I have a Millermatic 35 I use for general purpose welding on mild steel
usually 1/4 and less thick. Since buying it 30+ years ago, I have always
used .035, ER70S-6, and CO2 gas. I tried some Argon mixes years ago, but
IIRC, I didn't get enough penetration to suit me. I have never been real
happy with it's penetration qualities, but it's so much faster than stick.
The machine has never seemed quite smooth enough either. No matter where I
set the wire speed, it still seems a bit lacking.

Obviously things have changed a good bit over the years, and I'm revisiting
my choice of wire and gas. So I thought I would check the consensus of the
group.

Current recommendations friends and suppliers have been:

CO2 gas with ER70S-6 wire, but go with the .030 as opposed to .035.

CO2 or 25/75 gas with E71T-1M, or E71T-E7, .030.

No gas and E71T-GS, .030.

Would welcome any and all suggestions. All position would be nice, but I
need at least vertical down. Good penetration on hot rolled steel (without
pregrinding) would be a must.

A Miller 35 is a great old machine.
I am surprised you say you can get penetration, since if you run that
machine balls-to-the-wall you can switch into spray mode (using C25
gas) and weld 1" plate.

I recommend using 0.035" ER70S-6, and C25 gas (75% Argon, 25% CO2) for
light gauge work (1/4" and below)
For heavier plate move up to 0.035" ER71T-1 (gas shielded flux core)
with a C25 gas shield.

For really big stuff over 1/2" thick, move up to 0.045" ER71T-1 with
the C25.

For work outdoors go to 0.035" or 0.045" ER71T-8 (self shielded flux
core)

"Ernie Leimkuhler" <ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com> wrote in message
news:040520081200409076%ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com...


-----


For work outdoors go to 0.035" or 0.045" ER71T-8 (self shielded flux
core)

I'm assuming gasless here. How is this for vertical up, or a wide gap? Would
another wire be better for all position?

-----


What would you recommend for welding the thinnest possible sheet metal with
this machine?

-----
Have you ever used E71T-E7 or 1M?

--------------

Thanks for taking the time Ernie, I really appreciate it.

In article <RaLTj.1672$tM1.393 at (no spam) newsfe20.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:


"Ernie Leimkuhler" <ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com> wrote in message
news:040520081200409076%ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com...



-----


For work outdoors go to 0.035" or 0.045" ER71T-8 (self shielded flux
core)

I'm assuming gasless here. How is this for vertical up, or a wide gap? Would
another wire be better for all position?



Jumping gaps is a balance of voltage to wire speed to travel speed.
If you do a classic triangle weave with gasless flux-core you can climb
fast and jump a moderate gap.


E71T-8 is all position, E70T-8 is flat only


-----


What would you recommend for welding the thinnest possible sheet metal with
this machine?


0.030" is the thinest wire I would run in that machine, mainly due to
the gun and it's liner.
If you want to run 0.024" wire you would have to get a smaller gun
liner.



-----
Have you ever used E71T-E7 or 1M?

--------------



E71T-1M is a lincoln wire and I HATE it.

My favorite flux-ciore wires are made by ESAB, Dual-Shield and
Core-shield 8.

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:

"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...
Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.

In article <4KTTj.113519$Ft5.9341 at (no spam) newsfe15.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:

"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...
Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.



Getting dual-shield wires in small amounts is hard.

Harris is the only company that sells these wires in small spools.

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=12

What I usually do is buy a 30 lb spool of ESAB wire and spool it
myself, if I want to use it in my spoolgun.

You can buy ESAB 7100 Ultra, Dual-Shield wire in sizes down to 0.035".
7100 Ultra is the best Gas Shielded Flux Core wire I have ever used.

In article <4KTTj.113519$Ft5.9341 at (no spam) newsfe15.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:

"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...
Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.



Getting dual-shield wires in small amounts is hard.

Harris is the only company that sells these wires in small spools.

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=12

What I usually do is buy a 30 lb spool of ESAB wire and spool it
myself, if I want to use it in my spoolgun.

You can buy ESAB 7100 Ultra, Dual-Shield wire in sizes down to 0.035".
7100 Ultra is the best Gas Shielded Flux Core wire I have ever used.

On Tue, 06 May 2008 20:48:34 -0700, Ernie Leimkuhler
ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com> wrote:

Greetings Ernie,
Can .035 dual shield be used in a Lincoln SP125 Plus? And is it worth
it?
Thanks,
Eric


In article <4KTTj.113519$Ft5.9341 at (no spam) newsfe15.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:


"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.



Getting dual-shield wires in small amounts is hard.

Harris is the only company that sells these wires in small spools.

