A MIG welder without gas is ranked as the best MIG welder, as its usage doesn’t require a gas cylinder or any other special appliances. Gasless welding is one of the classic arc welding types, where the wire is used as an electrode. However, the first thing to clarify about the no gas MIG welders is that there are no so-called gasless welders, as the gas is always used to protect the weld pool from oxygen by displacing it. The gasless MIG welders are actually self-shielding: the heat melts the base metal and the electrode, and, during cooling, the weld pool metal forms a weld. Shielding gas isolates the molten metal from gases in the air, preventing their interaction.
The acronym MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas. The main area of the gasless MIG welders application is the connection of soft and non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum. The argon or helium could be used as a gas for MIG welders.
The no gas MIG welders are also known as the flux core wire welders. The flux is a substance that was formed during the combustion of the electrode or filler wire. It has perfectly proved itself by complete isolation of the welded surfaces from the atmospheric air. The welding fluxes give an opportunity to provide low currents to melt the metal to a considerable depth directly at the area of the connection. This technology allows obtaining high-quality seams on both thin and thick metal products.
How To Use A MIG Weld Without Gas
To use a gasless MIG welding, you should:
- Choose the strength of the current.
- Next, set the optimal speed of the wire feed: you need to install one of the gears, which are included in the no gas welder kit.
- If the parameters are set correctly, the welding arc will operate stably and with sufficient power.
- A prerequisite for welding with a flux-cored wire is to observe the correct polarity: the burner must be connected to the minus, while the metal itself must be connected to the plus (this type of connection is called a direct connection).
- A reverse connection is usually used during welding with a shielding gas because a protective gas requires higher temperatures.
Advantages Of Using A MIG Without Gas
- The mobility of the equipment: there is no need to carry extra tools, like a gas cylinder, gearbox, rubber sleeves, etc.
- It is more affordable and easy in usage than the other welding types.
- A gasless MIG welding is environmentally friendly and harmlessness.
- It has a wide functional performance.
No Gas Welders Disadvantages
- It is impossible to see the course of the formation of a seam, as the holder of the gasless MIG welder is located in the corner of the joint between the fastened parts, therefore welding carries out from the side or towards itself.
- The welding modes are very sensitive to the thickness of the metal.
- The flux wire requires careful treatment due to the weak rigidity of its structure.