Hot take: skip the cheap flux core wire for hull repairs

Ngl, I see guys on job sites grabbing that bargain flux core wire from the hardware store, thinking it's fine for patching up boiler shells or tank plates. Tried that on a job in Gary last month and the welds kept popping and slag was everywhere, wasted half a shift grinding it off. You need a good gas-shielded wire or at least a name-brand flux core for anything over 1/4 inch, or you're just asking for a leak down the road. Anyone else have a horror story from cheap wire failing on a pressure test?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_lane297d ago

Respectfully gotta push back on this one. Honestly I've used that cheap flux core on some heavy plate jobs and it held up fine as long as I cleaned the metal good and ran the settings hot enough. Not saying it's the best choice for code work, but for a quick patch or non-critical stuff it's not always a total disaster.

wesley_hart6d ago

Remembered once watching a guy burn through a cheap wire spool on a rusty barge rail, and the slag just peeled off like old paint, leaving a spongy weld behind.