I'm finally going after the rust and rot in the wheels wells. While I've had a little experience with a Mig welder (farting around) this is still a new science for me.

I'm using steel I grabbed from a body shop for a song. Looks like good stuff.

Any suggestions or tips?

 

As little heat as possible and weld in spots and not in a line if you understand what im trying to say.

 

The heat part I understand. The unit I've been fiddling with is big old ancient bastard and when I tried it on thinner gauge steel it burned right through it.

Would you elaborate on welding in spots?

 

Tack on one corner, smooth the patch then tack on another weld about 3in away from the first one. Keep doing this and keep smoothing the patch out. Never try to weld a straight line, just make a bunch of tacks about 3in away from each other (atleast). Then take a hammer and bang the welds into the car and sand, body filler, sand, body filler. Spray black paint on and sand. That will show you if any areas need more body filler (there will be black paint on the car if it does need more). Keep doing this until its completely smooth.

 

Great 411.

And that sig keeps getting better.


These are relatively small patches that I am doing. Most are on the order of maybe 4" x 2" in size.

So I'll want to use the welds to secure the steel to the body and then finish it up with filler. I'll be welding from the outside, of course. Is just whaling on the welds going to smooth them enough that they won't be visible as bumps later?

 

Use .023" wire, for shielding gas I use 75/25. Keep the heat low, buy some butt clamps from eastwood. Use a stich welding technique: Weld 1/4" move to the opposite corner of the patch, weld 1/4" working your way slowly around the patch. The cleaner the metal the better the weld
John

 

Shielding gas? What is that?


Butt clamps - those big clamps for holding everything in place? Already have some at the shop that I'm working at.


And I can't believe I typed "bodyword" in the subject line. I also can't believe how tired I am.

 

I do crap like that a lot Kind of glad on my car though, only 1 spot I have to cut out, but its on the worst place imaginable! Right on the edge of a wheel well Skills > me in fixing that heh.

 

id be careful, if it does get to hot than it will warp the panals around the welding area, which is hard to fix......just be carefull

 

Shielding Gas? Perhaps you need to go take a part-time welding course at your local techincal college or continuing education program first!. Please don't say you were planning to do panel welding with Flux-caoted wire and no gas!

As far as butt-clamps go: NO not the big ones at the sho!These are what you want:

Intergrip Panel Clamps Set Of 4

Item No. - 19016
Position flat or curved panels for precision butt welds with these innovative tools. Intergrips are miniature clamps that align panels edge to edge and surface to surface, leaving a .040" gap, for full weld penetration. Clamp the sections together, tack weld, and remove the intergrips for final welding. The result is a clean weld requiring little grinding.



Regular Price: $29.99 This item is in stock

 

Just read about shielding gas.

The machine I'll be renting uses rods, not the wire feed...

Those clamps look great, but because the patches I'll be doing won't be very regular in shape I don't believe that those clamps would be of much benefit over the big, regular ones.

 

You're going to stick-weld sheet metal??? GOOD LUCK!

 

Okay, let's turn this over.


How would you approach this? What welder, etc?

 

Mig: I personaly use a Hobart Handler 135 , The lincoln is a good unit also. Avoid the Daytonna Line of machines, They are CHEAP Itailian imports.

Use ..023 Wire

Use 75/25 Co2/Argon shielding gas

Buy a decent Auto-Darkening Helmet


Buy a good welding guide. You can be up and welding in about an hour of practice

 

Over the years I've tried to fix pretty much every and all types of problems that I have had with my various cars. After all the time and effort I have come to a conclusion. If there is one thing that I've learned is that bodywork is an art, and should be left to professionals.

Mechanics are easy - but proper bodywork is not.

The best thing to do is go to a shop that you know and trust, and get an estimate. Then, talk to them for a while about how you can prep the area. You can cut out the rusty part and sand the area. Then take the car to them and let them do the more "artistic" portion of the job with the proper tools and know-how. You'll save a few hundred dollars, and it will be a professional job.

Just my $.02

 

the art of welding is a science... There are thousands and thousands of of books just on weldings... The theory of welding and the properties of it are quite complex.

From controlling the cooling of the weld so you get certain properties of the metal ie martensite (SP?).

If you have never welded before i don't think trying to weld things on your car is a good idea.

The ultimate weld is TIG welding, the price of a tig welder will blow your mind

 

"The ultimate weld is TIG welding, the price of a tig welder will blow your mind"

I have been pricing a TIG, 1500 sets me up quite nicely.

Tig is the welder for Exotic metals and Precision work, but you can't beat a MIG for production speed.

 

Was talking to my boss today. He's been talking about picking up a MIG welder since last summer. He's the one who originally encouraged me to seek out a MIG to rent for my project.

Well, he's on the verge of buying one. He's been out pricing them and he's found one he likes. So it looks like within the next 2-3 weeks I'll have a brand new unit in the shop to play with.

I understand everyone's cautions about what to expect if my inexperienced *** tries to tackle this. My inexperienced *** has caused all sorts of nifty damage to my cars in the past. I'm going to take my time with this and I'd be grateful for any guidance anyone might have to offer when the time comes. I'm not expecting to have a masterpiece when I'm done, but I do want to do the best job that I can.


I'll post again when we have the welder and I'm gearing up. Thank you to everyone who has replied so far.