1959 Standard Ten Companion

[blackpopracing]

Good choice on the welder

Looking at the above welds (I know you have improved now) you need more power, the welds are sitting on top. Up the power by a full number but leave the wire speed as recommended in the guide. Then with the pulse style welds you should get better penetration.

A lump of copper is your best friend for thin stuff (a flattened bit of copper pipe will do) press this behind any holes/thin metal and it stops blowing holes in it.

Well done for doing it - it's pretty frilly!

[daddyshortlegs]

Aug 22, 2022 21:54:50 GMT blackpopracing said:

Good choice on the welder

Looking at the above welds (I know you have improved now) you need more power, the welds are sitting on top. Up the power by a full number but leave the wire speed as recommended in the guide. Then with the pulse style welds you should get better penetration.

A lump of copper is your best friend for thin stuff (a flattened bit of copper pipe will do) press this behind any holes/thin metal and it stops blowing holes in it.

Well done for doing it - it's pretty frilly!

At first I just set the welder to the settings in the booklet however what works on a test piece does not always work on a real job, I have also found that having a small gap when butt welding helps as I am effectively melting both edges simultaneously.

[blackpopracing]

I find the book settings pretty perfect for good clean steel, as you say - you have to tweak it a bit for less good metal.

I would say be brave when fixing rust - don't try to 'just' trim it past the rust - chop it right back to good solid metal - easier to fix/weld and will last better in the long run.

Yes you normally need the thickness of metal as a gap as a general guide.

[glenanderson]

Ok, sorry I’m a bit late, but I’m in now. Bookmarked. 😃👍

[kevins]

If the whole car has a degree of surface rust (which is usually impossible to completely remove without blasting) I find it can help to have a mm or two of overlap then use a slightly higher current to burn through the old metal onto the new underneath.

[daddyshortlegs]

Reinforcing plates inside the front wheel arches where inner wings meet bulkhead, lovely.

[daddyshortlegs]

The car had had a shunt at some time which is probably why the front wings had been changed, the offside inner wing had bulged outwards leaving a diagonal crease highlighted by the chalk line running from lower front back towards the windscreen, the scollop indicated by the other chalk line had been flattened, I drilled through the wing & used a stud bar & bits of timber to get it back into approximate shape but it will never be perfect.

[daddyshortlegs]

Further evidence of the shunt, the inner flange of the original outer wing had been forced back leaving a scar in the scuttle just outboard of the hinge attachment hole, some of the spot welds on the bonnet front reinforcing had also broken.

[daddyshortlegs]

Another picture of the scar.

[jonsey]

At least it gives you a mark to line the wing up to 😁

[daddyshortlegs]

Rain water leaking past the screen rubbers had collected in the corners and rotted through.

[daddyshortlegs]

As there was original lead in close proximity that I did not want to disturb with welding I resorted to using a few small plates tacked in place, I then cleaned the area up with successive Deox-C treatments and lead loaded. The flash rust that formed afterwards was later cleaned up & painted.

[daddyshortlegs]

Vent deflectors that sit just behind the windscreen were spot welded in place, they rotted so I drilled out the welds and repaired them with the mig on a low setting, when they are refitted they will be attached with screws.

[daddyshortlegs]

External vent flap hinge had rotted & had to be repaired, it locates a spring that holds the flap either open or closed, fortunately repro’ springs are available.

[daddyshortlegs]

The recess that I made for the vent flap was a bit too shallow at the rear so I cut it, lowered & rewelded it followed by a little bit of lead to seal the welds as it is somewhere where water can collect.

[teaboy]

Top stuff, Daddy.

[igor]

Lead loading in this day and age? I had thought that to be a lost art.

[thomfr]

Just discovered, bookmarked!
Great work!
Thom

[daddyshortlegs]

Oct 24, 2022 22:57:21 GMT igor said:

Lead loading in this day and age? I had thought that to be a lost art.

Just a little bit of lead in damp areas, I shall be using filler for profiling.

[daddyshortlegs]

Summer Autumn 2021

Near side A pillar & lower hinge area - Crumbs.