#1 Mistake Made When Flux Core Welding (one simple Trick)

Is your flux core welder laying down some horrible welds? Before you give up on it check this trick out first! So many people including pro welders make the mistake of running the wrong polarity when using a gas-less flux core wire. For most general welding when using Stick (SMAW) and MIG processes you would use reverse polarity which mean (+) lead and (-) ground. This is also referred to electrode hot. The two processes that require straight polarity meaning electrode (-) and ground (+) are TIG and flux core (FCAW). Since MIG and Flux core are very similar it is very common that they are mistaken to both use the same polarity. So go out there and make sure you have your flux core machine set up properly before bashing it!

[saaaaauce]

Noob here, and this might be the most useful video on welding I've run into. Thanks!

[Kurnacopia]

Outstanding whole time i've been welding i've had spatter everywhere....I was about to give up till I saw this. Thank you!

[lancerobbinssr]

Got myself a Flux core welder trying to teach myself how to weld. And I thought I was a idiot who could never learn how. All disgusted Until I saw your video. Thank you for raising my WELDING I.Q. WITH KNOWLEDGE WORTH KNOWING. I HAVE A BIG SMILE ON MY FACE BECAUSE IM MOT A IDIOT WHEN IT COMES TO WELDING. IM STILL A IDIOT BUT I CAN NOW WELD! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

[soulsharts]

I just started college this last week for a welding certificate knowing basically nothing about welding, but when you talked about straight and reverse polarity, I knew exactly what you were talking about because we're currently learning the basics. Straight polarity= Direct Current Electrode negative (current flows from electrode to work, transferring 70% of the heat on the work), Reverse polarity= Direct Current Electrode Positive (current flows from grounded work to electrode, transferring 70% of the heat produced to the electrode) and Alternating Current spreads the heat 50/50 towards electrode and work.

[andrewallason]

Great video. Simple, easy to follow advice.
I bought a MIG unit from a local, supposedly reputable specialist welding supplier about 10 years ago. It was a ‘special deal’, allegedly for our state agricultural show. Turned out, they were dumping the units as they were having major issues getting all the products from the manufacturer to operate correctly.
After a few months of horrible welding, blaming myself, a mate (much more experienced than me) tried to use it, and had the same issues ( dirty, splattery, horrible weld lines, that took ages to grind, and major pitting necessitating rewelding / over-welding (?), incomplete or weak welds, machine would run for about 10 minutes then need 1/2 hour to cool down etc).
I took the unit back for a ‘service’, and they sent it back with the wrong setting on the ‘drive-wheel’ for the wire that was on it.
Eventually, I disassembled the machine. I found the cooling fan (generic ‘computer’ type) was rubbing on another component, so i rescrewed it onto the steel case. I then reset the incorrect settings that they had done.
It now works flawlessly, and will easily weld for longer than I can. Took it back to the company, showed them what I did, and made the professionals a bit embarrassed. They gave me a bunch of new swag, including fancy switching- magnetic clamps. Sometimes it takes a new ‘inexperienced’ eye on a problem to pick out the issues.

[FeatherHorseforge]

Learnt more in the last 12 minutes than I’ve ever been taught about welding🙂 thanks cobba

[QuestClaimer]

your straightforwardness is extremely refreshing

[delightonphotography]

that was the best advice i ever had for welding. i had to take the entire cover off because my power was not in the same place but it was worth it for a better weld. thank you so much

[PhotoBobBarker]

This is one of the things that really impressed me with the HF Vulkin Omnipro220. The manual is VERY in-depth and actually covers this and WHY it is.

[fredfrontino]

I've been welding off and on over 40 years. I never knew about this. I normally run gas, but I do have a couple of rolls of Flux core if I have to welding outside and there is too much wind. Now I'll know to make that change, and my welds will actually look good. Thanks for this very useful tip.

[victoroneill]

This makes sense since DC current always flows from negative to positive. The instructions for my welder tells you to reverse the cables when welding with flux core wire.

[zapapnt]

Jake, thank you. This is the best demonstration I have seen, of the difference made by changing polarity.
I have been viewing (for the past year) many videos, on modding a flux core machine to DC.This shows
the potential, of staying AC. 😁🖖✌

[ThomasMcGee-sm]

Now I know why the Small Lincoln single-phase 110 volt welders we had at our old shop were horrible to work with. Thanks brother! Appreciate your video! Great information! I mig weld now with a Snap-On mig with gas and non flux wire. Wow! What a difference! 👍

[gusalmighty]

I have an older version of the same Lincoln you are using. I can smear some wire on two pieces of metal and make them stick together but I would never call myself a "welder". A lot of our stick welders where I work have a polarity switch right on the front so I knew that there was a purpose for reversing polarity but never new why. The funny thing have asked about it and none of the career "welders" at work could tell me why you would ever use it 😂 This will go a long way toward improving my results. Thank you!

[leebdj]

This is probably one of the best videos for anyone to watch that buys a box store welder to use around their garage. Without this simple tip, at the beginning of learning, it saves an immense amount of frustration, and disappointment. So glad I found this video. We have the exact welder at work for doing minor repairs etc, and it acts that way. Have to put feed higher, and keep turning the welder down to not burn the wire to the tip, and jumps back and forth, hard to keep straight. Sounds like it’s the exact problem. Awesome man!

[liammurphy]

Great suggestion!....Just switched the polarity on my wire feed that i run on 220, it is like night and day, so much less spatter, and it cleans up super easy, Thanks for the tip

[kenday]

OMG!! I have been running flux core on my Lincoln with wrong polarity all this time. No wonder I have been getting the results I get! (It ain’t pretty!!). Thanks SO much. I can’t wait to try out proper polarity. Thank you!!!

[Billy-glim]

DUDE, for the last few months i was learning to weld and bro my welds were good but there was so much spatter and super inconsistent. Nlt kidding after one hour of swapping pos and neg i got some pro welds and im finally ready to weld my whole flatbed and not be ashamed of my welds! 🙏🙏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[steveo]

Stumbled on this video and was excited. Not a “welder” but did a year, at night, at local tech school and have TIG, stick and gas MIG in my shop. Needed remote operation at my farm and bought a HF 110v flux core machine. It was ugly but it worked. Recently helping weld on a bush hog and using the 120 machine and yea…messy. Saw this video and at 1115pm went out to my shop to see. HF 100v flux core welder is not switchable. It is all hard wired in and I’m not a sparky. Damn! Still great video and I plan to share this with my buddy who was my welding instructor.

[logannagy]

Thank you for the lesson! My wife bought me a new Lincoln 90i it can run both MiG and Flux Core and I have been fighting it trying to clean up my welds and make it look presentable! Now I know to try this and will be practicing it tomorrow in the shop! Appreciate you!