If you don’t mind the shortcomings, the Chicago Electric Flux 125 is a good flux-core welder. But it’s an old machine today, and it lags behind the competition in a number of key areas.
As a result, we believe the YesWelder 135 offers superior value for money. This is especially true if you add the Harbour Freight extended warranty to your purchase. In that case, the YesWelder will be around the same price, and it is a viable option to investigate.
Please let us know if you have any experience with the Chicago Electric Flux 125 in the comments section below.
What are some of the most common welding symbols?
Here are some reasons why you might despise welding symbols: They appear to be a drunken band of crop-circling aliens attempting to decipher the Enigma code. Here are some reasons why you should enjoy welding symbols: It can make a significant impact once you’ve channeled the Turring deep within you to obtain some understanding of this turmoil. Even a simple understanding of welding symbols can make a huge difference in the quality of your welds. So put on your safety goggles and prepare for a crash education in fundamental welding symbols.
Welding symbols are used by the designer and the welder to communicate. They were widely peppered throughout most drawings for a welding project. An arrow, a leader line (connected to the arrow), a horizontal reference line, a tail, and a weld symbol (not to be confused with welding symbol, which refers to the entire thing) make up the skeleton of a welding symbol. 1 (see symbol). Don’t panic if you’ve already lost your way. Everything will start to make sense soon.
The arrow and leader line indicate the location of the joint in concern, while the weld symbol indicates the sort of weld to be performed. The weld should be made on the same side as the arrow if the weld symbol is below the reference line (as in symbol 1). The weld should be on the side opposite the arrow if the weld sign is above the reference line. If the symbol appears on both sides of the joint, you guessed it, the weld must be done on both sides (see symbol 2).
But what if there are two somewhat offset weld symbols (symbol 2)? This means you’ll have to perform a weld that’s made up of several smaller welds. The welding symbol in this situation will have numbers to the left and right of the weld symbol (tricky, we know). The width (or diameter) of the weld is indicated on the left, while the length is indicated on the right. The number to the right in the example of symbol 2 above will give you the length of the increment first (which is 2), then the pitch (distance between increment centers), which in this case is 5.
Because the weld sign is not offset in symbol 3, the numbers refer to the total length of the weld. This indicates that the weld will be 20 units long from start to end, rather than being finished in segments.
In the tail of the welding sign, there may be specific instructions (see symbol 3). This usually instructs the welder to utilize a specific form of welding or to pay close attention to a specific detail. The tail is regarded optional if nothing is contained in it, and it can even be taken off entirely.
There’s a lot more to learn about welding symbols, but this quick primer should help you get started.
Check out our most popular improvement posts if you want to increase your skill set even more:
What is the difference between MIG welding and flux welding?
To begin with, both processes employ a spool of wire to provide the filler metal for the weld, but the main difference is the type of wire used. MIG welding employs a solid wire, whereas flux core welding uses a tubular wire with flux inside the tube, thus the name. There is meaning behind the flow, which is also where the two methodologies differ significantly.
What is the best way to make flux core welds appear good?
Flux core welding is a skill that can only be learned through practice. However, there are a few pointers that can help you avoid making frequent rookie blunders. Use the following as a guide:
- Maintain the appropriate drag angle. An angle of roughly 15 degrees to 45 degrees is required for flat, above, and horizontal locations. Vertical placements with a 5 to 15 degree angle are preferred.
- Burnback should be avoided at all costs. When the wire melts into a ball at the end of the contact tip, this is known as burnback. Use the proper wire feed speed for the project and maintain your welding gun at a safe distance from your work to avoid this.
- Prevent the nesting of birds. When the wire becomes tangled and cannot be fed properly, this occurs. Instead of GMAW wire, use U-groove or knurled-V wire.
- Make sure to leave marks at the top of your weld. Avoid worm tracking by following the filler metal manufacturer’s recommendations for setting the filler metal. If worm tracking persists, reduce your voltage by half a volt at a time.
Is flux welding a simple process?
A flux core wire welder is a fantastic investment if you want to save time and money. When it comes to flux core mig welding, you can start welding straight out of the box in under an hour.
When you first start MIG welding with flux wire, you’ll notice that the flux core wire produces slag. Except for the fact that you have to chip it away, slag isn’t a major issue.
You don’t have to worry about slag while welding with the MIG (metal inert gas) procedure since the weld bead is smooth and attractive.
Is it necessary to use gas with flux core wire?
Because the weld pool is protected by gas formed when flux from the wire is burned, self-shielding flux-cored wire does not require extra shielding gas. As a result, because it does not require an external gas tank, self-shielding flux-cored wire is more portable.