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=12

What I usually do is buy a 30 lb spool of ESAB wire and spool it
myself, if I want to use it in my spoolgun.

You can buy ESAB 7100 Ultra, Dual-Shield wire in sizes down to 0.035".
7100 Ultra is the best Gas Shielded Flux Core wire I have ever used.

Does it show that wire on the chart inside the door?

GWE
No, it does not.

etpm at (no spam) whidbey.com wrote:

On Tue, 06 May 2008 20:48:34 -0700, Ernie Leimkuhler
ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com> wrote:

Greetings Ernie,
Can .035 dual shield be used in a Lincoln SP125 Plus? And is it worth
it?
Thanks,
Eric


In article <4KTTj.113519$Ft5.9341 at (no spam) newsfe15.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:


"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.



Getting dual-shield wires in small amounts is hard.

Harris is the only company that sells these wires in small spools.

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=12

What I usually do is buy a 30 lb spool of ESAB wire and spool it
myself, if I want to use it in my spoolgun.

You can buy ESAB 7100 Ultra, Dual-Shield wire in sizes down to 0.035".
7100 Ultra is the best Gas Shielded Flux Core wire I have ever used.

On Wed, 07 May 2008 19:03:04 GMT, Grant Erwin
grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote:


Does it show that wire on the chart inside the door?

GWE

No, it does not.
ERS

etpm at (no spam) whidbey.com wrote:


On Tue, 06 May 2008 20:48:34 -0700, Ernie Leimkuhler
ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com> wrote:

Greetings Ernie,
Can .035 dual shield be used in a Lincoln SP125 Plus? And is it worth
it?
Thanks,
Eric



In article <4KTTj.113519$Ft5.9341 at (no spam) newsfe15.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:



"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...


Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.



Getting dual-shield wires in small amounts is hard.

Harris is the only company that sells these wires in small spools.

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=12

What I usually do is buy a 30 lb spool of ESAB wire and spool it
myself, if I want to use it in my spoolgun.

You can buy ESAB 7100 Ultra, Dual-Shield wire in sizes down to 0.035".
7100 Ultra is the best Gas Shielded Flux Core wire I have ever used.

In article <ZMvUj.42$Gf.3 at (no spam) trndny05>, Grant Erwin
grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote:

I have the 175T and it doesn't show on my chart either. I think it's a good
bet.
The machine can feed .035 wire and it can supply gas. What more do you need?

Grant


A beefier gun.
Dual shield beats the crap out of small guns.
It is why I have HUGE 40 amp guns on my Betamig 250 at home and the
Millermatic 300 at school.

I have the 175T and it doesn't show on my chart either. I think it's a good
bet.
The machine can feed .035 wire and it can supply gas. What more do you need?

Grant

etpm at (no spam) whidbey.com wrote:

On Wed, 07 May 2008 19:03:04 GMT, Grant Erwin
grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote:


Does it show that wire on the chart inside the door?

GWE

No, it does not.
ERS

etpm at (no spam) whidbey.com wrote:


On Tue, 06 May 2008 20:48:34 -0700, Ernie Leimkuhler
ernie at (no spam) stagesmith.com> wrote:

Greetings Ernie,
Can .035 dual shield be used in a Lincoln SP125 Plus? And is it worth
it?
Thanks,
Eric



In article <4KTTj.113519$Ft5.9341 at (no spam) newsfe15.lga>, Maxwell
luv2^fly99 at (no spam) cox.^net> wrote:



"Grant Erwin" <grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote in message
news:r_OTj.5118$ch1.2504 at (no spam) trndny09...


Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:


Thanks for the recommendations guys, I really appreciate it.

Are there an good sources for wire, especially in smaller quantities,
on-line or otherwise?

Availability always seems limit someone's ability to experiment.



Getting dual-shield wires in small amounts is hard.

Harris is the only company that sells these wires in small spools.

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=12

What I usually do is buy a 30 lb spool of ESAB wire and spool it
myself, if I want to use it in my spoolgun.

You can buy ESAB 7100 Ultra, Dual-Shield wire in sizes down to 0.035".
7100 Ultra is the best Gas Shielded Flux Core wire I have ever used.

In article <ZMvUj.42$Gf.3 at (no spam) trndny05>, Grant Erwin
grant at (no spam) NOSPAMkirkland.net> wrote:


I have the 175T and it doesn't show on my chart either. I think it's a good
bet.
The machine can feed .035 wire and it can supply gas. What more do you need?

Grant



A beefier gun.
Dual shield beats the crap out of small guns.
It is why I have HUGE 40 amp guns on my Betamig 250 at home and the
Millermatic 300 at school.