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Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
Hi guys, new here. I was wondering what part of the puddle do you look at whilst fluxcore welding? One person says to look at the wire while someone else says the front part of the puddle.
Also how do you get it consistent? Sometimes my welds look really good and then sometimes they are all over the place. Thanks for any advice.
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
When I could still weld good, I watched the puddle, not the wire. Sometimes it's beneficial to look at the puddle from behind it, to see the profile, but that depends on your style of welding. Flux core runs brighter than stick, so it can present problems when you have cataracts.
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
id say it depends which wire. the heavier structural wire (...t-8), i look at the molten flux, mostly behind my direction of travel every bit as much as the puddle. the lighter wire (211,212) not so critical, more the puddle. wire stickout is watched for both
Last edited by 123weld; 12-27-2021 at 12:16 AM.
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
Thanks guys. I push the puddle instead of dragging it for the most part.
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
As long as the angle isn't too extreme, pushing can still work. I myself prefer a relatively neutral angle to a very slight drag. As for what to look at, I look at the whole puddle in general; The leading edge is where the penetration happens so I focus on maintaining the proper travel speed to keep the wire at the leading edge, but the tail end of the puddle shouldn't be too tear-drop shaped with a very long "<" at the end as that might mean you have too much amperage going into the part and the molten puddle might be too large.
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
What Oscar said proper travel speed after you burn 400 to 500 lbs of it you will catch on
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
I watch the puddle which is where the wire is. NR211 is easy, Nr232 is a little tricky.
We've done so much, for so long, with so little. Were now qualified to do anything with nothing !
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
Thanks guys. I wish I was more consistent with my welds. Some look good really good and then sometimes they're ****ty looking,cold rolling etc. I suppose it's just practice though.
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Re: Fluxcore Puddle - What do you look at?
Originally Posted by
darrenk1q
Thanks guys. I wish I was more consistent with my welds. Some look good really good and then sometimes they're ****ty looking,cold rolling etc. I suppose it's just practice though.
You would probably benefit from practicing on a pad. Most welding schools start off their students with this exercise. Take a 6x6" piece of steel, preferably 3/8" thick, but 1/4" will do. Weld left to right, overlapping each bead 50%. Wire brush between each bead. Cover the pad. Then turn it 90 degrees and do another layer. Repeat for 4 or 5 layers. PAY ATTENTION to correct position, angle, speed, visual focus point (i.e. the puddle), etc., don't just go through the motions while thinking about a football game.
Then flip the plate over and do the same thing, only stand the plate on edge and weld horizontal beads. Then get another plate and do it with vertical beads.
Do this with your wire, and also with your main rods - 6010/11, 7018, etc. and anything else you weld with.
The idea is to get proper welding programmed into your muscle memory. It's sort of like when you learned to write in the 1st grade... you'd make that "e" loop over and over and over, not just do it a couple of times.
There are two kinds of skills. The first kind, you learn how to do it, and you've learned it, like baking a cake or changing a tire. The second kind, you practice and practice and gradually improve over time, like playing a musical intrument.
Welding is the second kind.
-Ruark
"Become one with the puddle, grasshopper" - Welding Instructor
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