Welding patch panels with flux core wire is a big pain in the rear so if you already have a tank buy the gas .
Im not welding patch panels i was just welding bolts and screws and crap like that i just want to try it. I dont know if it has gas or not in the tank. I think it does.
Duty cycle plays into how long you can weld, especially if you're welding at a high heat setting on the machine. For instance, if your welder has a 50% duty cycle, then you can only weld at 50% heat continuously. OR you can weld at 100% heat for a short time, and then expect the heat to drop off to the 50% range. Most welders have an 80% duty cycle. So, it is always in your best interest to get 20% more welder than you need. Flux wire is typically quite a bit larger in diameter than solid wire. So, it stands to reason that a thicker wire will need more heat to melt it. That is why flux core wire isn't so great for thin stock such as sheet metal. Also, since the wire is thicker it will deposit more filler on the joint. This might not be what you want if you're concerned with the appearance of the weld. The advantage of flux core wire is that it will weld thicker materials, it is also less sensitive to dirty (rusty) metal, and since the gun doesn't have a hood, it can get into hard to reach areas. For beginners, I suggest you start with doing spot welds. A spot weld should look like a small circle of melted metal with almost no filler build. If you're building a lot of filler on your spots, then you need to hold the torch on the weld longer until you get a good puddle. It's really easy to tell the difference once you actually get a good spot. It's also easy to burn a hole right through your material too. So, it can be helpful to do a really short cold weld, so you know what it looks like. Then burn a hole so you know what that feels like. A nice solid spot is somewhere in the middle. Running a bead is just taking that nice puddle spot weld and pulling it along the seam. For sheet metal a lot of people recommend stitch welding. That is you start off with spot welds about 12 inches apart (or as far apart as your stock allows). Then you put a spot in between each of those until eventually all your spots overlap. This method cuts down on how much the sheet metal warps. When you get really good, you can start welding upside down. That is a real pain, literally, when little liquid metal drops start falling on your head.
