Can't seem to find anyone that carries .025 flux core mig wire.

Can anyone direct me to a mail-order site that does?

(Even Harbour Frieght doesn't seem to carry .025 flux core)

Thanks,

 

I think, but don't quote me, that the smallest flux core will come is .030. MSC industrail supply has that.

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

 

I don't recall ever seeing .025 flux core, only .030 and larger. The .025 is solid wire for use with shielding gas.

 

It's o.k., I found it (I think) at Northern Tool.

Hobart Mild .024 Welding Wire. (Flux Core) Hobart# H305401-R19

Northern Tool part# 164897.

$11.99 USD for a 2 lb. roll

(mean't for body panels)

Thanks anyway

 

I hope the picture is not of the wire. Description on Northerns webpage says flux but picture is if solid wire.

Description of that wire from my welder supply house webpage:

Hobart H305401-R19 .024" 2 lb. Spool of Solid Carbon-Steel Welding Wire

 

Nope, that solid wire, says so right on the spool. Most little mig welders have two sides to the rollers, you use one side for the small stuff like the .025", and the other for the .035". Many different welders use the same contact tips as the Lincolns at Home Depot, the design of their torch came from Tweco. My 20+ year old Snap on machine uses the same tips.
It's really hard to weld thin sheet metal with the flux-core wire, since you have to start and stop frequently. You don't want to build too much heat in one spot, and you want to see the color of the puddle, so you don't burn through and have a big glob of hot steel land on you.

 

The people that make catalogs never cease to amaze me.

 

Northern have to contact me with shipping options, so I'll take that opportunity to confirm whether it's flux core or not.

In the meantime, anyone got a definite part number for .024 - .025 FLUX CORE mig wire from any mfgr/supplier?

 

Doing a Yahoo search comes back empty for .024 or .025 flux wire. I have never heard of it and I have been welding for 5 years and used a bunch of solid and flux core wire from NAPA, Northern Tools, and my local supplier. I have never seen it in any catalog.

Just because the manual or instructions, probably translated wrong from Chinese, says you need it, does not mean it is correct.

What machine do you own that says it is required?

 

Rebo,

"because the manual or instructions, probably translated wrong from Chinese, says you need it, does not mean it is correct.

What machine do you own that says it is required?"

It's not really a case of "...says I need it....."

I have a cheap little Cdn Tire branded (probably Lincoln) flux core welder that I've been using .035 wire with to make frame modifications, engine mounts, etc for my 54 F100 rod. I now want to do some body work mods - welding patch panels, etc. Most welding books, etc say you need a smaller guage wire like .025 for the thinner sheet metal and they also recommend a softer wire that is apparently easier to grind, hence my query.

So.........?

 

Do a search on Yahoo for "Welding wire for bodywork". The first return is a guy crying about how crappy of a job the flux core did on his car. You need to see the puddle, and you can't with flux core.
For the second part of this, I weant back and re-read the ad. It's poorly written, I think an untrained blind monkey hitting a typewrite with a rock would come up with a better description, but here's my interpretation:
They are generally saying use flux core wire without gas, use solid wire with gas. That's about it, they aren't saying that is flux core wire. I don't think it is possible to have flux core stuff that small, as it is the .035 flux core I run every now and then breaks if you bend it any tighter than the spool, so I would think that any smaller would be too brittle to work.

 

I've got a Hobart 135 and run a lot of flux core. I have no idea what they are talking about with not being able to see the puddle. I can see it fine when I'm welding. My Hobart came with the bottle set up so when I do body panels I run it like a MIG to avoid any splatter. You can do body panels with a .030 flux core and do a good job but the splatter is annoying. I've never seen .025 flux core either and I think the guys are right, you probably won't find it.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I guess I'll give the .030 a try....

 

Yes, I use .024 with gas for body panels and where it is really useful is welding exhaust tubing so you do not burn thrrough the thin metal or totally distort the flange you are welding on to the pipe.

Solid core is much cheaper in the long run over flux if you do a lot of welding.

You can do sheet metal with flux, it is just messier in general, especially the splatter and clean up. For working on the interior of the car, the solid core is much better.

I go here for expert welding advice:

http://www.hobartwelders.com/