Welding Tips and Tricks

I have been using Blue Demon .035 Gas Shielded fc for a year or so with good results. They just shipped a mislabeled 11# roll of .045 as .035 that I didn't catch till my last roll ran out. Only drive roll in .045 is " V " grooved and wouldn't work well with a 15ft gun. I have ordered a knurled roller to try the .045. Mainly what I build as a hobby is various types of utility trailers. The majority of the materials is 1/8in tubing with some heavier bits. Question is, is .045 any advantage or detriment, overkill or just a bit of learning curve. I have a mig 250 so not an issue there. I'am going to need more wire soon and found a decent deal on ESAB 7100 ULTRA with good reviews. Curious if anyone can offer a comparison between ESAB and Blue Demon?

045 gas shielded FC just needs more amperage than 035 to get into it's "sweet spot" and out of that "pseudo-spray" mode where it's half-globular-half-spray" kind of thing. 045 won't start to "needle" until about 230-240A, where as 035 does around 190A -200A. So using 045 on 1/8" tubing you'll have some spatter because you'd have to dial it way down.

I haven't used ESAB, only because I get really,good pricing on USA-made gas shielded FC from HTP. But I hear Esab runs great as well.

Thanks. This is what I am wondering about. The bit I tried it, it's hot, possible more heat warping (?) and spatter as you mentioned. Forgot to mention there is also some 100ml in the mix. The reason for considering ESAB is it seems to be one of few easily available in Canada in the small rolls and Blue Demon seems to have a bit of supply problem or something. Mislabeled roll and the posted price on Amazon.ca just bumped from $41.67 to $137.00 per 11# roll overnight with only one supplier, over 300% !

I've used Esab .045, It is good wire. I'll agree with Oscar .045 is big for 1/8" stock. I think of it as a 1/4" & thicker filler.

Oscar wrote:045 gas shielded FC just needs more amperage than 035 to get into it's "sweet spot" and out of that "pseudo-spray" mode where it's half-globular-half-spray" kind of thing. 045 won't start to "needle" until about 230-240A, where as 035 does around 190A -200A. So using 045 on 1/8" tubing you'll have some spatter because you'd have to dial it way down.

I haven't used ESAB, only because I get really,good pricing on USA-made gas shielded FC from HTP. But I hear Esab runs great as well.

Bill Beauregard wrote:I've used Esab .045, It is good wire. I'll agree with Oscar .045 is big for 1/8" stock. I think of it as a 1/4" & thicker filler.

Thanks, that answers my questions. The opened roll of .045 I'll used eventually on heavier stuff that I tackle sometimes. Luckily I ordered a roll of .035 B.D. from Amazon as soon as I found the mistake the night before the price spiked.

Oscar wrote:045 gas shielded FC just needs more amperage than 035 to get into it's "sweet spot" and out of that "pseudo-spray" mode where it's half-globular-half-spray" kind of thing. 045 won't start to "needle" until about 230-240A, where as 035 does around 190A -200A. So using 045 on 1/8" tubing you'll have some spatter because you'd have to dial it way down.

I haven't used ESAB, only because I get really,good pricing on USA-made gas shielded FC from HTP. But I hear Esab runs great as well.

Bill Beauregard wrote:I've used Esab .045, It is good wire. I'll agree with Oscar .045 is big for 1/8" stock. I think of it as a 1/4" & thicker filler.

Thanks, that answers my questions. The opened roll of .045 I'll used eventually on heavier stuff that I tackle sometimes. Luckily I ordered a roll of .035 B.D. from Amazon as soon as I found the mistake the night before the price spiked.

homeboy wrote:

Oscar wrote:045 gas shielded FC just needs more amperage than 035 to get into it's "sweet spot" and out of that "pseudo-spray" mode where it's half-globular-half-spray" kind of thing. 045 won't start to "needle" until about 230-240A, where as 035 does around 190A -200A. So using 045 on 1/8" tubing you'll have some spatter because you'd have to dial it way down.

I haven't used ESAB, only because I get really,good pricing on USA-made gas shielded FC from HTP. But I hear Esab runs great as well.

Bill Beauregard wrote:I've used Esab .045, It is good wire. I'll agree with Oscar .045 is big for 1/8" stock. I think of it as a 1/4" & thicker filler.

