Flatter or less height on bead

Date 07-05-2002 04:55

Try Switching to F.C.A.W. it has more splatter, but it burns hotter and penetrates deeper. F.C.A.W. is comparable to E6010+. G.M.A.W burns more like E7018.

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 07-05-2002 06:39

turning the voltage up on a wire feed welder is like turning the amperage up on a stick welder. turning the wire feed speed is like adjusting how hard you're pushing the electrode into the puddle. except w/ a wire feed welder, it tries its hardest to maintain a constant arc length, so you have to adjust the feed speed according to the voltage.

anyway...in your case, just turn up the voltage a little bit at a time while keeping the feed speed the same until you get the bead you want. just don't turn the volts up too high or the wire will burn back to the tip and possibly fuse to it.

and like the other guy said...flux core wire (FCAW) is another option...nice and flat, clean beads, and lots of nice penetration.

By overthehill (*)

Date 07-05-2002 20:32

Hey, if the holes are small and you can handle stick rod, that might just be your best bet in this application. 7018 with the rod purpendicular to the metal, medium arc length, and let it cook in there for penetration and a flat puddle. Wire feed tends toward cold starts, depositing metal without penetrating, even with the machine cranked up. That is exactly what you don't want when filling small holes. Don't believe all the propaganda. Wire feed is great for certian applications, but not everything. GMAW like 7018? FCAW like 6010? not even close.

By stich585 (*)

Date 07-06-2002 01:16

What rods would you compare to wire welding? When stick is your only point of reference, it is hard to do comparisons.

By overthehill (*)

Date 07-06-2002 05:04

I think the point is that you can't compare stick rods to wire. Each process, wire and rod has it's own unique characteristics. If you have different processes available, the job requirements dictate which process is best. GMAW, short circuit or spray, is not comparable to 7018. Different penetration characteristics, deposition rates, skills, etc. I'm not saying it not good, I'm saying its different, and it's a mistake to compare the two. Same with FCAW, either self or gas shielded. There aren't any welding rods that come close to the deposition rates of FCAW-G. FCAW-S is run on DC-. The polarity changes the penetration characteristics. Maybe, in some welding situations, you could compare it to 6013 on DC-, but not really and certainly not 6010. Just cause you buy a wire feed doesn't mean you should throw your stick rod machine away, all it does is give you more options. There are occasions where oxy-act welding or brazing still provide the best results. All the different processes are like tools. Choose the best one for the job your doing. Back to the question. Ed is filling holes in gun barrels and wants less build up. The job requires instant fusion with low deposit rates. Sounds more like stick than wire. Of course you could make wire feed work work. If he had a million of them to do, it might pay to rig up for GMAW spray, but it probably isn't worth the expense or trouble of switching gases. If he didn't have any stick experience, FCAW-S is easy, and running hot would get the job done, but you still get the cold starts and the wire is expensive. Ed's got the stick machine, is familiar with it, and it has the potential to provide the best results.

By dblide Date 07-06-2002 04:12

ED, I'll have to say I would be very cautious welding on a gun barrel.
First try to identify your base metal. I'm not sure but I think it might be tool steel. I would contact the gun manufacturer and tell them what you plan on doing.
Second, by welding on the barrel you might change the molecular structure of the base metal which could weaken its integrity.
I am a welder and I have welded and repaired many different things, also I have had alot of exposure to guns througout my life. I know that a gun barrel undergoes very intense pressure well over several thousand p.s.i . By welding on the barrel perhaps weakening the base metal it is possible that the barrel could explode and seriously hurt somebody!
Try to get as much information as you can on this subject, maybe even talk to some different gun smiths about your plans. Remember A fatal mistake cannot be corrected.

By Ed Kay Date 07-06-2002 13:03

My thanks to everyone. The reason I'm using the wire feed is because my old stick welder is a huge old Lincoln that is great for general shop use but is next to impossible to cut down for light work. Flux core does make a flatter weld, but when ground down and polished, leaves tiny pin holes on each side of the bead. The gas shielded doesn't do this, it just leaves the higher bead to be ground down.
I have been working with gun barrels for years but this is the first time I have tried to arc weld to fill holes, I have used oxy-acet. in the past, but wanted to have less heat. This particular barrel is a .22 cal target barrel of about 1 1/2 in. diam. It is actually a sleeve over the original barrel so there is no danger in the filling of the screw holes.
Again, thank you.
Ed

By stickguy Date 07-06-2002 19:49

Ive done work for a friend of mine doing the same thing, using tig welding works best. Going this route you can control your heat and the amount of fill you apply.

By Wildturkey (**)

Date 07-08-2002 11:32

Ed,
I would have to agree with stickguy......If you want to be able to control the height of the weld better you may want to change the process you are using and go with GTAW....I dont know how many you have to do....But you may want to look into the cost of getting set up to do them that way

By Ed Kay Date 07-12-2002 00:36

Thanks, I don't do filling much, but if I get into much more I will look into tig, which would do just what I want. Good looks being the main requirement. I guess this is now GTAW (being around too long has it's problems)
Ed