For welders, makers & the home workshop
Explore flux-cored wire, machine setup and technique, including the distinctions between self-shielded and gas-shielded processes.
Searching for videos of flux core welding on homemade car panels makes sense — watching someone actually run a bead on thin sheet metal teaches technique faster than any written…
Continue reading: Videos of Welding Homemade Car Panels with Flux Core: What to Watch For and What to LearnGetting the wire speed wrong on flux core is one of the fastest ways to ruin an otherwise decent weld. Too slow and you get a stubby arc that burns…
Continue reading: MIG Welding Flux Wire Speeds: What to Set and Why It MattersIf you’re setting up your first welder or trying to figure out why your machine has two different wire options, the relationship between flux core and MIG welding can be…
Continue reading: Is Flux Core Welding the Same as MIG Welding?Dialing in the right settings for flux core MIG welding was something that used to slow me down on a lot of jobs. I’d switch from 1/8″ plate to thin-gauge…
Continue reading: My Flux Core MIG Welding Settings Chart for Strong WeldsWelding thin metal with flux core wire is one of those skills that can test your patience fast. Flux core runs hot, and when you’re working with light-gauge steel, it…
Continue reading: How I Weld Thin Metal With Flux Core (No Burn-Through)Setting up a MIG welder without gas is something I’ve had to do plenty of times when working outdoors, on quick repairs, or in shops where hauling a shielding gas…
Continue reading: How to Set Up a MIG Welder Without GasA flux-cored aluminum brazing rod is not automatically a gasless MIG welding consumable. “Aluminum welding rod” is often used loosely in sales descriptions. Establish the actual process from the manufacturer’s…
Continue reading: Flux-Cored Aluminum Brazing Rods: What They Are and Their LimitsDo not load ordinary self-shielded steel flux-core wire into a welder and expect it to weld aluminum. A “gasless MIG” label is not evidence of aluminum compatibility. The previous version…
Continue reading: Can You Weld Aluminum with Flux-Core Wire? Consumables ExplainedUnderstanding whether flux core welding requires gas can be confusing at first, because the answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some flux core wires are designed to run completely gasless, while others rely…
Continue reading: Does Flux Core Welding Require Gas? Practical GuideWelding body panels with flux core is one of those jobs that taught me patience real fast. The first time I tried it, I treated the sheet metal like any…
Continue reading: How To Weld Body Panels Using Flux Core?