I've been using 3/16 steel with .030 flux core wire and I have yet to produce a really nice bead(got a Millermatic 140 non autoset),does it really take quite a bit to get a nice bead? Is going with solid wire and gas really make a difference? I think the day I get a really nice bead I will scream to the heavens :P
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shenion
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3/16" will be the highest setting. A 140A will do about 1/8" with no prep. Larger needs a gap or V-joint.
The quality of the wire will make a difference. Cheap wire will not feed well and the flux does not protect the welds well.
Flux wire is harder to hear if the wire speed is right and also harder to see.
Post some picts of the welds, we can make suggestions on improvements.
Welcome to the forums
The quality of the wire will make a difference. Cheap wire will not feed well and the flux does not protect the welds well.
Flux wire is harder to hear if the wire speed is right and also harder to see.
Post some picts of the welds, we can make suggestions on improvements.
Welcome to the forums
For starters I'd say clean up your metal surface real good - could there be some kind of deposit on there?
Then use both hands to steady your torch, and move along real slow, pulling the torch from left to right if you're right-handed. Try to keep it straight rather than make any patterns side to side.
Your welds pic shows the gun is jumping some; you need to keep it real steady and quite slow if you want to put heat into that 3/16" plate. It's unlikely to burn through, but you should see good heat marks underneath.
Flux-cored is always difficult to see the weld pool for smoke. Make a chalk line to follow if you have difficulty keeping the bead in a straight line.
Hope you're using a self-darkening mask as it makes flux-core welding a great deal easier.
You'll get there, it's just lots of practice, trying to learn as you go, and it's such a great kick when you start to get good beads for the first time. Then you can starting sticking things together.
Then use both hands to steady your torch, and move along real slow, pulling the torch from left to right if you're right-handed. Try to keep it straight rather than make any patterns side to side.
Your welds pic shows the gun is jumping some; you need to keep it real steady and quite slow if you want to put heat into that 3/16" plate. It's unlikely to burn through, but you should see good heat marks underneath.
Flux-cored is always difficult to see the weld pool for smoke. Make a chalk line to follow if you have difficulty keeping the bead in a straight line.
Hope you're using a self-darkening mask as it makes flux-core welding a great deal easier.
You'll get there, it's just lots of practice, trying to learn as you go, and it's such a great kick when you start to get good beads for the first time. Then you can starting sticking things together.
Yes I do have auto dark helmet and the proper gloves and welding jacket. You are right on the steady hand part,I think I'll hold the gun differently(with my left hand underneath my right hand holding the gun) and get a little closer to the work and move a little more slower. I think I'll get there sooner or later in running nice beads. I'll do a little more grinding(since I grind my old welds over so I can practice more). I do appreciate you in helping me out in what I'm doing wrong and I hope that subsequent pictures will show much better beads 
I have been using 2 on the voltage setting and 30 on the wire speed(but yesterday looked at the chart that's inside my millermatic and noticed for 3/16 it should be at 3 for voltage and 45 for wire speed). My technique needs improvement obviously and I will post more pics as I go along. I will not be "building" anything until I'm quite sure my technique and beads are where they should be.
We never get as good-looking a weld with flux-cored wire, even when it's cleaned up with a flap disk. In my experience flux-cored welds never stand so high and rounded as those produced with gas wire. The flux-cored tend to sink into the metal, and spread a little more.
That said, you should be able to get strong decent-looking beads with flux core, especially with a Miller, which have a good reputation. Have you studied any of the flux core movies on here or on Youtube, these are worth looking at for technique, as are Miller's own video, which shows the ideal (!) flux core weld.
When flux-core welding, I find I have to control my tendency to move too fast. I think this is because the welding process kicks up more noise and smoke than with gas, and I'm thinking things are happening quicker than they are.
I prefer to move the torch backwards away from the weld with flux core, and as I'm right-handed that means moving across from my left to my right. This makes it a little easier to see what's happening, makes for a slightly cooler weld because I'm moving away from the metal (flux core is a lot hotter than gas wire), and helps keep the weld free of slag inclusions.
If you haven't done welding of any kind before, flux-core welding is more difficult to master than with gas wire, certainly. You would see better-looking welds earlier with gas wire, and you can weld in both directions, pushing or pulling the weld, with gas, as suits you and the situation. Again, pulling is a little cooler, pushing gives better penetration.
I have only ever been doing flux core welding a few months this year, as my previous weld machines were all gas wire. But I used to do stick welding, and I think if you've previously done stick welding, flux core comes naturally.
If you want to make starting welding a bit easier, go for the gas. But if you do, keep your flux core wire to learn with later, it's a good skill to have, and comes in very handy for outdoor jobs.
That said, you should be able to get strong decent-looking beads with flux core, especially with a Miller, which have a good reputation. Have you studied any of the flux core movies on here or on Youtube, these are worth looking at for technique, as are Miller's own video, which shows the ideal (!) flux core weld.
When flux-core welding, I find I have to control my tendency to move too fast. I think this is because the welding process kicks up more noise and smoke than with gas, and I'm thinking things are happening quicker than they are.
I prefer to move the torch backwards away from the weld with flux core, and as I'm right-handed that means moving across from my left to my right. This makes it a little easier to see what's happening, makes for a slightly cooler weld because I'm moving away from the metal (flux core is a lot hotter than gas wire), and helps keep the weld free of slag inclusions.
If you haven't done welding of any kind before, flux-core welding is more difficult to master than with gas wire, certainly. You would see better-looking welds earlier with gas wire, and you can weld in both directions, pushing or pulling the weld, with gas, as suits you and the situation. Again, pulling is a little cooler, pushing gives better penetration.
I have only ever been doing flux core welding a few months this year, as my previous weld machines were all gas wire. But I used to do stick welding, and I think if you've previously done stick welding, flux core comes naturally.
If you want to make starting welding a bit easier, go for the gas. But if you do, keep your flux core wire to learn with later, it's a good skill to have, and comes in very handy for outdoor jobs.
