Flux core wire: how long will it stay fresh?

Arc weld · Apr 21, 2013

Metal-Core is getting popular for structural welding here. Kind of like solid wire on steroids without all the smoke of Flux-Core. It still screws up for no apparent reason though. I've ran some 3/32" Innershield NS3M and you could lay a bead down that looked like it was done with sub-arc. Went through a 50 lb. spool in less than 2 1/2 hours! If you get arc blow, it's a big mess though.

mx842 · Apr 22, 2013

Shield Arc said:
I had a bottle of C/10 a while back to play with some spray arc welding. Didn't think to try it with the 70 Ultra Plus. I have some ESAB 710X that I have no problems with C/25.
Some over head, vertical up, and flat fillet.

That's nice, That vertical up weld looks like it was Tig welded by someone that almost knew what he was doing:drool:....very nice.

What effect on the weld itself does worm tracking present? Is it more of a cosmetic thing or is the actual weld integrity faulty. I could see maybe where it could be a problem in pipe welding that was going to be inspected but general shop welding and light fab work what does it do to the actual weld?

mx842 · Apr 22, 2013

Arc weld said:
Metal-Core is getting popular for structural welding here. Kind of like solid wire on steroids without all the smoke of Flux-Core. It still screws up for no apparent reason though. I've ran some 3/32" Innershield NS3M and you could lay a bead down that looked like it was done with sub-arc. Went through a 50 lb. spool in less than 2 1/2 hours! If you get arc blow, it's a big mess though.

Alright now I have heard a new term...what the heck is arc blow?

CNC Dan · Apr 22, 2013

mx842 said:
Alright now I have heard a new term...what the heck is arc blow?

Arc blow is when the magnetic field of the welding current pushes the arc out of it's normal position.
You can often fix it by :
Changing the location of the work clamp.
Change to AC current.
Wraping the work lead arround the work.

mx842 · Apr 22, 2013

I sent Lincon an e-mail this morning and they replied back with a page out of a ref. manual that says this wire has a 3 year shelf life if kept in a controlled environment above the dew point. I guess this puts me out of business since this wire has been kept every way but that atmosphere. I asked about the oven thing but the paper made no mention of any remedy to bring it back alive once it goes bad or gets damp.

CNC Dan · Apr 22, 2013

looks like you have nothing to lose so go ahead and try baking it.
Might try winding some onto a small spool to keep un-baked for comparison.

Shield Arc · Apr 22, 2013

mx842 said:
What effect on the weld itself does worm tracking present? Is it more of a cosmetic thing or is the actual weld integrity faulty. I could see maybe where it could be a problem in pipe welding that was going to be inspected but general shop welding and light fab work what does it do to the actual weld?

I really don't know. It sure is cosmetic. I guess an inspector could call you on it for not having the proper weld volume. Maybe even not having the correct throat size too. Years ago I worked for about 2-weeks in a bridge shop running dual shield. I was welding 24-inch heavy wall pipe to 2-inch thick plates for a job in Alaska. I could not keep the wire from worm tracking. The welding inspector would not accept the welds. Before it was over with I think everybody in the shop tried to stop the worm tracks with that wire. Ended up buying new wire, no more problems.

mx842 · Apr 23, 2013

CNC Dan said:
looks like you have nothing to lose so go ahead and try baking it.
Might try winding some onto a small spool to keep un-baked for comparison.

I think that's what I'm going to do and see what happens. I hate to throw a hunnard dollars + away and not get something for it. I can't see where it could hurt it to put it in the oven for a few hours at around 200 degrees, what's the worst that can happen?

mx842 · Apr 23, 2013

Shield Arc said:
I really don't know. It sure is cosmetic. I guess an inspector could call you on it for not having the proper weld volume. Maybe even not having the correct throat size too. Years ago I worked for about 2-weeks in a bridge shop running dual shield. I was welding 24-inch heavy wall pipe to 2-inch thick plates for a job in Alaska. I could not keep the wire from worm tracking. The welding inspector would not accept the welds. Before it was over with I think everybody in the shop tried to stop the worm tracks with that wire. Ended up buying new wire, no more problems.

I don't think I'll be building any bridges anytime soon so I think I'll keep it around and use it on bubble gum projects just to see what happens. Most of my welding is weld and grind kind of stuff anyway. I'm working on lawn mower decks right now that have worn through from years of use and most of them have large holes in several places that I have to weld in backup plates under the deck then build up the surface on the top then grind it smooth to get a nice flat finish. When I'm done it looks like nothing ever happened but it takes a lot of time to make it look right. You couldn't send them out to a real shop to get this done because you could buy a deck for what it would take to get it done but if it takes me a half a day to patch one up around here I guess I'm money ahead.