|
|
|
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’ . I've used magnets where there are no options - you're quite right, and it's especially annoying if you drop the magnet onto the floor under the bit where you've been cutting and grinding and haven't quite got around to sweeping up yet. I also find that magnets interfere with the quality of the weld if they're anywhere near, so it's best to have them some distance away. And, a lot of magnets I've used struggle to hold their own weight in some places. But sometimes there are no other ways to hold things.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welder/fabricator apprenticeship 1970 to 1974 plus advanced welding course. Trouble is that these days my eyes are not as good and my body is not as willing. Re the magnets, don't try this with Tig!
|
|
Proton Jumbuck-deceased :-( 2005 Kia Sorento the parts hauling heap V8 Humber Hawk 1948 Standard12 pickup SOLD 1953 Pop build (wifey's BIVA build).
|
|
|
|
|
Don’t try it with gas either 🤣🤣
|
|
|
|
fulvia1436
Club Retro Rides Member
Finally started a thread for my Fulvia life
Posts: 343
Club RR Member Number: 63
|
|
|
Despite words above, there is no question it being much easier and more successful using an eg. R-tech machine than a hobby welder!! I'm saving up for my own R-tech, and I shall enjoy my visit to the tip!
|
|
'59 Austin A40, '59 VW Beetle, '63 Mk1 Cortina, '57 Austin Gypsy, '68 Fiat 850 Coupe, '68 Alfa Duetto Spider, '72 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S, '73 Lancia 2000 Sedan ie., '72 Lancia 2000 Sedan, '67 Lancia Fulvia 1.3, '83 VW Passat GL5 Estate, '81 Volvo 245 Estate, '85 Lancia Thema 8V Turbo Estate, '99 Lancia Kappa 20V Turbo Estate, '00 VW Sharan VR6, '06 Fiat Multipla 1.9 JTD, '10 Fiat Multipla 1.9 JTD, '66 Lancia Fulvia 1.3
|
|
|
|
|
Timely thread post for me, as my new R-tech welder just arrived yesterday. I have never welded before and have zero experience. However I have previous for getting myself into things in this manner and it turning out alright. My dad was a welder in the Govan shipyards and has offered to bail me out when it inevitably goes wrong, so I have a tiny bit of faith.
I have a gen7 celica sitting in my garden that disgraced itself by snapping a rear wishbone only a week after passing an MOT. Once I started poking bodywork with a screwdriver I started inventing new sweary words. It needs quite a lot of restoration. This is how I ended up here.
I would document how it goes but a gen7 is probably far too modern to be of interest here I suppose.
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 6, 2020 10:41:59 GMT by juular
|
|
milk
Part of things
Posts: 102
|
|
|
I self taught myself welding. its not pretty but its join metal in a solid way so is good enough for me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
buy old land rover for under 2 grand.
the end
|
|
|
|
time
Part of things
Posts: 152
|
|
|
My first job after leaving school was at a company in Wolverhamton that supplied welding equipment, part of my job was setting up and testing new MIG, TIG, and STICK welders of all sizes. I was taught the basics and then just let loose with whatever machine i had to setup that day, the plasma cutters were quite fun too.
|
|
|
|
sowat
Part of things
Posts: 114
|
|
|
As a Panel Beater I'm not a welder but I have plenty of Mig experience Vision You may have to change your glass' for welding, you can get magnified glass for the weld shield itself. Keep your shield clean a dedicated bag will help Practice As already said nothing will help more Take your time Sound You will get used to the sound of a decent weld and know when its not right
|
|
|
|
sowat
Part of things
Posts: 114
|
|
|
Having reread your OP Make sure your Mig is in useable condition if its been left Wire feed and wire itself Check you have correct gas Have fun
|
|
|
|
|
qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,416
Club RR Member Number: 52
|
|
|
I was in a similar position until very recently. I've started helping a good mate on his stalled project car. To start we've built a wheeled frame for the car to sit on so we can roll it in and out of the garage. I've learned more about welding by doing that with him than I have in the past few years trying to work it out myself. This week I'm taking my lesser welder along and we're going to have a play about and see what we can achieve. Having someone who knows what they're doing is a massive help. Firstly you can watch their technique, then when you have a go they can immediately look at your welds and give you a tip. Its a brilliant feeling when you implement a suggestion and suddenly your weld looks half decent!
Tom
|
|
|
|
at200
Part of things
Posts: 88
|
|
|
Years ago we did a gas welding course at night school and then bought a cheap no gas Clarke welder to weld up the sills on our rusty Escort. A few years ago we bought a Saab 900T16S which needed a lot of work. We bought a big Cebora mig second hand and set to. Really it's just practise, practise, practise and getting the hang of the machine you have got. The migwelding forum was a massive help in terms of techniques and tips.
The biggest issue is blowing through on thin metal. Don't use the small gas bottles if you have a big project - get an account at a supplier and get a big bottle. Do your first on car welding in the areas that aren't visible; save visible welds for later when you are more skilled. The most useful tool I found was a Black and Decker powerfile- great for both removing rust and dressing down welds.
