California
Well-known member
Yeah.
With more practice I'm getting a lot better at tuning in the welder settings and not veering off the chalk line. Two years after starting this thread, I'm a better welder.
A drape around the back of my head to keep light out of the helmet interior made a big difference.
And one aspect I hadn't thought of in 2020 - I've started using INE flux core wire. It doesn't make the clouds of smoke I was experiencing with random brands.
When I bought the HF MIG 180 used, from someone who was more an experimenter than a welder, he included several partial and full rolls of FC wire. A variety of well known brands and a couple of no-label generics. Obviously he hadn't found a brand he liked. I finally used up that stockpile plus the Forney and Blue Demon wire I had bought locally.
On the suggestion of someone here I bought INE flux core wire (made in Italy, Amazon) and the difference is remarkable.
With the suggestions in this thread and better wire, I now have a better view of what I'm doing.