Online MIG flux welding calculator and 3/16" steel

[SylvainG]

Hi, looking at different charts, welding 3/16" steel with a MIG and flux wire has a way higher amp requirement than 1/4" steel.

Thickness	3/32"	1/8"	3/16"	1/4"	3/8"
Speed	145-155	175-185	205-215	220-230	245-255
Current	110-125	140-155	190-220	170-190	330-375
Voltage	14-15	14-15	15-16	15-16	16-17

I thought maybe that calculator was wrong so I tried different sites and they all produce the same result. Speed seems to be linearly increasing, voltage is up but it's the same voltage for 1/4" steel, so why is the current requirement so high for 3/16"?

Here's one of them:

MIG Flux-Cored Weld Setting Calculator | MillerWelds

Browse suggested weld parameter settings forMIG (Flux-Core) Welding.

www.millerwelds.com

Edit: Actually, I think it's more like the 1/4" value that is 'wrong'. 250A seems to create a straight line when comparing current against thickness for all the thickness there. Is that it or is 1/4" 'special'?

With value above:

With 250A for 1/4

Edit 2: Sorry if you're on mobile (app). The table doesn't display properly there

 

[California]

I just completed a project with .035 FC. Some of it was 3/16 angle iron to 1/4 angle iron. Your suggested change to that chart to make everything linear matches what I observed. 7 or 8 (out of 10) for 3/16 to 3/16, speed and current at max for 3/16 to 1/4.

This is a HF MIG-180 modded with a big capacitor that provides one more step up of current (Likely at the price of shorter duty cycle, or life of the diodes). Penetration into the 1/4 with the welder at max looked good.

I suspect Miller made a typo in that chart, and everyone copied it.

Related: I'm looking at the Miller Android app. For .035 FC with no additional shielding gas:

It matches the apparent errors in the chart you cited.

3/16: Speed 205-215, Amperage 190-220, Voltage 15-16

1/4 : Speed 220-230, Amperage 170-190, Voltage 15-16

 

[WranglerX]

I just go with chart on inside door for the ball park figures and "dial" it in from there to get good penetration and bead....

 

[PILOON]

OK, I have a cheap wire welder that I bought to weld thin stock.
Quite well made for the price and seems that it'll do that I hoped, BUT
The feed speed seems kind of wild to me.

It is marked 1-10 and does vary the feed but I believe it still to be much too fast.
It literally spews wire.

Is there some basic speed, like in inches/min or FPM that is a standard?
Always wondered if somebody used the wrong potentiometer during assembly.

For the $100 I paid I still believe it was a good buy but just wonder about that speed.

I am confident that I will be able to make the feed slow down a bit depending on the comments I receive.

Also it sputters a lot but I think that a brand quality core wire will lessen that considerably.

I consider myself to be a rather advanced stick welder but never had prior experience with wire nor even seen one in use.

 

[California]

OK, I have a cheap wire welder...
It literally spews wire.

Is there some basic speed

I consider myself to be a rather advanced stick welder but never had prior experience with wire nor even seen one in use.

What model welder? Got an Amazon link describing it?

You should be able to slow it to a crawl.

I too went from a big old stick welder, a decade of good solid results but a little crude, to a small wire welder for small stuff. It takes some practice on scrap to get a sense of what adjustments you need, to maintain a puddle as evenly as the stick welder did.

 

[California]

Is there some basic speed, like in inches/min or FPM that is a standard?

Here's a chart I copied long ago. I don't remember the source.

.030 at 4 inches per second welding 1/8 material sounds awfully fast!

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[Sberry]

Remember the wire speed is the "heat" or the current. Its the amps on a feeder. The voltage is a rather minor adjustment to make it sizzle a little.

 

[yomax4]

It's all about the volts not the amps. 1/4" I'd go 045. 035 seems to cook out at about 18v.

 

[Sberry]

I would be glad to read about this if you want to elaborate.

 

[yomax4]

All or most wire manufacturers offer weld parameters for their wires be it solid or cored. Like 15-22v 150-235 IPM. They have a low and high number to cover several thicknesses. They never really mention amp output because it can vary with what you described by manipulating the wire speed. You can turn the wire up or down and it will very much change the arc length if the welder can hold a steady torch height. So you are correct saying that wire is the current. Once the volts are selected the wire speed becomes the output adjustment.