Mig wire help

There was some discussion some time ago about a brand of mig wire that was easier to grind. Harrison seems to be the name stuck in my head but I'm not sure. Is this correct? If it is, is there a certain part number I should be looking for? Another question is, is it worth purchasing said wire?, does it work better(finish)? Anybody use this wire, opinions? Thanks, later shawn

 

ESAB markets an "easy grind" wire - but I haven't used it , I'm using Hobart HB28 ,an all around type of wire , shielding gas is75/25

 

My friend bought some of the ESAB "easy grind" wire, he uses it with both mig, and tig on sheetmetal work, it works great (it lives up to it's name).

 

I've been looking for that stuff, too. Thanks.

 

I think the wire you are refer to is made by Harris( now a owned by Lincoln Welding) and it is called "20 Gauge". It is designed for welding body panels together.

 

it has many names but is really just a "low alloy wire!" regular solid core mig wire is rated at 70,000 lbs tensile strength and the "low alloy wire" is 30,000 lbs tensile strength. note that "low alloy wire" is not meant for structural welding. i recall where the local voc-tech for autobody had to recall a huge amount of repairs because some students ran out of mig wire and grabbed the mig that had "low alloy wire" init and welded up uni-bodies with it. students had no idea because welders weren't labeled. less grinding=less heat/warpage.

 

So would this wire produce a softer weld more sutible for hammer welding? Or is it pretty much the same due to the process?

 

i dont think i would want to buy a weaker wire just to save alittle time grinding.just my opinion

 

It's a question of hardness, for hammering the welds. MIG welds in the 70,000psi range are harder, (maybe denser)? Definately more difficult to hammer smooth. A softer filler wire would be a God-send for those of us who hammer our work.
I've used 'EZ grind' for years. It does grind a little easier, but still hammers hard. If you have a source/brand name and spec numbers for a softer wire I'd be interested in doing some work with that.

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

It's more like Why use major wire on everything? You generally want to use high tensile strength filler on high tensile strength material. You don't need to use high strength filler on low strength materials. It creates waste in time, grinding materials, tool wear and opens opportunities for problems in material compatability. That can mean material that easily work hardens, fatigue cracks, hard to grind, etc. All of these are issues routinely associated with mig welding. The reason is that the users typically install one type of wire and weld everything with it. If you keep several types of wire, you are set for most any type of work. I like silicon-bronze for cosmetic sheetmetal where no stress is likely and for filling pits in corroded axle housings where the corrosion doesn't warrant replacement. I have high tensile wire for structural stuff and low tensile wire for sheetmetal where loads are light. A 30,000 lb. filler is plenty strong for chopping a top of patching a fender. 70,000 lb wire is appropriate for chassis work and unibody sheetmetal, but really hard to grind. My 3M roloc discs costs about $1.50 each. In the course of chopping my roof and sectioning my cab, the difference could double the number of grinding discs that I use. That might pay for several 2 lb rolls of mig wire, or one 10 lb roll. You priced mig wire lately? It's not just a little time, it's a lot of money, wear and time. A business owner calls it smart money.

 

It seems to me that a wire that ground easier would not be as strong (as stated earlier) or hard but would be more ductile. This would make it grind easier but not necessarily increase malleability so that it would hammer easier, but heating the metal to a certain temperature would. Just my .02

 

Generally, hammering welds will work harden them. If you start off with a 30,000psi weld strength, you would probably end up with a 20-25% increase in strength/density after hammer-finishing the weld. You are essentially compressing the molecules of the steel, which adds strength by virtue of increasing the density of the steel.

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

using regular mig wire on sheetmetal is like using a 1" bolt when a 1/4" one will do. of all the metal guys i have asked they all like the way its user friendly because grinding sucks!

 

What ticks me off is going to the farm store a few weeks ago and paying $29.00 for a 10 lb. spool of Chinese made wire when the last roll was US made and cost $26.00...

 

Thanks guy's for the help. Would you use the low tensile wire on floor pans and rockers or just body panels like doors,fenders, filling holes and such?

 

If it's not structural, I'd use it on any sheetmetal. Floors and rockers don't really count in a full frame car. Go for it.

 

x2 what scottybaccus said

 

Can you run silicon bronze without a feeder? special liner?

Does anybody have a link or part number for the easy grind? Is any one brand have a lower tensile strength or easier grind?

Thanks

 

I read the same thread a couple of weeks ago about EZ grind wire.I checked with my local guys at Capweld and they didn't know anything about it.I got online on weldingsupply.com and ordered 2-2lb. rolls of ESAB EZ grind in .023.Kinda pricey but the difference in grinding is huge.The ad says its ideal for body repair where getting the metal absolutely clean is a problem.I welded in a couple of small patches and I really like it.Hammers out good and grinding time is greatly reduced.

 

I saw that thread about the easier grind wire, and went in to my welding supply and asked about getting a spool of it. Well they could get it for me if I needed. But instead he gave me one of these 4 inch grinding discs to try in a 40 grit. He showed me a piece of stainless that had a couple of beads of stainless welds laid down, and it cut right through them. I have since tried them on my mig welds, and wish I had them sooner. They run about $8.00 each but they last a long time as long as you go in flat with them and light pressure...John

 

You'll notice that every MIG wire has a code number on it. It usually starts with E70 -something- #. This last number tells you how hard it is. The lower the number the softer the wire. 2 is the nicest to grind but you can only use it for panel repairs. a #7 or higher should be used for structure.

The Old TInbasher

 

Ok I looked up the Esab easy grind wire on welding supply. Whats the difference between allstate and spoolarc?

 

Same stuff, owned by ESAB, allstate may be their cheaper brand just like Millers cheaper brand Hobart.

 

They add additional heat to the panel.Next time feel the panel after you grind it with a flap disk.