0 items in your basket
Total £ 0.00 EX VAT
Multi Process Welders
MIG Torches
TIG Torches
Welding Helmets
Welding Gloves & Clothing
MMA Electrodes
MIG Wire
Shop 55,000 Products
SERVICEDEPT.
RAPID BLOG
FEEDBACK
HIRE
Straight answers on choosing, setting up and troubleshooting self-shielded gasless flux-cored wire.
Gasless (self-shielded) wire is a hollow tube filled with flux. When the arc melts the wire, the flux burns to make a shielding gas around the weld pool and also forms a layer of slag over the finished weld. That is why no bottle, regulator or hose is needed.The trade-offs are that the slag has to be chipped off, the bead usually looks rougher than a gas-shielded MIG weld, and there is generally more smoke and spatter. Many people accept this for the portability and the ability to weld outdoors.
Yes, this is one of its main strengths. Because the shielding gas is made inside the weld pool by the flux, a breeze cannot blow it away the way it can with gas-shielded MIG. That makes it popular for site repairs, farm and fencing work, and fabrication outdoors.Very strong wind can still disturb the arc and spread slag and spatter, so shelter the weld where practical. Keep the arc length steady and clean the joint well, because outdoor jobs are often dirty.
It is a public classification that describes the wire. In general terms the E means an electrode, the 7 relates to its tensile strength class, the 1 means it can be used in all positions, the T means it is a tubular (flux-cored) wire, and the last number describes the type of flux and the shielding and polarity it is designed for. An -11 wire is typically self-shielded and run on electrode negative.Check the standard or the maker's data sheet for the full detail, and use the classification to compare wires from different makers rather than relying on the product name.
Stickout is the length of wire between the contact tip and the work. Gasless wire normally runs with a longer stickout than solid MIG wire; around twice as long is a common rule of thumb. A longer stickout preheats the wire and keeps the flux working properly.Too long a stickout causes porosity, an unstable arc and burnback to the tip, while too short gives excessive spatter and overheats the tip. Follow the wire's data sheet for the right range and adjust in small steps.