ER70S6 vs RG45

[Aaron Novak]

I would think they would have had problems burning holes thru the tube.

Not once you get the hang of it. Actually the larger filler is easier when welding hot and fast as it acts as a heat sink.

Sam,
Not picking at what you chose to do, just adding a historical perspective. My guess is that your preference came from being unexperienced and trying to learn using too large of a filler with the RG, and that the difference you saw was due more to wire size than alloy ( and there is nothing wrong with that ). Im sorry if you were offended by the suggestion of trying something else, but I do still stand by it. If you want to try some RG-60 and RG-45 in 1/16 let me know and I will send a few pieces your way.

[Mike Switzer]

Not once you get the hang of it. Actually the larger filler is easier when welding hot and fast as it acts as a heat sink.

What size tip would you use welding thin tube with 1/8" rod? (For Smith AW1A if you know it, otherwise I can look at the cross reference chart)

[Sam Buchanan]

Sam,
Not picking at what you chose to do, just adding a historical perspective. My guess is that your preference came from being unexperienced and trying to learn using too large of a filler with the RG, and that the difference you saw was due more to wire size than alloy ( and there is nothing wrong with that ). Im sorry if you were offended by the suggestion of trying something else, but I do still stand by it. If you want to try some RG-60 and RG-45 in 1/16 let me know and I will send a few pieces your way.

No offense taken, it's just that I'm happy with the results I got with ER70S6. And if you prefer to use RG....I'm fine with that.

I did a lot of reading in the course of getting ready to weld the Eagle fuse, and it seems the ER fillers are rapidly gaining acceptance in oxy-gas welding. No doubt this is reflected in the move to ER filler by the highly regarded Tinman guys. RG has a lot of field history and is still the go-to filler for a lot of welders, but it is no longer the only option.
Of course, nearly everyone will be using TIG in years to come so this will all be moot.

[Mike Switzer]

Of course, nearly everyone will be using TIG in years to come so this will all be moot.

Yea, right... I can't afford that. Well, I probably could, but I can't justify it when a torch does the job for a lot less. Especially when my buddy has a tig if I really really want it welded that way.

[Aaron Novak]

No offense taken, it's just that I'm happy with the results I got with ER70S6. And if you prefer to use RG....I'm fine with that.

I did a lot of reading in the course of getting ready to weld the Eagle fuse, and it seems the ER fillers are rapidly gaining acceptance in oxy-gas welding. No doubt this is reflected in the move to ER filler by the highly regarded Tinman guys. RG has a lot of field history and is still the go-to filler for a lot of welders, but it is no longer the only option.
Of course, nearly everyone will be using TIG in years to come so this will all be moot.

Still going to want a torch if youre using 4130....... Besides I dont feel like getting skin cancer if I can avoid it.........

[Sam Buchanan]

Still going to want a torch if youre using 4130....... Besides I dont feel like getting skin cancer if I can avoid it.........

I like using a torch, sorta old-school.

But a torch is scarcely seen these days in aircraft production or race car shops that fabricate with 4130.

And I'm dealing with skin cancer already, not from TIG but from living on a planet illuminated by a huge UV generator...........life is risky.......

[Aaron Novak]

Yep rarely seen, mostly due to economic and marketing reasons, I mean hey, who doesnt love some shiny machine with all sorts of knobs and displays on it in their shop, makes it look like you know what you are doing to the uneducated.........

BTW I own and use 2 very nice inverter Tigs in my own shop......so my choice of technology for a given application is driven by engineering reasons, not personal capability.

[eiclan]

Gday chaps,A most interesting discussion,Here in Aussie the mig wire I use is the er70s6, it would seem then that I can tack weld my fuse frame with the mig and then either tig weld or oxy weld the frame with the same er70s6 filler rod,how convenient.I just wonder at whether there is a different melt point between the 70 series fill rod and the rg 45 and 60.Any thoughts? Ross

[Aaron Novak]

Gday chaps,A most interesting discussion,Here in Aussie the mig wire I use is the er70s6, it would seem then that I can tack weld my fuse frame with the mig and then either tig weld or oxy weld the frame with the same er70s6 filler rod,how convenient.I just wonder at whether there is a different melt point between the 70 series fill rod and the rg 45 and 60.Any thoughts? Ross

Ross,
Only a few degrees difference between the fillers. Provided the tacks are small, I dont really see an issue tacking with a Mig, however I guess I dont see an advantage either. You would have to be sure that the weld would completely re-melt the tack( including the parent metal under it ) forming a wider fillet than the tack itself in the end. Tacking with an O/A torch takes a couple seconds, same for tig, and the tacks are very controlled. I would think tacking with a mig would be cumbersome, producing large, "cold" tacks, and thus would be my personal last choice.

[eiclan]

Gday Aaron,You are right in respect to "cold tacks" produced by the mig welder but as someone who has built many experimental agricultural machine and have tacked them all together and built them and then dismantled them and fully welded,the production of a good tack weld is very important for not only the structural integrity but also the squareness of the finished product. The trick to getting the mig to produce a good small and strong tack weld is to ensure as higher amperage as is possible,commensurate with the thickness of the material,with the least amount of wire feed.Wire feed controls the size of the pool,amps the heat of the pool.the more wire the larger the tack.Because the tack weld is of short duration the amps need to be high to get full penetration while less wire ensures a flat tack weld. Cheers Ross