I Dont Think The 023 Wire Can Be Bought With Flux Core (I Could Be Wrong) So There For You Will Need To have a Shielding Gas Set Up. I Can Tell When I Have Forgotten To Turn The Gas On and Weld With No Gas with The 023 Woody You Can Weld Patch Panels With The Flux Core But Please Believe me I Started Out That Way and Saved My Pennies and Bought The Gauges and Bottle Of Argon & CO2 for My Miller Matic 130 and I Won't Go Back To Flux Core On Doing Body Work On My Vehicle's Its Such a Cleaner Weld Than The Flux Core,But The ? is,Is Your Mig Welder Set Up To Take Gas ? Some Welders I have Heard Are Not Set UP To Take Gas and only a Flux Core Rig! The Article Sounds Right To Me That Is What I Use, and All In All I Use The Gas On Stuff That I Want a Clean Weld and I Convert Back Over To Flux Core When I Weld Stuff Like My Car Trailer,I Modified Steps and Brackets To Tie Down Stuff On It. Also To Convert My Mig I Think It Was Just Over $100 For Gauges and Bottle of Argon/CO2 Woody, Good Luck & Practice First On a Scrap Piece,YOU CAN DO IT!!!! Keep Us Posted! Allen
Allen, I might have said it wrong. The .023 that I bought is not flux cored. My welder is set up for gas, I just have yet to try it. Let me ask you this. If I'm not using flux core, then is gas required to do the job? The ony thing I've done with this welder is flux core. I've had this all explained to me a long time ago, but since I didn't put it into practice, I've pretty much forgotten. I believe the article said to use Argon 75/25. Does this sound correct? If I must use it, I guess I better take another look at my mig welding dvd, and this time try and stay awake. Woody
You have to use shelding gas for solid wire(.023). You also have to change the polarity on your welder. Mig is the only to go on patch panels. Take your time fitting the panels, and use air to cool your stich welds as you go. Chris
Thanks Chris, I was prepared for the air to cool, as I go. Guess another purchase tomorrow for the gas. Woody
Woody,Chris Is Right,You Will have To Change Polarity, Sorry I Forgot That Part, Do You Have a Miller Rig? Its Pretty Strait Forward,My Miller machine also Had a Tape With it on The Conversion and Also Under The Door That The Feed Wire Goes It also Shows The Conversion For The Polarity Change and Set Up! On Mine also you Have To Reverse The Wire Feed Roller That Pushes the Wire Threw The Hose from The Nerald Side for Flux Core To The Smooth End For The Solid Wire,Real Easy Step in Changing Mine Is This Way, Not Sure If Yours has That, But Just For What Its Worth! Woody, again Its Not That Hard To Change Over and I Know You Will Be Happy You Did Once You Start Welding With The Shielded Gas! Allen
Hey Woody,Mig (Metal Inert Gas) is One Way To weld Your Patch Panels,If Your Like Me That's All In can Afford, But Just Remember MIG Produces A Much Harder, If You Will,Bead! So The Idea Is NOT To Get a Huge Bead Or Glob OF Weld at The Seam It Makes it That Much Harder To Grind The Welds Down and There For You are Producing More Heat In The Panel, So Just Try To Stitch The the panel With Small Tac Welds Resiting The Temptation Of Running a Real Long Bead In One Area! Also You Will Find When Grinding Down The Weld a Flap Style Disc On Your Grinder, Is Going To Be Your Friend Instead of the Solid Type Grinding Disc. Allot of Guys With TIG ( Tungsten Inert Gas)Rigs Will Tell You That's What They Prefer To Weld With as The Weld Is a Much Softer Bead and Allot Easier To Grind Down . TIG Welding Units are Coming Down In Price, But You Will Still Put Down Maybe Over a Grand For One! All In All, Practice on some scrap Pieces and alternate Your Welds and go Back in Forth and Don't Keep the Heat Concentrated In One Area,And Chris is Giving Great Advise with Using a Air Hose and Cooling Down The Weld as You Go! I Apologize for Hogging This Discussion, Just wanting to Help Ya!!! and I Think there Is a H In (Inert) Somewhere isn't There? Help Me Out Guys! Allen
Allen and Chris, Okay, I believe I've got it. I bought my gas today, and got a 125 CF bottle, so I should have plenty enough to make all the mistakes I can stand. I understand about changing the polarity, and my unit as well has the instructions inside the cover. I wasn't however aware of the changing of the wheel. But, I'm sure I'll figure it out. BTW, my unit is a Hobart. It seems like a good enough unit for my needs. Now, if this heat will just give us a break. 109 yesterday, and not sure what it was up to today, but right after lunch it was already at 103. We could really use a break here. I'm even paying some other poor soul to mow my lawn, cuz I just can't take it. He named his price, which in my mind was too high, but I said "no problem". I would have asked for double that. Guys, thanks to both of you for all the help. I wish I could return the favor some day. Woody
Woody, Hobart Units are a Nice Set Up! We Are Melting Here In AZ,But We did Get a Monsoon Rain Today! Keep Us Posted,And Again Good Luck W/Your Truck. Allen
Woody,Just Wondering If you are Welding Patch Panels Or are You still Melting Like We Are Here In AZ?
Allen, I ain't done squat to the truck. But, we only hit 100 today. I've been buying more parts though. I've just about bought a whole new truck by now. The only things I haven't bought is a seat, the lights, and bumpers. Soon, I won't have any excuses. Actually, I've got a couple of parts back ordered, and the engine still hasn't shown up. It's coming from Phoenix so how bout telling those boys to get with it for me. It's actually not even due for another week, and I'm getting excited to see it. Tomorrow (four day weekend ) the plan is to finish removing the bed, and the cab is very close to being ready. After that, I'm still not too close on the patch panels, but I don't think the frame will take too long. Then, paint/rust removal and then the panels. So, I'm not too far along, but all of these inquiries have been questions that have been building for the build.
Bondo does wonders when kept very thin for finishing. At the most I finished up with 1/16 at the thickest.
