nothing compares to HEARING your skin sizzle and pop
All things welding
- Thread starter AirborneTexasRanger
- Start date
nothing compares to HEARING your skin sizzle and pop
Ahh nothing better than welding overhead and having spatter fall right in your ear.
OP
Couple of things I've thought of that might be helpful.
Auto dark hoods have sensors that detect a certain amount of light that triggers the shade. This isn't always an arc. The lights in your garage, the sun, grinding sparks etc. will set off the sensor. This can be a problem if you're not welding. The battery is what gets the shade going but the solar panel getting light from the arc is what keeps it going. A problem with that is if your hood is laying around with the sensors exposed then it will keep triggering the sensors & drain the batteries. If you know you're not going to be welding anytime soon, do yourself a favor and take the batteries out. Most hoods use CR2450 & I like to keep a couple extra with my welding gear.
Your MIG gun shouldn't be rolled up too tight. There's a metal liner inside and even though it's flexible, it can easily get a kink. They're replaceable, but it's not a quick process to change them out.
Get you a pair of MIG welding pliers which is kinda like a multitool for welding. Its great for cutting excess wire off, has serrated jaws for cleaning out the spatter on your nozzle, & it also has cut outs to remove the nozzle & contact tips. MIG Pliers
Also I ordered one of these to make welding under the Jeep easier so hopefully I'll have some feedback soon. Leather welding hood
Other topics I'm thinking of: plug & slot welds, open root welds, stick welding (SMAW), oxy/fuel & plasma cutting, spark testing, TIG welding (GTAW) & the basics of looking at your welds for defects.
Auto dark hoods have sensors that detect a certain amount of light that triggers the shade. This isn't always an arc. The lights in your garage, the sun, grinding sparks etc. will set off the sensor. This can be a problem if you're not welding. The battery is what gets the shade going but the solar panel getting light from the arc is what keeps it going. A problem with that is if your hood is laying around with the sensors exposed then it will keep triggering the sensors & drain the batteries. If you know you're not going to be welding anytime soon, do yourself a favor and take the batteries out. Most hoods use CR2450 & I like to keep a couple extra with my welding gear.
Your MIG gun shouldn't be rolled up too tight. There's a metal liner inside and even though it's flexible, it can easily get a kink. They're replaceable, but it's not a quick process to change them out.
Get you a pair of MIG welding pliers which is kinda like a multitool for welding. Its great for cutting excess wire off, has serrated jaws for cleaning out the spatter on your nozzle, & it also has cut outs to remove the nozzle & contact tips. MIG Pliers
Also I ordered one of these to make welding under the Jeep easier so hopefully I'll have some feedback soon. Leather welding hood
Other topics I'm thinking of: plug & slot welds, open root welds, stick welding (SMAW), oxy/fuel & plasma cutting, spark testing, TIG welding (GTAW) & the basics of looking at your welds for defects.
I carry a leather hood very similar to that one in the rig. Works very well on the trail, and takes up very little room when stored.
OP
There is a velcro strap which goes around the back. It’s also fairly snug on my big noggin, so it doesn’t move around much at all.
Don't look now but there is a scary looking dude in your kitchen...
Eventually I’d like to take a class and learn how to weld, but I’m exploring hiring somebody local to get my rocker panels patched sooner than later.
Correct me if I’m wrong but in this guy’s auto repair pics, shouldn’t he be doing butt joints and a full seam? I’d think that overlapping the patch and just tack welding is a recipe for more rust.
https://www.weldingservicesbyjay.com/projects
Correct me if I’m wrong but in this guy’s auto repair pics, shouldn’t he be doing butt joints and a full seam? I’d think that overlapping the patch and just tack welding is a recipe for more rust.
https://www.weldingservicesbyjay.com/projects
In body repair at the restoration side, there are a couple of methods that are pretty well acknowledged as being correct. One is the fully welded butted ends, then flanged and plug welds.
However, I have never seen the overlap style like that guy does with the patches and just short welds at the overlap.
I suspect that is due to just getting a vehicle to pass some sort of inspection to get another year or two out of something that rust is going to kill anyway.
If you study how the TJ is put together, it is mostly flange and plug welds. If I was fighting a rust issue that required new rockers, I'm not sure which way I would pick other than not his.
Thanks for confirming my suspicions. You have a good point - this might be a value-optimized way to just pass inspection.
I will keep looking!
I have dreams of doing as good of a job as this so-called amateur:
I’d be thrilled with the job he did on his Jeep.
I will keep looking!
I have dreams of doing as good of a job as this so-called amateur:
OP
This should tell you everything you need to know about this guy's capabilities
OP
Also keep in mind that all welders are not created equal. Just like mechanics, they have their specialty like, structural, pipeline, precision TIG, body work, etc. They my have the knowledge but are out of practice.
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Yeah I just couldn’t figure out why he would post that?! Maybe as a “before” shot, but there was no “after”!
Screw it … I bit the bullet and ordered a Hobart Handler 140 from Northern Tool. For as long as I’ve been debating buying one they’ve gone up in price by $70 so no use delaying anymore!
I’m going to get some coupon project kits and do some practicing until I’m comfortable enough to patch my rockers with Classic Enterprises patch pieces. It should be cheaper than paying someone and I’ll have more control over a (hopefully) high quality result; and the ability to do more welding as needed.
I’ll keep you all posted on my successes and failures - I’m sure I’ll have some questions along the way!
I’m going to get some coupon project kits and do some practicing until I’m comfortable enough to patch my rockers with Classic Enterprises patch pieces. It should be cheaper than paying someone and I’ll have more control over a (hopefully) high quality result; and the ability to do more welding as needed.
I’ll keep you all posted on my successes and failures - I’m sure I’ll have some questions along the way!
OP
Easy and free coupons are at construction site. The sup said I could take all the shims I wanted when they were done framing. Grabbed a couple of 5 gallon buckets of various sizes.
Can one of our resident experts here explain how to use flange and plug welds in body repair? Im planning on welding butted patches for my body panel repair, but im curious about these other methods if they might be better. Looks like the Classic Enterprises panels come flanged, which might be beneficial if I use the whole piece. I’m here to learn! Thanks
OP
I believe the flange serves as a support for the weld joint. It also provides a backing which can make welding it easier. This will help to prevent you from blowing through the sheet metal. The section you would cut out will be smaller than the patch piece with just enough opening for the raised portion of the new panel. This seam weld would be stronger but you would need to weld only portions at a time & take it slow to manage your heat input to minimize warping. As Mr.Blaine mentioned there's a plug weld method that essentially a hole in 1 piece but solid piece behind it. You just fill up the hole with weld & make sure you fuse the weld to both pieces.
Edit: I'm not familiar with plug welding body panels so I'm not sure which piece gets the hole. I'm assuming the existing panel. Keep in mind that plug welds or only welding on 1 side wont keep water from getting between the 2 panels. You should put some type of sealant there as well.
Edit: I'm not familiar with plug welding body panels so I'm not sure which piece gets the hole. I'm assuming the existing panel. Keep in mind that plug welds or only welding on 1 side wont keep water from getting between the 2 panels. You should put some type of sealant there as well.
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