I've got a microscopic amount of experience with MIG, and zero with fluxcore, so bear with me here:
What happens if you weld fluxcore, and don't have the gas nozzle on the welder?
I'll be repairing a bracket on my truck soon, and it'll be hard to get at. In my tiny MIG experience, the single hardest problem I had was clearly seeing the spark and the puddle; working under my truck's dashboard I'll need all the help I can get.
I've never done fluxcore at all; every picture I've seen of fluxcore in use -- including rigs that can't be converted to gas -- has shown a gas nozzle just like for MIG around the contact tip. It isn't clear to me why this should be necessary -- since the shielding comes from the flux, it seems like it ought to work just fine to take the nozzle off, and get a better view of the work. This is with a cold torch, obviously.
Under truck dashboard, I'd be reaching for the _good_ epoxy (and/or some sheet metal screws and some extra sheet metal), not the welder. Between frying engine computer (if not a very old truck) and access and fire hazards...
Good thoughts... but I am convinced that the welder is the right answer. It's really more behind the dash, up under the cowl, and it's a bracket that bears quite a bit of force (Toyota used an unbelievably stupid -- unless you've come across other instances of their "engineering" -- bracket design for the clutch and brake pedals). I've got a jury-rig involving a 7/16" threaded rod through the cowl that is probably stronger than their design, but mating that with the original mount would be better than either.
Whatever. Fluxcore needs no nozzle but (as Gunner sez) it'll splatter up whatever might otherwise have been protected by a gas nozzle.
It doesn't take much protection to avoid that. Shrink tube will work for a little while, has for me. Duct tape might also work, haven't tried that because shrink tube worked for me.
Mind the sparks and glowing slag drops from fluxcore when working under-dash. Exciting experience is quite likely if you don't.
"Joe Pfeiffer" wrote: (clip) What happens if you weld fluxcore, and don't have the gas nozzle on the welder? (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The copper wireguide protrudes through the nozzle, so removing the nozzle should have no effect, except:
You will be working in crowded conditions, where, as you say, it may be difficult to see. Be extra careful not to let the copper end touch anything. I can't remember for sure, but I think I've done this.
BTW, since you say you're not used to using fluxcore--be sure to reverse the polarity on your torch.
Not a whole lot of experience welding but LOTS of experience putting out fires in vehicles, some from welding. Have your fire extinguisher handy, an easy way to get the heck out, and a phone nearby outside, so you can call me if things go south! Oh yeah, not in the garage, please...
While we are in reminder mode... It may be worth wasting some thin sheet and half a pound of wire on practice. The Fluxcore wire behaves quite a bit differently from conventional wire and may take you by surprise if you assume that the settings you know will work for it.
But not watch you welding, but looking in places where you can't see what's going on! *That's* his task and he clearly has to be aware of it. Remind him that it is *his* car going up in smoke.
Drape everything you can in damp cotton duck dropcloths or wool blankets. And wrap all the cables in the immediate area under the dashboard, too. You want to use wool or fiberglass "Welders Protective Pads/Blankets" held in place with spring clips over anything that can get damaged. Give your 'Safety Man' a garden hose with a trigger nozzle or a full garden sprayer with clean water in it, and the nozzle set for heavy cone spray. And a charged dry-chem or CO2 fire extinguisher or two close at hand if it turns out the water isn't enough.
The water sprayer will be used to lightly dampen all the exposed surfaces each time right before you start to weld, and put out the fire in the carpet (and your coveralls) from flying red-hot slag dingleberries - without all the cleanup issues blowing off a Dry Chemical extinguisher inside the car would cause.
(Not to mention the "Unplanned Change of Underwear" after he blasts you in the face with Ammonium Phosphate powder.)
Long time ago I had a shop putting a new collector and muffler on my Corvair, and when he picked up the Hot Wrench that little voice of reason in my head said to get the garden hose and stand by as Safety Man. And I have learned that when that little voice speaks, it's usually right.
The shop owner openly criticized my doing this - Famous Last Words: "What could go wrong?" with the "You're just a kid, what do you know?" addendum for good measure. Then he flipped his hood down and got to work cutting out the old collector.
Not thirty seconds later he lit off the firewall insulation with the backwash from the torch, and I was right there with the hose...
After that, he wasn't laughing any more.
When they ask "What could go wrong?", tell them the Top Ten Things that could go wrong. It either shuts them up right quick, or it clarifies you're working with someone who is too careless to be entrusted with your safety and/or property.
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