seen a mig machine backlash.
@@billycolwell4263 I've seen it happen one time. It was because the fella welding had just installed a new 2lb spool of wire but he didn't tighten the nut securing the spool tight enough. So instead of the axle allowing the spool to float with just a bit of drag, when he pulled the trigger it released the spool allowing it to free spin. It bird nested the new roll. I helped him get the wire properly wound back on the spool and then demonstrated how to find that balance of enough tension vs too much/too little. This was on a Hobart H140. So, as you mentioned .. tighten the drag on the spool .. but .. gotta find that sweet spot.
Thank you = Finally some one who knows what he is talking about and who knows how to explain it properly.
Hey I really appreciate the flux core training videos. Your clear and calm explanations are the best instruction. I had been putting in lots of practice and still got inconsistent welds; but after learning from you; changing my gun angle and dragging, it's like a revolution, I want to weld everything now.
I was able to repair my exhaust after someone tried to steal the cats from it.
Even with my harbor freight (A/C) welder, I'm getting satisfactory welds now.
So guys, improve your skills before you blame the equipment. Become better, then upgrade.
Thank you for the effort put into these videos, it helps a whole lot of us.
Thank you sir! I really appreciate it! There's a really cool welding video coming up in a few days, hope you like it!
Some people just like to have a project to do so they don’t have to be in the house with the wife and kids so upgrading a welder isn’t very hard you only need a few parts and it keeps you busy i haven’t met one person complain about this welder but i wanted to weld thicker steel for a small bike frame and the ac didn’t have enough strength so I did the dc conversion and replaced the HF wire with Lincoln and it came out perfect
Dang, the first two welds look just like my handiwork. Once in a while I'll produce a weld like the third one, and on the rare occasion, one like the fourth weld. I could never figure out how I produced the last, and would just stand and stare at the weld in amazement. Thanks for outlining what to look for!
Hope it helps out!
Mine too lol, thank God this guy explained it
I knew many Welders and None actually gave me as much direction as this short video. Thanks and keep it up, we are watching and Wanting to learn.
The first one is mine, I am new to flux welding lol and very limited welding experience too
Todd Z, the answer my friend... is blowing in the... no wait ?
The answer sir is patience.
It takes a LOT of patience to weld... and if you think about it, it's all about heat, temperature, time (for puddle), angle and blah blah blah... you can't just "hurry" things up, which is my own biggest mistake.
I used to hold my breath, but the young man that taught me my basics always said "Breath Vic", and so I try to remember this every time I pick up the gun.
My welds are definitely better too . . . when I am patient and breath.
Of hundreds welding videos on ytube, you're the only one that actually taught me valuable lessons. Wire length, gun angle and how it effects weld pool are the coolest information and these help my stick welding as well. Thank you for all other videos as well.
Thank you sir! I appreciate it!
im 14 years old and this just got my around the house welds like that love this guy hes making my fuitcher way better thank you wrencher
👌
Good I just learn how to weld I bought mine today and Jesus 10 mins and a pro already I went back to back and came out perfect with your instructions pretty self explanatory idk how anyone could just fuck it up maybe I haven’t got to the hard part yet I’m gonna get ahead of myself it happens a lot but I always get it done ✅
I'm glad its working out for you man!
As an absolute beginner (hobby) all my welds looked like the first one! I thought I’d purchased a duff machine! This video is awesome! I can’t wait to get back at it! Thank you so much man 😊
Thank you! I hope it helped!
I have been stick welding for decades. Just got a flux core machine for home. This video is super helpful! It's just what I needed to know. Thank you.
Let me know how it works out!
@@NightWrencher Very good, I welded a spring perch on a Jeep axle. Your info helped. Thank you.
Thats awesome!
Theres a whole flux core welding playlist here on the channel full of videos like this so check it out!
Very good and thanks
@@bobharris3754 yuh yuuy
Phenomenal video man, thanks for making it! Helped me figure out what's going on with my new flux welder👍
Thanks man, I appreciate it!