Thanks, that answers my questions. The opened roll of .045 I'll used eventually on heavier stuff that I tackle sometimes. Luckily I ordered a roll of .035 B.D. from Amazon as soon as I found the mistake the night before the price spiked.

Homeboy,

Kiswel makes a lot of the wire for Blue Demon, and you can usually find their stuff on ebay at a good price too.

Oscar wrote:

homeboy wrote:

Oscar wrote:045 gas shielded FC just needs more amperage than 035 to get into it's "sweet spot" and out of that "pseudo-spray" mode where it's half-globular-half-spray" kind of thing. 045 won't start to "needle" until about 230-240A, where as 035 does around 190A -200A. So using 045 on 1/8" tubing you'll have some spatter because you'd have to dial it way down.

I haven't used ESAB, only because I get really,good pricing on USA-made gas shielded FC from HTP. But I hear Esab runs great as well.

Bill Beauregard wrote:I've used Esab .045, It is good wire. I'll agree with Oscar .045 is big for 1/8" stock. I think of it as a 1/4" & thicker filler.

Thanks, that answers my questions. The opened roll of .045 I'll used eventually on heavier stuff that I tackle sometimes. Luckily I ordered a roll of .035 B.D. from Amazon as soon as I found the mistake the night before the price spiked.

Homeboy,

Kiswel makes a lot of the wire for Blue Demon, and you can usually find their stuff on ebay at a good price too.

Thanks I'll look some more. Seems I can find it in US ok but Amazon.ca seems to have it pretty much tied up in Canada and still C$136,00 / 11lb roll ! Amazon.com will ship here but the 30+% exchange kills it. Small rolls seem hard to come by here from most name manufacturers. Ok for a bit but at this point Esab 7100 Ultra seems the best at C$79,00 / 10lb /.035.

Sorry I forget where others are if I don't see their location next to their profile name to the left.

Oscar wrote:Sorry I forget where others are if I don't see their location next to their profile name to the left.

My bad!! Guess I never got around to my introduction which might help. For some reason gasless flux core's available everywhere it seems, but shielded, " like hens teeth". Checked at a local Linds re small rolls and he said they might be able to order one in Lincoln which in gasless runs around $90,00 x 10# !! Didn't even bother asking the price! Suspect there's not enough small volume hobby guys like me using shielded here to justify much attention from suppliers for that market.. Esab's the only one I found that seems interested. Maybe the Blue Demon sellers will come around because they're way out of the market right now.

Snagged a roll of B.D. this morning on Amazon, 1 roll only available, for C$41.67 -- aprox US $32.00 !!! Back at C$137.00 to-night.!

You find using one wire makes life simple.
When first started most shops only used 0.035 wire. Do to cost of changing liner, tips, feed roles and labor.

Even today some shops will use one size for steel, stainless and aluminum guess to keep cost down.

Dave

homeboy wrote:

Oscar wrote:045 gas shielded FC just needs more amperage than 035 to get into it's "sweet spot" and out of that "pseudo-spray" mode where it's half-globular-half-spray" kind of thing. 045 won't start to "needle" until about 230-240A, where as 035 does around 190A -200A. So using 045 on 1/8" tubing you'll have some spatter because you'd have to dial it way down.

I haven't used ESAB, only because I get really,good pricing on USA-made gas shielded FC from HTP. But I hear Esab runs great as well.

Bill Beauregard wrote:I've used Esab .045, It is good wire. I'll agree with Oscar .045 is big for 1/8" stock. I think of it as a 1/4" & thicker filler.

Thanks, that answers my questions. The opened roll of .045 I'll used eventually on heavier stuff that I tackle sometimes. Luckily I ordered a roll of .035 B.D. from Amazon as soon as I found the mistake the night before the price spiked.

[quote="smithdoor"]You find using one wire makes life simple.
When first started most shops only used 0.035 wire. Do to cost of changing liner, tips, feed roles and labor.

Even today some shops will use one size for steel, stainless and aluminum guess to keep cost down.

Dave
Agree on the one wire policy. I pretty much like to stick to the K.I.S.S. principal ( Keep It Simple Stupid ) For someone like me working mainly with relatively thin material it makes sense. If BD hadn't shipped a mislabeled roll I wouldn't have had an issue. Learned some things though.