Flux core is tough to get a smooth looking bead unless you crank it up...heat and wire speed.
Be careful with the 110v machines. Yes, they will weld up to 1/4 plate single pass BUT buried deep in the fine print it says you should only run continuous in like 5 second bursts or the machine is likely to overheat some internal plastic pcs on the lead trunnions and wire junction blocks. Check your user manual as I've seen Lincoln, Hobart, and Chicago Electric 110v welders do this. I melted a Craftsman/Lincoln welder installing rockers on my GTX.
That being said, I laid miles of bead in my lifetime and I learned two things that make my beads and penetration look good. Turn the heat up. Adjust the wire speed to match but a lot of ppl are afraid to burn a hole so they weld on too low of a setting. Its way easier for me to adjust my hand speed to how high my amperage setting. The welds you showed are definitely getting better but the heat is too low still. Close but low.
Second, its easier for me to get a real smooth and strong bead with feathered edges if I "stitch" the weld rather than just push the wire. I push forward a bit then stop and just as I stop linear motion, I just twist my hand backward like a twist throttle motion. I twist backward about 3/8 of an inch and then stop, twist back toward myself, move ahead a little and repeat. This "stitches" the weld and runs a little more heat back on the previous weld giving your base metal a bigger melt puddle and thus a smoother bead with better penetration.....Looks second, Penetration FIRST. This method works better on thinner material and with colder welding machines like yours.
OK! .....hint #3. Don't be afraid to burn holes and you will become a master bead layer fast. The BEST way to learn how to stop fearing a burn-thru is to learn how to fix one. Everyone does it two or three times. Once you practice fixing them and get good, you'll be a better welder for it. I use the trigger to give really short bursts on the edge of holes. It only adds a 1/16 at a time at the most but it works. I also use the same method to weld sheet metal. Short bursts and let it cool in between bursts to reduce warping. It takes forever but its worth the effort.
Flux core is tough to make pretty beads with but they hold fine if done right. I would stop using flux core and use the gas. If your bead looks like it was laid on top of the base metal, turn up the heat until it looks melted all the way into it.
These are all just my suggestions of methods I use and your results may vary.
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Originally Posted by onformula1
oh well maybe next year... It seemed like a winner
cooked it til 1:30 last night.