@@NightWrencher 100%!
I have spent tens of hours watching videos on welding and finally found this gem. Excellent explanation on flux core welding process! Thank you!
Thank you sir! That means a lot!
Exactly what I needed, clear and concise. I'm less apprehensive of buying a flux welder now. You have a new sub. Thanks!
Great video! Very quick and to the point. A lot of other videos wastes time with pointless filler. You made a 10 minute video that honestly felt like 3 because you were so concise.
Thank you! I really appreciate it!
All the answers to my weekends messy and poor 1st attempt at welding in less than 10 mins. I now owe you a beer.
Thank you! I hope it helps you out!
Great vid! Thanks.
👍
$
Lot of money
I’m a complete beginner. This was the best video I’ve found explaining what I’m doing wrong and how to correct it. Thank you. Subscribed
Thank you! Good luck on your welds!
This is the single greatest beginner welding video I have seen. Im just a hobbyist but the tips here helped me go from a frustrating mix of success and failure to strong and decent looking welds. No ones going to pay me for them, but they get the job done and reallg increased the fun in my hobby projects. Thank you so much!
Best beginner explanation I have ever watched. Big thanks.
Another thing you can do is remove the gas shield it's not needed with flux core wire. Helps a lot in tight places plus makes it easier to see what you are doing.
I tend to keep it on so I don't lose it lmao
I thought this was gas less explanation. I’ve welded flux core for 20 years and 75-25 is alway the best. Gas less is garbage I won’t use it
@@buttneked3963 cool story bro!
@@buttneked3963 useless comment. Thanks for that.
They make flux core nozzles. They work great.
Really clearly explained. So many times it's just not concise and focused...often a guy rambling on while trying to think of what he's going to say next. In other words, they don't have the experience to tell the viewer what is critical and what is secondary. So bravo! Great job! Thank you!
Thank you! That really means a lot!
This is the welding video I've been waiting years for as a weekend-warrior flux-core person. Thank you sincerely
Thank you! I hope it helps! Ive got more tutorial videos on the channel so feel free to check them out!
Hands down ,the clearest and most useful instructional video on welding I have seen since I got my self a MIG. Thank you!
Thank you sir! I really hope it helps!
Best advice I’ve seen in any TH-cam welding video. Solid 10 mins well spent
Been using fluxcor for a while now and watched several videos on it, yours was the most helpful
Thank you! I really appreciate it!
Just recently got the Titanium 125 and this by far has been the best video I've seen about welding with flux core. Thank you. I feel like I can take these tips and get a much better weld.
I hope it works out for you!
It's UV, not heat that causes the welders tan. All welds create it, protect your eyes, your hands and its really easy to cover your forearms with cheap leather welders sleeves. A low profile welders respirator is a great idea too but as long as you've got good ventilation, you'll get by. It's awesome that so many people are getting into welding & metal fabrication :)
@@christymearna3912 He said "so many people". That doesn't indicate one gender or another! No need to get so touchy right off the bat!
@@fubisroc9673 she didn't get touchy, best I can tell.
Shes fine bro
Doggone, THIS is how TH-cam videos should be! Quick, FULL of info, no BS, no like and subscribe nonsense. You rock
THANK YOU for taking the time to make this great video. I’m not kidding when I tell you I inherited my fathers Campbell Hausfeld 105 wire feed when he passed away and it has sat unused for almost 10 years because I’ve always been a little intimidated and thought there’s no way I can teach myself. Well now since we are living in COVID times and my cash flow is much tighter I’m doing all the maintenance myself on all our trucks. Saving big big money even tho I do really miss simply dropping the trucks off at the local Ford dealer for service and repairs on flip side now since discovering I’m actually quite a good mechanic and have more patience than I ever thought I would and I actually enjoy turning wrenches I will be tackling the welding. Your video is clear and easy to follow/understand. Thank you again.
Hope it helps you out man!
0:56 Are your gloves inflated with air?
