ems1
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 311
Club RR Member Number: 5
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I went on a local mig welding course, first thing they had me doing was welding lots of straight lines on a piece of 5mm box section which helps with setting up the feed, power, etc. It progressed from there, towards the end they even had me clamping bits of metal to the side of the welding table so I could learn to weld from underneath. Also invest in a Auto Darkening Helmet, much better than a hand held mask.
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1985 Manta GT/E 16v 2001 VW T4 Caravelle
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My "work experience" was being sent to the art department at the local college because they couldn't work out what to do with me, I was only 15 and got to faff about with all sorts of neat stuff in the workshop. Got shown how to MIG, first ever pass and the technician asked if I'd done it before, so must have been doing something right. I later went to that same college to do a number of art courses and ended up right back at using that same MIG, making all sorts of daft stuff.
When I was about 20 I bought a cheapy stick buzzbox and learnt a bit with that, making things (badly) in the garage.
23 and I find myself going to work for a blacksmiths, forging and making gates and railings and the like, that's where I really learnt to stickweld (still struggle with some positions) and to properly use a MIG. 4 years of that and I move to the company next door (where I still am) working in sheet metal and other general fabrications out of a variety of materials. We have welders that'll do from 1mm sheet up to 12mm plate. I learnt stainless DC TIG here as well as AC aluminium. Over the space of two weeks I'll have put together a skip-sized water filter tank out of 3mm mild steel (50 metres roughly, in silly positions), repaired an alloy wheel, and made some stainless steel kids playground equipment, very varied!
And even with all the kit we have here, I still hate doing car bits! Or bits of Lambretta which seem to be brought to us for repair. I had a hobby MIG, a Clarke one, it was ok but maybe I'm used to a nice wirefeed so I sold it as it wasn't getting the use.
Overdrive is correct with the tacking, your job will go all over the place if it's not held properly and gaps will appear as the heat transfers through.
CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. I can't express this enough, a decent machine will ride over some smaller bits but even they will spit and pop at something that looks like it's been pulled out of a pond.
Got a hole? Don't go at it, you'll blow it away and make it bigger. Get a bit of copper pipe and squash it flat, or an old bus bar out of a fuse box and hold that (WITH PLIARS!) behind the hole and then go at the edge of the hole with your welder, fill it up and then waggle the copper free, job done. Aluminium also works, as does brass/bronze... anything non-ferrous!
Trying to plate up a hole but can't hold it whilst you tack it in? Hold it with a big magnet! If you get a welders positional magnet you can put your patch plate halfway across it, then the other half onto the car, holds it in place AND flush!
Washers tacked on edge gives you a quick and easy hole to hook a prybar into to pull bits out, or a homemade slidehammer.
LOTS OF CLAMPS!
I'm sure I'll think of more, hope I've helped!
Matt
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brc76
RR Helper
Posts: 1,108
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Also agree, invest in a self darkening helmet.
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Tip/ get an old microwave and strip it down for the two big magnets inside to hold bits, biggest problem is that the wire and torch usually loves it too! 😄
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As a teenager, an old-timer showed me how to gas weld to get my first cars through mots. Lots of years doing no welding then my sierra failed mot for rust. Repairs were going to be £100s so I spent the cash to buy a new low-end Clark mig set. Some frustrating time spent with trial & error. A mate then spent a couple of hours showing me the right way - this helped a *LOT* An auto-darkening helmet is my 2nd "must have" on the route to success
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fogey
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,615
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I had a fantastic old school type foreman / boss who taught me absolutely everything he knew - gas welding first and not just the straight forward steel either - alloy body panels too - then MIG - the market has made great strides over the last five years or so to accommodate 'our' market - with smaller type semi pro machines for both MIG & TIG - HoTWire you are very welcome to come & spend a day at my place for tuition / practice on a live / real time work in progress job or bring your vehicle should you wish
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Last Edit: Feb 5, 2020 20:43:53 GMT by Deleted
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Bolf
Part of things
Posts: 507
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I learnt at college , 2 weeks in a 4 year MV course , but I REALLY learnt when I bought my own welder and made stuff...
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Badger
Part of things
Posts: 250
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Self taught - I owned a mini! I read a fair bit from MIGWelding.co.uk which sorted the theory, then just tried out on scrap until I was confident enough to start patching the mini; talk about a trial by fire, I swear I must have put in about 30% new metal!
As said before just get a machine and an auto-darkening helmet then try it.
I'd say you're more than welcome to pop around and have a crack if you're around Bristol, but my mate's got my TIG at the moment to weld up his Corolla.
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Paul Y
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,948
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Bought a welder and practiced lots. YouTube is your friend. Make the surfaces as clean as you can. Use denatured alcohol- good suggestion from one of the YouTube channels. The big step change in the quality of my welds coincided with the purchase of a quality helmet. I really enjoy welding, I am no expert by any means, but every time I spark up I learn more and get better. P.
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I did a course at a college but didn't bother completing it. It was good for the basics but to be honest I learnt more from the likes of chucke2009 on youtube and just picking up the welder and having a go. Once the machine is setup properly for whatever you're trying to weld actually wiggling the hot end around isn't that tricky.
Most of welding is really about reading the puddle and managing the heat that you're putting into the metal. Nothing but practise will teach you that.
I basically do it for a living now and I'm self taught other than the youtube bits.
I had an old Sankey trailer i chopped up and welded the rust out of. It was good because the metal is all quite thick.
