Flux core bead appearance

[steve28]

This may be a personal preferance but what is the best weld profile? Myself i tend to set up my machine so my welds are slightly covex.

As far as overall strength is a flat bead better is the flat for a fillet weld?

Tonight i will be replacing the 3/8 sheeting in the box of one of our dump truck now i was always told ( when i use to work just with hard wire) any weld over 1/4" as to use multi passes. but i see some guys in the shop lay down a 3/8 weld in one pass. Where i tend to lay down a root pass then one on the bottom and another on the top.

just a side note in our shop we use .045 71m wire and c25 shielding gas.

[MicroZone]

Prference on material type and method of laying it down. On some stuff I like to push to get a thicker bead, on other material I like to pull to get a thinner bead. The flat bead strength will depend on your total volts and gas used. I think you're fine for 1 pass 3/8.

[weldrwomn]

Steve28, I think that you have it right doing multiple passes. When you push a large weld puddle with Gas shielded Flux Core, you have the potential for slag entrapment among other things. 1/4in is probably the largest bead that you would want to run with .045 wire in one pass. You should try to weld in the flat position whenever possible and a flat to SLIGHTLY convex bead profile is the most desirable.

[steve28]

Ok, thx for that i work on heavy equipment and transports with only a little fab jobs. So flipping things is next to impossible

[lorenzo]

Hey Steve... I would have to agree with weldrwomn.

Wire size, type ( solid, cored ) and the mode of transfer determine how large a fillet I will run before going to a multi pass bead. Spray with .045 soild wire has no problem laying down excellent 1/4" + beads.

[steve28]

Originally Posted by MicroZone

On some stuff I like to push to get a thicker bead, on other material I like to pull to get a thinner bead.

I've always dragged but i tried pushing and it all went wrong. the bead was wide and concave, nothing seemed to work

[lorenzo]

I use a forehand (push) motion when performing spray and globular transfer, and a backhand (pull/ drag) motion when performing short circuit transfer.

these are a few threads that have pics of some of my welds done with dual shield wire in a spray transfer.
http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=9870
http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=9589
http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=9308
http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=9244

If you can post some pics of the problems you are having and the parameters that you are running at.

[steve28]

ok i'll snap some pics on monday