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 6, 2020 20:34:34 GMT by at200
|
|
|
|
|
self taught here. bought my mig when i stared banger racing. if you can make crappy old bits of tin stick to crappy bits of tin with a selection of gauges and fresh air and rot thrown in for good measure then dealing with well prepped fresh tin is a breeze in comparison!
|
|
'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating '80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip '97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
|
|
|
|
|
bought a secondhand sealey mig off a mate about 10 years ago for £70 and taught myself - still using the same welder today. Not a great machine but ive learnt how to use it and its fine, would be alot easier with a 'proper' machine but you don't need it.
|
|
|
|
duncanmartin
Club Retro Rides Member
Out of retro ownership
Posts: 1,320
Club RR Member Number: 70
|
|
|
I bought a decent secondhand machine, got a rental free bottle, and used mid-welding.co.uk guidance. As a result of the thread on there, my flickr account is full of pictures of sheet steel with welds on it! If you do this, go to your local steel stockist and as for offcuts of 1.2mm to start with, and then 1mm when you've got the hang of 1.2. It's so much easier to weld clean fresh new steel of known thickness. You should also make a note of the settings on your machine for all the different thicknesses, so you can get close when you switch between thicknesses.
I've been building bicycles out of chunky steel tubes, but I really want to learn to TIG so that I can use lighter weight steel. I did a little TIG many years ago, but the decent (HF start) machines are much more expensive than the equivalent MIG set...
|
|
|
|
madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
|
|
Feb 21, 2020 21:37:38 GMT
|
I can’t say I can weld but I can weld well enough but slowly through necessity really. A supposed welder did a rubbish job on my black Merc firewall (the one from RRG Le Mans).
So I got a Clarke 90 plus hobby weld account watched everything I could on youtube about Mig welding thin panels. I have to work at the front of my house in the open so stuck up a cheap gazebo to protect the public’s eyes cut out the patched mess then started making repair panels and fitting them in. Either it would work or the Merc was scrap.
I can’t see well so find it hard to run a bead (the bead’s ok but goes off on the wrong direction) but clamp and make a tack. Then another on the opposite side then some more. then wire brush everything clean again then some more. Slowly. Eventually the tacks join up. Did I say I’m very slow at this? Much more time spent cleaning the metal in preparation than welding . Much more time cutting the bits of metal to fit than welding Tje tacking is actually the easiest part. The hardest part is not being tempted to shortcut. Keeping things clean, letting the metal cool. My effort doesn’t l look good when finished but with an angle grinder and finger sander it looks great. Well as great as it needs to given it won’t be seen. ie smoothed ourt enough so there are no crud traps and it can be painted with no sharp edges to wear through.
The first piece I welded in I cut out about 1/3 that had too many holes blown in but from then on it worked ok. If I blow a hole I can now close it up (Youtubes) on this subject tell how.
It boils down to time and patience. My big struggle now is, having proven to myself I can do it, I’ve also got the knowledge of how much of my life will be taken up doing it if I want to save the Merc.
My Clarke 90 has more than paid for itself while I don’t consider my self good, I’m getting there. Just get a Mig or someone with one nearby and have a go.
|
|
|
|
60six
Posted a lot
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Posts: 1,673
|
|
Feb 21, 2020 22:35:57 GMT
|
It really is all about practice, and having the kit setup and ready to go - Gas bottle, spare wire, tips, shrouds - all cheap and easily available (bar the gas bottle, but that was from a pub then a quick refil at a welding supplies shop) then a regulator with gauge. You can then do daft fun stuff out of those old bits you have laying around - take an old timing chain from a saab 900 - welded two screw threads on a length of it and wrapped it around my new exhaust box then happily welded it! Banzai! an exhaust mount with some movement!
|
|
Some 9000's, a 900, an RX8 & a beetle
|
|
madmog
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,160
Club RR Member Number: 46
|
|
Feb 26, 2020 13:58:18 GMT
|
The problem with Mig is it's gateway drug. Once you realise you've broken through the mental barrier from:
'will I set the car on fire and burn the house down?' to 'with enough grinding back that almost looks good',
you start looking at piles of aluminium in the corner, youtubes of TIG welders, plasma cutters & units on the industrial estate with 3 phase power.
|
|
|
|
urbanaw
Part of things
Posts: 249
Club RR Member Number: 17
|
|
Feb 26, 2020 15:14:22 GMT
|
The problem with Mig is it's gateway drug. Once you realise you've broken through the mental barrier from: 'will I set the car on fire and burn the house down?' to 'with enough grinding back that almost looks good', you start looking at piles of aluminium in the corner, youtubes of TIG welders, plasma cutters & units on the industrial estate with 3 phase power. This sounds like the last few years of my life summarised. I would add: - metal cutting tools - straight metal cutters - big manual steel sheet cutters - air shears - shrinkers - stretchers - planishing hammers - better mig welders - bigger mig welders - better electrics - bigger grinders - off road buggies - old Mercedes' projects - welding tables - off road vehicles - old lorries - off road lorries - old off road lorries - camper vans - expedition vehicles.. - ....
|
|
|
|
jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,907
Club RR Member Number: 40
|
|
Feb 26, 2020 16:09:49 GMT
|
This thread is not helping my "need" for an R-tech..... Bits on the LR could do with 'improvement' but also lots of things round the house and garden could be hot glued as well. Have to see what the RR discount is and also permissions from the finance minister... James
|
|
|
|
|