Make sure you get gas. The flux core stuff is wibblepoo.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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I used youtube to understand what was going on and what to do, the various skill elements of it.
from there did a 6 week evening class to put it in to practice and do the hands on learning with a pro on hand.
got my own welder from there.
clean metal, minimum of gaps and a bit of patience is what you need for a good weld.
also keep in mind it's a skilful bit of work, it's not something you can just do first time and be good at it. you're going to suck until you get better, so just expect to be rubbish to start with and go from there.
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vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,243
Club RR Member Number: 146
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I learned on my first car, in a cold corrugate metal barn, with the help of a friend who was (and still is) far more competent at all things automotive than I am. I'm still learning now and have welded a variety of different cars with a variety of different quality of steel, and with a variety of different welders. Every welder seems to like a slightly different set up, and what works for one welder doesn't for another.
Must haves are self-darkening mask, decent thick welding gloves and nice clean welding accessories. As with painting, cleanliness is everything with welding. You can be the best welder in the world, but if the panel you're working on is covered in rubbish you're going to have a bad time.
The best tip I've been given for technique is to slow down. Welding isn't a race. Take your time, don't get too frustrated when the job doesn't go as you want it to, and accept that no matter how bad your welds look now they're going to look better in the future. Practice, practice, practice.
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The easiest way is spending some time with someone who knows, it’s not too bad to train yourself when all goes well but it’s helpful to have pointers from an experienced welder...... I learnt through a sheet metal apprenticeship which involved MIG and TIG and have been doing it nigh on fifteen years and I still find I learn things that help as I continue in my career. As a lot have suggested a course at the local college can really help with a basic but decent understanding to start improving your skills from. I didn’t see where you’re from (I should really read things better) but if you’re anywhere down south I’d happily give pointers in exchange for a brew with possibilities of a biscuit or two 👍.
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Taught to gas weld by my Journeyman as an apprentice. Had a good friend of my dad’s who was a cantankerous old bstard who could really weld. One of the few people around those days who were certified to weld inconel and other exotic materials used in commercial aviation. He said he couldn’t teach me to Mig weld, anybody could Mig weld. Used to go there and be given a lump of metal with a weld on it, and told not to come back until my sample weld looked like his. At the time I was pretty sure it was his way of telling me to f**k off. 🤣. His welding was atrocious to start off with so it was easy to replicate. His welding improved with time. It got harder to replicate. 🤣🤣. At the end it was pretty good. He then turned around to me and said “ You now know the technique how to make a weld look as good or as bad as you want, It’s up to you to choose” Sly old fox had made me learn to identify all the common mistakes, moving too fast, torch too far away, not enough gas, not enough power, dirty material etc. 🤣🤣
Once you know why your welding looks carp, it really is easy to improve. The point and squirt bit is easy,it’s the machine setup where most people go wrong.don't try and learn on you project car,you will get upset. Get some scrap panels to practice/set up on. The new inverter type welders are no different. Set up wrong ,you can get just as sh***y results.🤣🤣🤣. But when dialled in right, they are a lot more forgiving than the older, transformer based sets.
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60six
Posted a lot
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Posts: 1,673
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I learnt by reading on here, then one day fixed a computer for someone and swapped the work for a brand-new old stock sip migmate with wirefeed on the top. Talked to a landlord of a pub and got a gas bottle, Got that filled with C02 (not oxygen as I told everyone on here to much finger pointing!) Then got the single most important thing invented for welding in recent years - the self darkening helmet. Only get the type that have a replaceable battery as most of the cheapo ones just use a soldered in CR2032 which always runs flat.
Keep mucking about with different thicknesses of metal and wirespeed / low-mid-high settings & gas levels and listen for that nice smooth sound - and always use a flap-paddle grinder wheel before and after welding as clean welding surfaces are the best - Magnets are your friend.
For reasons down to the law of SOD, turn your mobile off and close all doors. Once you have a space, put a thicker coat on, decent gloves, helmet, sorted the wire, positioned metal in the vice, cleared the area, someone will ring you or a dog will demand your attention.
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Some 9000's, a 900, an RX8 & a beetle
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As a teenager, an old-timer showed me how to gas weld to get my first cars through mots. Lots of years doing no welding then my sierra failed mot for rust. Repairs were going to be £100s so I spent the cash to buy a new low-end Clark mig set. Some frustrating time spent with trial & error. A mate then spent a couple of hours showing me the right way - this helped a *LOT* An auto-darkening helmet is my 2nd "must have" on the route to success Apart from the ‘As a teenager’ bit, I was 55 then this was my story. Brilliant car welding mate is a godsend and no need to mention setting my shed on fire at the first attempt, fire extinguisher was immediately acquired.
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Bicycle x1 Alfa Giulietta (now wife's) Alfa 156 BMW 630i Honda rc36
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duncancento
Part of things
Posts: 117
Club RR Member Number: 20
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I just bought a welder and went for it. Made quite a lot of silly mistakes but after reading some guides on www.mig-welding.co.uk and lots more practice my welding is not too bad now, still working on consistency with my welds sometimes (and occasionally forgetting to turn the gas on!). I enjoy doing it which helps a lot plus to be able to make your own exhaust for something obscure is so useful.
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ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,121
Club RR Member Number: 134
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Do we get to see the progress and results as you go @hotwire?
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Cant really add to any of the advice above, but personally I would say do not under any circumstance use a magnet to hold parts together. Yes they do hold things but they also slightly magnetise everything in your workshop so anything steel gradually becomes covered in a coat of metal ‘hair’ .
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