I wear 1 size smaller gloves because I like them to be skin tight 😎 my hands look like balloon animals so I guess youre not wrong.
If I had watched this before my first attempt , I would have been way more successful. This video is a must for all beginners! Thank you 🤙
Its all just trial and error, youll get it!
I just did my first welding yesterday. Wish I would have seen this video before I started. Thanks so much for posting this, great information about pull vs push for flux core welding. Much appreciated!
Thank you! I hope it helps you out! I have several videos for newbies in a playlist so feel free to check them out
Very informative. My welds improved 30% after viewing this video. Thanks for taking time to help people.
Thats always nice to hear!
I'm a beginner with flux core. Excellent explanation, demonstration video. Was having much trouble trying to figure out. Cheers from Australia.
Thank you! I hope it goes well!
First time I've heard "slag you drag"...great advice! I have a friend that got frustrated and put his machine up and you explain this better than I could. Hope he gives it another try! Thanks!
I hope so too! Good luck!
Thank you..pull the flux...that's what I needed to hear. I've struggled with this HF welder since day one. It has made me a pretty good grinder..lol Thanks, maybe now I can save on grider discs.
Good luck! The cheapy hf welders produce too much spatter but the general idea is the same! Good luck!
direct and to the point. 100% useable info. I wish all tutorials were this good.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
All I can say is what capital
🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨⚪
Total late-age beginner. My weld looked exactly like your worst one. This video was a real good education. Thanks!!!
Hope it helps! Thank you!
Recently got Flux-cored welder so im learning how to do it and this video is really helpfull. Finally i know how to do it, now i just have to practice. Whoever i asked everyone told me to get MIG or anything else and nobody was willing to explain basics on how to hold the gun and what happens when its wrong. Btw im very beginner welder, never welded anything and this is very helpful, thanks.
You're welcome! I have a lot more videos like this on the channel in case you need more help!
Great video, NightWrencher! I watched about 50 "Beginner's guide to welding" videos, and was doing welds exactly like the ones you showed without knowing where I was going wrong.
This is my missing link/light bulb moment. Thank you!
Thank you! I hope it helps you out! I've got other welding tutorials on the channel in case you need more guidance! Good luck!
@@NightWrencher I was changing voltage, changing wire speed, the only thing I didn't change WAS ME!!! I think I need to take a valium before I try again. When the sparks start flying I turn into a basket case thinking it's a race! RELAX MAN!!! I will watch your other videos. Thanks again. ;-)
When in doubt, turn up the voltage, turn down the wire speed, get closer and move slower 👍
Thank you for taking the time to identify some of the common mistakes we tend to make when we are beginning to weld.
Thank you! I hope it helps!
I'm a beginner welder a diy!! Just like you said I'm finally getting the hang of it and got sunburn on my arms and shoulders time to gear up!!! Thanks.
Gotta be careful! Those burns are from UV rays, get yourself a jacket and some good gloves!
Was struggling with welding 2” angle on to a utility trailer for taller side and was questioning my machine until I watched this video! Now My welds are much more stronger and clean! Best welding for beginners on the tube! THANK YOU
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it! There are other welding tutorials on my channel so feel free to check them out!
Good explanations, I’ve never welded in my life but’ve been watching a lot on it for a while now. I understand what you’re saying. A great way for people to understand is to show each example in real time so we can actually see the techniques to avoid and how to really get a great weld. Thanks for your video very helpful✨
Ive got like 3 other welding videos with good examples, check them out!
@@NightWrencher I will thanks✨
And now I understand why some of my welds looked good and some of them looked horrible. Thanks!
I'm glad it helped you out!
Excellent video. The explanation could not be any better.
Much appreciated! Thank you! I have more videos similar to this in a playlist in case you need it!
Thank you for producing this video. I have been teaching myself welding. And I have run into the exact problems that you have mentioned. But this is one of the first videos that actually demonstrates the problem in a way that makes sense.
