In Brief: How To Weld Sheet Metal With Flux Core Wire
To weld sheet metal with flux-cored wire, you will need a suitable flux-cored wire, such as Select 700 GS. Set your machine to 15 V with a wire speed of 150 inches per minute. Use a DCEN polarity. The stickout should be around 3/4 “. Weld quickly, dragging at 10°. Allow the weld to cool before clearing the slag.
How To Weld Sheet Metal With Flux Core Wire
Time needed: 1 hour
Follow this step-by-step guide if you need to weld sheet metal with flux core wire.
- Obtain A Suitable Wire Electrode
If you already have a suitable flux-cored wire electrode then you can just use that.
However, if you need to buy some then you are advised to opt for something similar to the Select 700 GS wire electrode. It is suitable for steel carbon between 22 gauge and 3/16 “. - Setup Your Machine
For welding sheet metal with flux-cored wire, you will require the following setup:
Voltage: 15 V.
Wire feed speed: 150 inches per minute.
Polarity: DCEN for Select 700 GS. Check your electrode if different.
Stickout: 3/4 “.
As always, ensure you have all of your personal protective gear.
If you opt for the Select 700 GS wire or something with similar specifications, you will not need any gas-shielding. However, if you opt for a gas-shielded wire then you will need to set up a gas supply, too. - The Welding Action
When welding sheet metal with flux-cored wire, you will need to move quickly through the weld.
Try to keep your working angle at around 10°, dragging the pool rather than pushing it.
If welding a T-joint, aim a little higher than you would with solid wire. The flux-cored wires have a more fluid welding pool.
For reference, you should try to keep your amperage around 100 A. Too much higher and you will blow through the material, so watch your contact distance through the weld.
If you want to see the welding action, check out this video: https://youtu.be/OagRWGPB0RU - Cleaning Up
Flux-cored wires use a slag system to keep the welding pool clear from contaminants. While this provides a cleaner weld, it does mean that you will have to deal with the slag afterward.
Chip the slag off with a welder’s hammer once it has cooled.
Summary
We hope this guide has helped you to weld sheet metal with flux-cored wire. You are best advised to test out this technique on scrap metal before applying it to a workpiece so you can get some valuable experience.
If you have any questions or comments about this guide or welding sheet metal in general, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.