View Full Version : NI-ROD FC55 flux core .045 Welding mig wire
I'm the new owner of 30 lbs of this stuff. Anyone know what it likes for feed and volts on 1/4" plate steel? I'm building up an edge for a shredder to be ground sharp later, not welding parts together.
Willy
07-20-2009, 11:30 PM
Dennis I'm sure you'd rather get input from someone with first hand experience with this product but unfortunately it's not me.
But while your waiting have a look at this .pdf on the subject, if nothing else it does give you some guidelines and parameters to follow while you are waiting for first hand knowledge.
Some good background on on the subject.
I believe the info you're looking for is on page 11, table 4.
http://www.specialmetalswelding.com/publica/joining.pdf
torker
07-21-2009, 07:29 AM
Dennis...that stuff normally likes to be run at lower temps than 70 series wires.
I'd try it at about 23 volts and maybe 285 ipm on my machine...
Too cold will show ropey beads and too hot will most likely show blue discloloration and undercut.
Hard to tell you what your machine will be like running it.
Be sure to snip the wire off before each restart and grind a feather edge on all your stop/starts. The lower temps can make for cold lap conditions if you aren't careful.
Russ
Willy
07-27-2009, 12:31 AM
So Dennis, it's been almost a week...was this info of any help?
I haven't had a chance to try it - my wife redirected me into pruning trees. Will give it a try in the next few days as it's too hot in the PNW to prune anything right now.
Willy
07-29-2009, 03:32 PM
Too damn hot for welding as well Dennis!
Looks like you may have to go on the graveyard shift to get anything done at all.:D
Too damn hot for welding as well Dennis!
Looks like you may have to go on the graveyard shift to get anything done at all.:D
I think so - all heat records were blown off the charts today all over Washington State. 107º not far from my front door, well over 100º here. An interesting combination of counter-rotation of the local air mass brought inland hot air over the Cascades where it was heated by compression on the way down to Puget Sound. Thankfully reasonably dry but quite above what we're accustomed to, temperature wise.
Wasn't all bad - our conifers "sweat" in this kind of heat and the air is fresh with the smell of woods, warm, and fills a beautiful blue sky as far as one can see. Mt. Rainier is standing clear and proud over our southern skyline, white and beautiful. Can't imagine a better place for a heat wave!
So I got about 50' of the wire transferred from the 35 lb spool to the spool that fits in the welder, and went looking for a 0.045" contact tip. Didn't have one but it did lead to something I didn't know. I need a 0.045" kit for the Lincoln HD 175 welder before I can use that size wire. So now I guess I find an on-line provider cuz that's not going to turn up at the local Home Despot.
Probably a good thing because it's still too hot to be welding anything :) I did get my Atlas shaper mounted in its permanent home though. Heavy little bugger.
Willy
08-02-2009, 11:39 PM
Dennis, as popular as your Lincoln HD 175 is I would be very surprised if one of your local welding supply facilities doesn't stock a liner and drive roll kit for .045. I know they make both a .035/.045 solid wire drive roll and a .045 flux core drive roll for the HD 175 so be sure to specify which one you are after.
Let your "fingers do the walking" and make a few phone calls and you'll be welding by the middle of the week when the weather turns cooler. No shipping-no waiting.
Sure enough I found a 0.45 liner at the Central Welding Supply shop in Issaquah, and the 0.45 contact tips. The liner is for a Tweco gun and was easy enough to get to installed and cut to length. They didn't have the drive wheel recommended so I made one from 1018 I had on hand and it works a treat.
Got the 220 electrical hooked up again and plugged it in and started playing with feed and volts on some 1/8" Home Despot rolled steel. Finally got a reasonable draw on the flat surface so tried it on the edge. Not enough light to see worth beans so keeping the wire on the edge was a challenge but I laid in enough to see it's going to work fine for the purpose. I have some 3/8" plate I'll edge tomorrow. I expected it to resist grinding more than it does but between the 12" disc sander and the HF green wheels on the bench grinder I'm happy.