Welding Question
- Thread starter nunyabinis
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two_bit_score
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Grinding dirty or greasy metal can drive the contaminants down into the metal, so I am told by my friends who do body work. They always clean metal before they do any grinding.
LD1
Epic Contributor
I agree
2manyrocks
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I think two of the posters already hit the nail on the head. Flux core creates its own shielding gas as you weld. When you start the first of the weld, there isn't any gas yet. So the porosity is a result of it being the first pass.
If you switch to tank shielding gas, you're going to get less smoke, less spatter, and a much cleaner weld. Once you switch, you aren't likely to go back to flux core unless you just flat run out of shielding gas on a project and have to use flux core to finish until you get another tank.
If you switch to tank shielding gas, you're going to get less smoke, less spatter, and a much cleaner weld. Once you switch, you aren't likely to go back to flux core unless you just flat run out of shielding gas on a project and have to use flux core to finish until you get another tank.
OP
nunyabinis
Gold Member
I have a Lincoln 175 MIG welder that I run .030 solid wire with CO2/Argon for welding small stuff. And yes, it lays down a very nice weld.
I use the Millermatic 251 welder with the flux core for the thick stuff.
I'll try cleaning the metal BEFORE I grind it and see if that helps clean up the first weld. If that doesn't fix the problem I'll try heating the metal before the first weld and see what that does.
Thanks for the suggestions guys.
gazoo1
Member
hey buddy i've had this happen also first i clean with commercial grade` degreeser works great then grind sorry i had it backwards good luck
RPW
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If this is very thick metal you will get better welds if you pre-heat your metal to begin with. This can be done with a propane torch. You will only need to do this at the beginning. Al else is clean, clean, and clean.
Good luck.
Good luck.
zman007007
Platinum Member
I just read a article about a week ago warning not to use brake cleaner on a part that you are going to weld on. It puts off poisonous gases,and it only takes a little whiff to make you very sick, so I would just use a degreaser on it. zmanJust a minor point here:
Brake cleaner is degreaser, bottled up and pressurized in a convenient can.
About the only degreasing agent that I can think of, which won't offgas some nasty fumes is Simple Green; and it doesn't work as well as the alcohol/acetone/laquer thinner based stuff-plus it takes much longer to dry.
Toxic fumes you say?
ANY welding operation produces toxic fumes, and should be done with adequate ventilation.
If the toxic fumes put off by brake cleaner were the only thing to worry about, in terms of residual gasses when welding, then such a warning against it's use for pre-weld degreasing would be a major influence in the decision to use/not use it.
It makes me wonder how the Nervous Nellies who write these articles would actually degrease a brake rotor...
Same smelly stuff, same potential for heat input once dry and assembled...not to mention the possibility of inhaling asbestos brake lining dust, or even the non-organic linings now in use. They just don't know or haven't told us what that stuff will do to our lungs.
Bottom line?
You've got to use some common sense and basic safety measures when you're doing any sort of "build it yourself" project.
Otherwise, leave the keys in the garage office, wrap yourself in a blanket and wonder what eventually will kill you.
Sorry for the rant. I'm not attacking you zman, just your source. I've used brake cleaner for many different purposes, including pre-weld degreasing, with adequate ventilation.
Never got any sicker than I was when I started.
Brake cleaner is degreaser, bottled up and pressurized in a convenient can.
About the only degreasing agent that I can think of, which won't offgas some nasty fumes is Simple Green; and it doesn't work as well as the alcohol/acetone/laquer thinner based stuff-plus it takes much longer to dry.
Toxic fumes you say?
ANY welding operation produces toxic fumes, and should be done with adequate ventilation.
If the toxic fumes put off by brake cleaner were the only thing to worry about, in terms of residual gasses when welding, then such a warning against it's use for pre-weld degreasing would be a major influence in the decision to use/not use it.
It makes me wonder how the Nervous Nellies who write these articles would actually degrease a brake rotor...
Same smelly stuff, same potential for heat input once dry and assembled...not to mention the possibility of inhaling asbestos brake lining dust, or even the non-organic linings now in use. They just don't know or haven't told us what that stuff will do to our lungs.
Bottom line?
You've got to use some common sense and basic safety measures when you're doing any sort of "build it yourself" project.
Otherwise, leave the keys in the garage office, wrap yourself in a blanket and wonder what eventually will kill you.
Sorry for the rant. I'm not attacking you zman, just your source. I've used brake cleaner for many different purposes, including pre-weld degreasing, with adequate ventilation.
Never got any sicker than I was when I started.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Wouldn't sandblasting before welding work?
