Steel Mig Welding

Should steel being MIG welded always be gas shielded?

I have a friend who says he doesn’t use gas for his MIG welder and doesn’t need to on steel plate. I thought that he was slacking and probably getting poor welds.

What is the professional advice towards MIG gas use?

Depends on the type of metal coil you use. If it contains flux then the flux melts and generates the gas the shield the arc. A no flux filler coil wil require gas.

If you use a Flux Core filler you basically have a standard ARC welder with a self feeding rod.

Use of FLUX core would be useful in an outdoor or windy location where you would have a problem keeping the shielding gas around the weld.

Use of GAS would produce a cleaner weld as you wouldn’t have flux slag being deposited. Just means that you have to chip and wire brush the weld before the next pass. So use gas if you are concerned about surface finish.

Material of what you are welding Aluminum would require Argon gas. Where with regular Steel you have an option.

Material thickness is factor as well. Flux core is used on thicker materials while gas should be used an 20-24 gauge or less. So for Sheet Metal auto body work I would use shielding GAS indoors . Welding something on a tractor in the field use FLUX core

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cronatron 3880 stainless steel welding rods $24.00

Firepower 1440-0210 ER70S-6 Mild Steel Welding Mig Wire $26.93

2 ER70S-6 Mild Steel Mig Welding Wire 11 lbs .030 $24.99

2 ER70S-6 Mild Steel Mig Welding Wire .035 11lbs Free Ship $36.99

2 ER70S-6 Mild Steel Mig Welding Wire .030 11lb Free Ship $36.99

EXCALIBUR 316 / 316 L-17 STAINLESS STEEL WELDING ROD 3/32″ x 12″ FLUX COATED $6.00

MIG WELDING WIRE .035 CARBON STEEL ER70S-6 33 POUNDS $60.00

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1 ROLL DAHMEN 304/321 SS STAINLESS STEEL .002″ WIRE NEW $12.50

Cobramatic Spiral Steel Curved Barrel Wire Liner 615-0284 Cobra 5.656″ x .077″ID $3.00

MIG-135 220v 120AMP Flux Core Welder Gas/No Gas Weld + STEEL WELDING CART $289.99

ZENA 3/32″ NO-Gas Stainless Steel Arc Welding Rods $17.95

10 lb Roll ER70S-6 .023″ HTP Steel Welding Wire $26.95

2 lb Spool .035 308L Stainless Steel Mig Welding Wire $13.49

Wire Feed Lube Pad Cleaner Mig Welding Use on Steel / Flux / Stainless Wires $1.95

Welding Wire Mig 2 Lb Spool 70S6 Mild Steel 023 030 035 $11.95

42302 Wire, Welding .035″ Flux Core Mild Steel Mig 2 LB Spool (3Ea) $50.00

316LT-1 mig welding wire, stainless steel $100.00

309L-O stainless steel flux core mig wire $35.00

309LTO-1 stainless steel mig welding wire $100.00

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0.030″ ER70S-6 Carbon Steel Welding Wire, 2 Lb. Roll (2 rolls) $10.00

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HUGE 37 lbs spool of 25 gauge HT High Tension Steel wire INV=305 $35.99

Wire Feed Lube Pad Cleaner Mig Welding Use on Steel / Flux / Stainless Wires $1.75

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MIG WELDING WIRE .023 MILD STEEL $20.00

Orlando Steel and Wire USA Mig Welding Wire 035 0.035 $26.55

10lb 030 Flux Cored E71T-GS Gasless Steel Mig Wire Core $44.95

12″ Heavy Duty F-Style Welding Clamp And Steel Working up to 1000lb Clamp Range $310.99

2 ER70S-6 Mild Steel Mig Welding Wire 11 lbs .035 $24.99

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Copper steel mig welding wire 33 lb roll 12″ Euro Metal sz .045 Model #EDO28840 $25.00

1 10 lb Roll Spool ER70S-6 .035″ Mild Steel MIG Welding Wire Precision Layer $14.70

2 10 lb Rolls Spools ER70S-6 .035″ Mild Steel MIG Welding Wire AWS A5.18 Spec $25.00

1 lb. .035 Flux Core E71T-GS Gasless Steel MIG Welding Wire – 5 Spools $5.50

Welco 308L-Si stainless steel mig wire, .030″ 2 pound spool $16.99

Mig Steel Welding wire ER70S-6 0.045″ x 30 # 72 spools (U$ 0.79 / lb) $1,706.40

Mig Steel Welding wire ER70S-6 0.035″ x 45# 54 spools (U$ 0.82 / lb) $1,992.60

Mig Wire Spool 25 lb Lincoln Elec.045 Stainless Steel Flux Cored FC309L $56.95

Mig Steel Welding wire ER80S-D2 .045″ x 44# spool (U$ 1.89 / lb) $83.16

Industrial Steel Reels $1,400 $1,400.00

2 10 lb Rolls ER70S-6 .030″ Mild Steel MIG Welding Wire $25.50

DW 308L Stainless Steel Mig wire Flux Core 28lbs .062″ (1/16″ or 1.6mm) $100.00

10-1/4″ Shoe Handle Carbon Steel Wire Brush #70505 $5.59

13-11/16″” Curved Steel Wire Brush w Scraper #70511 $5.69

13-3/4″ Curved Handle Carbon Steel Wire Brush #70504 $5.29