Flux Core Welder???

I have a Multiplaz 3500.



I like it. Very cool, purple plasma



I wrote my name in 1/8" steel



First weld in mode 2. The other crap was me not reading the manual and using just torch (mode 1) and getting a crappy surface weld.



Very strong, bent it inna U. It can braze too;



It really can do anything and it's so easy.

everyone overlooks the most basic & flexible welding heat source. The Oxygen Acetylene torch.

You can weld .032 steel - or 3/8" steel.

You can Braze, Silver Solder, or even soft solder

You can weld Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Copper,..

You can cut steel.

You can heat things for bending or forging.

All with the same tool. Without any electricity at all - no need for a 220v socket.

the O-A process is unique because it generates it's own shielding gas from the combustion byproducts.

Even with a TIG & and a MIG in the shop, & 3 phase power - I still use a torch for some things.

B

Not to be picky, but more of a question for clarification:
I was taught that whenever you O-A weld steel you should heat up your filler rod nice and hot (not glowing hot) and dip it into a can of Boraxo so it picks up a good coating. This will act as a shielding gas as it burns off during the welding process as well as leave a protective coating on the weld bead, exactly like the coating does on a stick arc welding rod. The coating left on the weld bead, unlike stick are welding, is not thick enough of a coating left behind to warrant a chipping hammer and a cleanup detail, just use a wire brush.
I have always done it this way with excellent results and I am curious about the notion that A-O creates it's own shielding gas?

Gear Nut:

You can flux weld steel if you like, but it is not necessary.

If you do want to use flux, you should use Borax Brazing flux. Boraxo soap is full of soap, with only some Sodium Tetraborate.

A neutral O-A flame produces CO2. Acetylene is C2H2. When you burn it with O2 at 1:1 you get CO2 + H2O. The CO2 does the same job at the weld that CO2 does in a MIG welder.

There are of course the other two flame conditions that are available by simply adjusting the torch:

1) Reducing.
This means that you are a little shy on Oxygen. This leaves some Carbon molecules available to be absorbed in to the weld metal, but more importantly the free carbon can remove oxides from steel. This is how that muffler guy welds on that rusty pipe you could never weld. He is converting the iron oxide back to Iron & Carbon Dioxide.

2) Oxidizing.
This means you have excess Oxygen in the flame. While ok for cutting steel, it tends to burn the weld metal. The Oxidizing condition can be useful for welding some bronzes where you want to burn some of the zinc off in the joint, but should generally be avoided.

Flux welding is necessary for aluminum welding.

Brazing and Silver Soldering both require flux. Silver Solder uses an more active flux because of the lower temperatures the work is done at.

I like torches and I hate arc welders. I also have a Victor "porta-torch" kit.

I suck at arc welding. Even after I converted my Lincoln Century 80 to DCEN (although much better) I still sucked.

The Multiplaz was my Christmas present to myself last year. Lotta dough up front but way less consumables cost. And it's not just that it costs $40 for a tank of acetylene, I have to drive 20 miles (one way) to exchange the tank. When ya wanna weld ya wanna weld, not drive. The Multiplaz will do everything my oxy rig can do and more. All w/o the need for the clunky funky arc helmet. Don't need to cover all your skin to prevent the "arc sunburn" either. Not to mention I look way cool.

Those ain't shades, they are ANSI spec DIN 5 oxy glasses -

Mike:

The Multipaz is a great unit, but the cost places it outside the reach of many.

They are great for many welding jobs, and very flexible machines. You did buy a very nice tool.

SMAW or stick welding requires practice & a steady hand. When I need a lot of heat & deep penetration I still use a stick in places. But, like any other process a cheap machine makes the job harder. My Lincoln TIG 300/300 makes a smooth clean stick weld. The 90 dollar HF unit no so much.

As far as that "clunky helmet", those too have come a long way. I have a Speedglas on my TIG bench, and given it's cost it stays there. However for all the other work I have found this unit to be great for the price:

Auto darkening headgear

With the auto feature off, it is dark enough for cutting or brazing. Given the adjustable darkness you can set it to meet the need. I like covering my face and protecting my eyes. Especially nice when cutting, I much prefer it to goggles.

Mike B said:

I have a Multiplaz 3500.

Click to expand...

If it is off, then why is it still on?

I was looking to get one of these, but some info that I have seen indicates that the electrode is a consumable and lasts for only 20 hours of use.
Have you found this to be the case?

That's what you see when you plug it in. It's ready to rock, but no voltage to the torch. When you push the on button the torch powers up and then you start the torch by pushing the electrodes together. The voltage is adjusted by the same knob on the torch which varies the length of the arc inside the torch.

They give you extra electrodes with the kit when you buy it. I haven't had to change one yet, but I don't have 20 hours on it either. 20 hours of welding is a lot of welding.

I just love the thing. You can get really good results with just a little practice.

Hi Mike B.
Thank you for your reply to my inquiry.

After several back-and-forth emails, they were unwilling to provide me with a list of distributors in the US.

Not gonna waste my time, moving on to other products.