#1 Tip and Trick to Improve Flux Core Welding

I've said it before but this video I go into more detail on why you DON'T need the nozzle when flux core welding.
Tips and Tricks to making your Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) or gasless MIG and MIG welds looking AWESOME!

[clutchsp]

I weld every so often and learned that trick removing the noz soon after starting. I bought the Lincoln 225 that uses fluxcore wire and very happy with what I can do with it.

[MrIrishalley]

as someone who took the welding class high school and is almost 40 and even started a welding company, dont do this. what hes saying does make sense, but why get used to welding without a nozzle then when you switch to mig you have to learn that process with the nozzle. the nozzle does a few things and its going to depend on what youre welding. generally speaking the nozzle will recess the tip and if you take your wire cutters and trim it off flush with the nozzle youre stick out distance is the same all the time and you dont have to worry about holding the nozzle off the work piece as its also an insulator and will prevent you from grounding out the tip along with protecting the tip from the majority of spatter. also some people will grind the nozzle back so the tip is flush with the nozzle and it does the same thing as hes talking about and it works with mig also so theres no new learning curve and no need to buying a special nozzle. and be careful with the anti spatter and gel as it just adds to the toxins youre breathing in while welding.

[jeffreyjones]

I was told this a while back from a welder friend and it does make a big difference. The other thing he said was get some scrap steel and practice, practice, advice as always in your posts, keep up the good work.

[garymacdonald]

Wow!!! This is a game changer! Here I've been welding with flux-core for 25 years and never thought to remove the gas shield. Excellent!!!

[andrewbrown]

Excellent advice. Just FCAW welded a 22g sheet panel repair on my sons car. Wish I had seen this first and removed the MIG tip. Repair still came out great but this would have made it easier.

[BlackEpyon]

I've got a cheap Mastercraft flux-core welder I picked up years ago. Plugs into 120, which makes it very handy to lug around to where I'm working (I also don't have a 240v line in the garage). One knob for feed speed and just high/low voltage and amperage switches. One day I want to invest in a multi-process welder (being able to TIG-weld aluminum would be very handy my repairs as well), but even what I have now has been very valuable for doing repairs for my landscaping equipment and my trailer. Even at the hobbiest level, having a basic flux-core welder is a good investment!

[georgeliquor]

Really good info thank you, i removed the shroud ages ago and thought doing so would be frowned upon by pro welders as the tip gets choked with spatter, now i know about anti spatter gel ill give it a try and im definitely having one of them nozzles makes it look legit

[patthesoundguy]

I tossed my nozzle from my flux core many years ago. Completely changed the game. All the nozzle did was fill up with slag and flux and it was a pain to clean it so often because it just got clogged up very quickly.

[dagrimlin]

I figured this out shortly after buying my Mig welder. I got frustrated and gently removed the nozzle and gingerly tossed it to the side. When I couldn't find it "because it was windy and the wind carried it too far" I just continued without it and my welds improved instantly.

[damham]

A couple old timer welders I know will cut back a nozzle to use for flux core. It protects the gas ports but makes flux core welding easier.

[olrjqno]

Great tip (no pun intended). I will definitely try that since I have so much trouble seeing my welds.

[floppyebrokent]

Just found your channel. I gotta say, your putting out fantastic content and it's been fun to watch. Keep it up!

[petersack]

Good info, thank-you. I've got a Mini Mig 130 E, and that nozzle broke off. It is not a threaded piece, and i didn't know what to do. YOU, sir, solved my ' problem '. It is a non-gas flux core machine, so i'll take that advice /info and apply it to my situation. Thanks, again ! Will try that

[robertshaver]

I used to do ornamental welding... hand rails, decorative balcony rails, Gates etc... 1/2" X 1/2" pickets, 1 1/2" posts (smaller welds) and with what I'm going to recommend I also did
4" X 4" X 1/4" posts as well as heavier welds too.
0.030 welding wire really helped me to put down really nice/beautiful/"ornamental welds" that I literally painted over after only wire wheeling the dingle balls off. (press read more)

A bit slower for the larger welds yes but the welds were full pen and I came to prefer welding downhill rather than uphill as the smaller wire gave me the needed puddle control to do so. If you're used to 0.045 you won't like it at first but keep with it for just a little while to find the new wire speed and heat adjustments and you'll come to appreciate the provided control and versatility of .030 flex core wire. It was also much better for cast iron welding! .030 flux core wire came to be all that I used (95% of the time), contaminants floated out better too.
Very Pure welds and with proper penetration! BION

If changing from gas wire to flux core wire or vice versa... """don't forget to reverse the welders polarity"""! Admittedly most of you won't like 0.030 flux core wire because it's a little slower but I loved it!
Dudes... the welds don't take long, it's the prep and the set up that takes the time and I had no weld grinding to do when I finished, just dingle ball removal with a wire wheel so... does the "project" actually take longer? No!
0.030 flux core... try it! Don't forget the 0.030 welder tips and a 0.030 roller wheel for your welder too. Both are very inexpensive and "super-simple to exchange" Cheers: Robert

[KittyBertandErnie]

15 years owning an exhaust shop and I wish I had you as an employee!... WOW, 99% of times that huge gas nozzle hurt ue but we hated the spatter Wish i knew then what I know now i guess!

[chip]

Always good policy to protect your gas hole form spatter balls! 🤣 Love your channel, my kid is in a joint high school-college welding program and I found myself very interested in learning the dark art, myself!

[DADZGARAGE]

The best tip ever for a beginner, this was a life saver for me.

[aquasaltyfishing]

Thanks a bunch for the tips about the tips. It was very helpful thanks again....Have a GOD blessed rest of the year

[andrewhagopian]

Thanks for this. So simple, and I literally just figured it out for myself. I was struggling massively to keep sight of my puddle. Took the MIG tip off, and all my welds improved dramatically. Yes, I'm new to welding.

[notgivennotgiven]

I love that nozzle gel. It keeps my hair just the way I style it.