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Swapped my stick electrodes for flux-core on a outdoor job last month
I always used 6010 rods for field repairs, figured that was the only way to go. But I had a big tank repair up in Portland where the wind was kicking up something fierce, probably 20 mph gusts. Buddy of mine who's been doing boilers for 25 years told me to try out some self-shielded flux-core wire instead. I was skeptical, but I grabbed a small machine and gave it a shot. Honestly, the weld came out cleaner and I didn't have to fight with arc blow or porosity from the wind. Anyone else made the switch for outdoor work and stuck with it?
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blairc904d ago
That bit about fighting with arc blow really hits home for me. I had the same problem with 6010 rods on a pipeline repair near the coast, the wind was pulling my arc all over the place. Once I switched to flux-core, it was like night and day. The self shielding just lets you run a bead without constantly worrying about the weather conditions. I still use stick for indoor stuff or tight spots, but for anything outside where the wind is a factor, flux-core has become my go to. Plus you can move faster and don't have to stop to swap rods every few inches.
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Read a welding forum where a guy swore by dual shield for the exact same reasons.
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roberts.leo4d ago
Oh man, that flux-core switch sounds like the exact same nightmare I had last summer. I tried running 6010 on an old rusty gate and the arc blow was so bad my weld looked like a drunk spider crawled across it. Had to switch to dual shield myself and suddenly I felt like I actually knew what I was doing again. Still can't believe I spent a whole weekend fighting with wind when the answer was just buying a different spool. My buddy still gives me crap about it, says I just wanted an excuse to buy a new welder. He's not wrong though, I definitely did talk myself into a new machine too.
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