That was really informative. I've found that making mistakes ( inadvertently of course ) makes you remember what you don't want to do. My buddy, who never had any experience with boats, bought a boat. First trip out the boat nearly sunk because he forgot to put the drain plug in as we put it in the water. Second trip we ran out of gas. That was 35 yrs ago and to this day I'll bet he's never forgotten those two rules of boating.
Thankyou for the info words can’t explain how much myself and many other back yard wrenchers appreciate those of you who share your knowledge!!
Thank you! I hope it works out for you!
Very helpful, I started welding for the first time earlier this week and you described exactly what I was doing wrong, thanks.
Thats awesome man! I hope it works out!
Great video...just what I needed. Did a lot of fabrication and different forms of welding back in the 80's/90's. I have a TIG/SMAW setup for my home (hobby) use, and just purchased a MIG setup. This brought back a lot of the issues I went through while learning to MIG, and this video will help me avoid an entire re-learning curve.
Best explanation I've seen. I've been Welding flux core for 10yrs now with a Lincoln weldpak 140hd and a small bit of stick Welding. I usually end up with number 3 and sometimes number 4. I've been getting more splatter which now I have a solution thanks to you! Another thing that has helped me other than more protective gear is an auto darkening helmet. I want to get a flashlight for the mig gun but If I lighten my helmet darkness a little it helps me keep on track and watching the puddle. I have horrible vision and have had cataracts since my late teens early 20s way before I ever touched a welder.
I try to keep my helmet as light as I can because too dark and you cant see where you're going with the gun.
I’m 61 and just learning to weld. I just wanted to thank you for your awesome advice. Thank you!
This has to be one of the best explanations using flux core. Thank you!
Much appreciated! Thanks!
Thank you for the info about the gun angle and pulling the weld towards yourself vs pushing. Welding is one of those things where, even if you can watch someone doing it, you can't see much with the welding helmet on! It helps to see the "bad" welds and have you explain what happened and how to correct it.
Thank you! I'll have similar videos out soon!
Best instructional video for beginning Flux welding I've seen. Thanks for the helpful, specific and clear instructions. Outstanding! 🤙🏽
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
"If it's got slag let it drag" - brilliant! I will remember this for when I try gasless wire next. My welding instructor of 22+ years ago had worked on oil rigs etc as a coded welder, his stick arc welding was absolutely amazing. He rarely needed a chipping hammer, his slag used to peel off in one piece, by itself as the weld cooled. It was amazing to watch and his welds were flawless. Incidentally, he had also previously worked with Billy Connelly as a welder before Billy got into comedy.
I'm not very good with stick but you cant get much stronger that that!
had to pause 15 seconds into this post. The night wrencher has to be the coolest handle ever! Brand brand brand new to welding and I think I am going to watch all of your posts. And subscribed! back to vid
Thanks buddy, I really appreciate it 👍
Thank you for talking about sunburns when welding. I found about those the hard way the other day. There was a gap between my jacket and my welding helmet, and got a very nice first degree sunburn at the base of my throat. It’s not just about heat-welding creates a whole bunch of UV light. Neck protection is your friend.
Yeah that stuff is no joke!
Saftey gear is number 1 i not only got sunburn ? I had cancer removed from my chest , area , i put it down to welding not wearing a jacket , i stress to every one , saftey gear
Thank you I didn’t know about the dragging thank you so much I have been fighting this exact problem you have cleared it up for me thank you 😊
Thanks! I hope it helps out!
i will try your prcess. i guess i thought i knew it all, lol
This was the best video of welding due too it covered everything that I am doing wrong. Great job!
Thank you! I really hope it helps you out!
I have not welded yet since seeing your U-tube. Thanks
It has been a number of years since I was trained on welding and that was using stick. Your instructions on wire feed welding are very helpful and I will keep your site marked so I can get more information on wire feed welding. Thank you.
Everytime I've tried welding with my cheap machine I get the results on your first example. Now I know why.
Thanks for the help.
I have watched a ton of welding videos. You by far have given me more information to help my welding become better than any of the other so-called professionals. Thank you!
