Welding - Anyone done any?

[Racerbvd]

I have a few friends who absolutely excell at welding, a perfect row of dimes, super straight lines, can sign their names on aluminum much better than I can write.

[A930Rocket]

I’m in the process of adding metal flares to my 330. Before I even start welding there’s gonna be a lot of trial and error fitting everything up.

Last time I did welding, I practice on some scraps and it worked well but then when I went to weld, I had a difficult time with burning holes, not enough penetration or more importantly, building the weld up instead of stopping and trying again after grinding. This time I’m going to concentrate on small welds back-and-forth on the flare.

[zakthor]

I dunno... a lot of advice in this thread is about proper structural welding. But bodywork is a totally different deal. With bodywork you're going to weld through burning paint with dynamat still stuck to the back of the panel, use the gas purge to keep fires from starting.

Most important tip anyone ever gave me for bodywork was: put down a tack, then go work elsewhere until the area is warm to the touch. Go real slow and it won't warp.

I have some old canadian land cruisers that sprout rust every so often.

Here is my door panel before and after.

[sc_rufctr]

Mostly basic stick welding. I bought a gasless MIG welder a few years ago but I've barely use it.

I've been thinking about TIG but I don't have a project for it yet.

[Nickshu]

Land rover frame welding content from last week's episode:

[matthewb0051]

^^^^
I had been watching that but lost track of it for whatever reason. Thanks

[wdfifteen]

Welding takes practice, and I'm out of practice.
After botching a few jobs I learned to get some scrap out and brush up on my technique before trying the actual job.
I learned to gas weld in 1969 so I could weld a new floor in my first Porsche. I haven't used the torches for welding since and I'm not sure I could do it anymore. One of my summer jobs in college was production welding trailers together with a MillerMatic mig welder. I laid down miles of beads and got pretty good, but I still have to brush up before I do a real welding job.

[TimT]

But bodywork is a totally different deal.

Not really, I've done quite a bit of rust repairs/restorations on car, trucks, trailers....buildings, bridges, etc...

Same principles apply..... clean base metal, and good fit...

For sheet metal, I use punches , crimpers, flangers, even rivets to fit up the pieces before I even strike an arc.. (grind the rivets off and rosette weld, metal finish after your repair is done )

Door jamb repair of '69 911

This was actually rocker replacement. jack point replacement, kidney (fender support), and door jamb.... all sheet metal.. many rosette welds many seam welds..



Bent a piece of sheet metal on a brake



Repair piece welded in



Shrink and stretch..



Shrink and stretch.



Rosette welds on flange.. you can see on the kidney I did seam welding.... get your settings right and good fit up and move...





Almost done... the rear quarters on this car were Dzused on so I just made the flange a bit longer

[bugstrider]

I’ve purchased a Mig n Tig with the intent of teaching myself for 912 repairs I need to make. Local CC welding classes fill up in hours, so I haven’t been able to re-roll in a class.

I found a great YouTube channel on welding and I like it so much, I’ve purchased some of his series. All his videos are posted on his channel

“Welding Tips n Tricks”


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[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by TimT

Not really, I've done quite a bit of rust repairs/restorations on car, trucks, trailers....buildings, bridges, etc...

Same principles apply..... clean base metal, and good fit...

For sheet metal, I use punches , crimpers, flangers, even rivets to fit up the pieces before I even strike an arc.. (grind the rivets off and rosette weld, metal finish after your repair is done )

Door jamb repair of '69 911

This was actually rocker replacement. jack point replacement, kidney (fender support), and door jamb.... all sheet metal.. many rosette welds many seam welds..



Bent a piece of sheet metal on a brake



Repair piece welded in



Shrink and stretch..



Shrink and stretch.



Rosette welds on flange.. you can see on the kidney I did seam welding.... get your settings right and good fit up and move...





Almost done... the rear quarters on this car were Dzused on so I just made the flange a bit longer

That looks great!!!!!!


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[Daves911L]

Originally Posted by bugstrider

I’ve purchased a Mig n Tig with the intent of teaching myself for 912 repairs I need to make.

I started welding 22 years ago, after taking a356 to a well regarded restoration shop. I started looking carefully at the work and realized it was garbage. Figured I couldn’t do any worse. Cut the car apart. Bought myself a mig , and started learning by doing. I wouldn’t rate that first job too highly, but honestly it came out ok. Considerably better than the “expert”.

On my next project I decided I wanted cleaner work, less brittle welds, and much less grinding. I went out and bought a TIG. Set it up, and called s good friend who I knew was a very accomplished TIG welder to show me how to use it. He showed up that afternoon with a couple of gas bottles and a very small oxyacetylene torch. He said he wouldn’t waste his time trying to teach me the TIG until I could weld sheet metal with a torch. Best advice welding advice I ever got. Learned with the torch to read the metal, watch what has happening as the metal flowed together, control heat with the torch and the rod, move the puddle around, etc. truly welding. You really can’t see any of that stuff with a MIG.

Eventually I got pretty comfortable with the torch, and moved on to the TIG. I use it for 90% of my welding now. The other 10% I do with the gas torch, because it’s fun, helps my TIG welding be better, and just occasionally it’s the only tool for the job. Haven’t touched the MIg in 15 years.

[A930Rocket]

When welding two pieces of sheet metal, a good ground is obvious but would it hurt to put a ground clamp on both pieces to make sure it’s grounded properly?

In my case, I’m trying to ground sheet metal flares to my car. I can put the ground clamp on the flare but what about the car? Would it hurt to make a jumper from the ground clamp to the car?

[908/930]

No need to put a ground on both A930Rocket, usually if they are clamped together that covers it, or once the puddle touches.

[rcooled]

How not to do it...

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

When welding two pieces of sheet metal, a good ground is obvious but would it hurt to put a ground clamp on both pieces to make sure it’s grounded properly?

In my case, I’m trying to ground sheet metal flares to my car. I can put the ground clamp on the flare but what about the car? Would it hurt to make a jumper from the ground clamp to the car?

I'd think you'd just want the ground clamp on the car anyways. The arc you make will be to the grounded piece, the puddle will instantly connect the new metal to the car.

Do some practice welds before actually welding on your car. The puddle needs space to expand so leave a gap for puddle to fill.

[billybek]

I am not the weldor
I am the weldor's son.
I will do the welding
until the weldor comes.

I can hold my own with a stick welder but need to do some work with the mig. Going to try tig welding in the near future.

[Pazuzu]

I have done basic stick and mig, but that was 20 years ago. I could tack the hell out of two things!

Now, at work, I have access to stick, mig, tig, aluminum welding, stud welding, rosette welding, brazing and every type of metal forming/cutting/bending machine there is.

I also have access to 3 trained professional welders, so I'll let them do it.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I also have access to 3 trained professional welders, so I'll let them do it.

Professionals are good...

I bought a SC muffler from a fellow Pelicanite and it was too big for the cheap rate box so he cut the tail pipe off. A guy I worked with was a food grade welder and he stainless steel welded the tailpipe back on. I really had trouble finding the weld it was so perfect.