Welding Helmets To Auto Darken or Not?

[Matthew P]

Another option for outdoor welding is flux-core wire. Run it in your MIG with the polarity reversed and no shielding gas. Popular among hobbyist for it's budget and simplicity (no gas bottle) and farmers for being able to work on stuff out in the wind.

I'll let you do your own research on the details. But I'll just say that it looks like a big steaming pile until you hit it with a wire brush and not the slag off, then it looks like a proper weld.

YouTube is great for learning.

Matt

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Matthew P

Another option for outdoor welding is flux-core wire. Run it in your MIG with the polarity reversed and no shielding gas. Popular among hobbyist for it's budget and simplicity (no gas bottle) and farmers for being able to work on stuff out in the wind.

I'll let you do your own research on the details. But I'll just say that it looks like a big steaming pile until you hit it with a wire brush and not the slag off, then it looks like a proper weld.

YouTube is great for learning.

Matt

I have a confession. I used argon shielding gas with my MIG for years. Then I tried resin core and became the world's worse welder (sometimes approximating poor wartime welds adding authenticity but that's not the point). Once I cottoned on to the need to reverse polarity my welding is much better and I'm now a fan of resin core for most basic fabricating. A little splatter perhaps but that can be dealt with.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Bruce Parker

Once I cottoned on to the need to reverse polarity my welding is much better ....

I have been issued with a couple of the small lincoln 140A welders over the past decade that welded like absolute crap. Same deal on both of them....they had been wired backwards.

Personally, I prefer the inert gas over the flux.I also prefer a minimum of 175Amp for the little semi-portables. My next machine though is going to be an Esab Rebel....I have heard a lot of good things about them.