Awesome, thank you! I really appreciate it!
3 years later and still helping the beginner
Great video; you dropped some knowledge for us newbies
Hope it helps!
Thank you for this video. Really helped me. Now I understand what I have been doing wrong. Now I just need to figure out how to adjust my helmet lens so I can see better while welding.
Thank you! I hope it works out!
Dude. So thorough, answered the questions that popped into my brain as you went. Perfection, man, thank you so much. I'm a guy on a farm that needs to weld every so often. Thank you!
This was a great use of 10 minutes to maximize my welding potential 👍🏾
Thank you! I appreciate it!
This was very helpful man. I bought a flux core welder and jumped right in after watching a lot of welding videos. All of my work looks like the first example. 😂 and I have no idea how to adjust the damn thing. You’re explanation was the best I’ve seen so far. I’m taking a welding class this fall to get certified. I’m excited.
Thanks man, I have a few more videos on the subject if you wanna check them out. If you want to weld as a profession, stick or tig is what I would focus on. Theres not as much demand for mig or flux core. Flux core is more of a general purpose process, perfect for the hobbyist.
I'm a beginner with flex core wire welding, great info, Thanks
👍
Just wanted to let you know bro that your video took me from almost giving up to being excited about keeping it going. I’m still not great but I’m better than I was and I’m keen to learn more. Thank you brother.
Thats awesome man, good to hear 👍
Wow this is amazing!
I've only been welding for 3 or 4 years or so, mostly aluminium, took on bigger (for myself) projects than I really should have for a beginner, built a boat, etc
BUT I recently got a cheap flux core MIG just for the small fixes around the house, hutch cover here, hinge repair there, chicken coop fixings, trailer jockey wheel, etc - whatever -- and after a few practice shots I have quite a wide variation in quality amongst these welds, from 'good/passable' to total popcorn mess! - and I hadn't figured out WHY yet...
Your video has just helped me immensely as I have encountered all of these types of welds on my recent attempts and wasn't sure what I was doing wrong on each, I jsut knew sometimes they'd come good and sometimes they wouldn't lol
THANKS THANKS THANKS!
Very well done video . I really appreciate the time and effort you shared with so many of us! THANK YOU!
Thank you! I really appreciate it! I have several more welding videos on a playlist if you need more help!
The best instructional flux welding video I have ever watched' thanks so much!
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Agreed, I actually took a class and they never spoke about fluxcore as it was a mig/tig class. I weld outside and the gas blows away as I am near the ocean so sh#t welds. Flux is good for me. Slag let it drag is my correction.
I'm in the first to the left!! hahahaha It's been so so helpful !! can't thank you enough, Congrats!!!!!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!
This is the video I’ve been looking for a really long time…fantastic tutorial.thank you
Brilliant. My welds did look like the first example yesterday, they were awful and I thought it was the welder (..a poor workman blamed his tools right!). I watched your video, took your tips on-board and today my welds are infinitely better, not perfect, but stronger, cleaner and effective. I still get some splatter but I was able to repair our snow-blower, which is really important right now as we are a charity and we clear snow for a bunch of seniors. Thanks for the clear and simple tips. Dave
Practice makes perfect! I'm glad you're starting to get it!
I’m a beginner, and that’s what I needed it ... a well explained video , thanks
I hope it helps you out!
Nice video, i was using my mig with gas for reparing a gate outside and wind blowing the gas, thinking of going the fcaw route but worried about the welds looking shitty. tnx for the video man, keep the good job !
Thanks man! I hope it works out for you!
The heat doesn't cause the sunburn, it's the uv rays. The first weld WILL cause sunburn.
Just bought a fluxcore welder. Have never used fluxcore before. This was very informative. Can’t wait to get my power run outside!!!!
This is about the tenth video I have watched on this subject today and is by far the most instructive for a beginner like myself, so thanks man. Great job.
Thank you! I really appreciate it!
Soon as you said "symulating" I knew this was about to be a helpful video
I don't know what you mean but thank you 😂