15 replies to this topic

[Fossy313]

Hi guys,

 

for Christmas I should hopefully be getting a welder, i'm going to start off on some thick steel but I was wondering what size I should move onto to prepare for a scuttle and boot and floor pan repair on am mini?

 

can the size be in mm please as that's what most of the places here work from....I looked in BnQ the other day and 0.8mm seemed about right?

 

also, what gas miz do you guys use? Argon/C02? or just one?

 

cheers

 

craig

[I hate Brian]

Hi I would try on 0.6 - 0.9mm steel, try this website http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ it gives you all you need to know about welding and techniques

[kezzkitkat]

0.9mm for most panels and some 1.2mm
to be honest I would just practice on some 0.9
Tack welding, t welding , joggle weld, plug weld, but weld, full seam constant and stich weld or pulse welding master them in that order ans shouldn't go far wrong

Gas
Pure argon is for tig welding
You can use full co2 but most common is a argon mix co2/argon
Hobbyweld 5 gas bottle

[sonikk4]

The two sizes of steel on our little cars is as follows,
0.9 mm for all external panels, boot floor, main floor, sills, door steps, inner wings.
1.2 mm for rear heelboard, toe board, fwd bulkhead crossmember, rear inner arch. ( some repair panels do vary in thickness here)

Obviously there are other small panels etc that vary from 0.9mm to 1.2mm but generally the sizes mentioned will cover all of your needs. Once you are competent on the 0.9 metal 1.2 will be a doddle.

[Ben_O]

One thing i would say is don't waste your time running lines of weld on a flat sheet of steel when practising. You won't really learn anything, all you will do is waste, wire, gas and time.

 

I would concentrate your efforts on practising joining pieces of steel together.

 

Lap joints, Butt joints, plug welding. These are all the things you will need to know when welding a car. I can't think of one welding job that would require you to lay runs of weld on a flat sheet!

 

Take your time, have a go, if you are blowing holes all over the place and the welds are not getting good penetration, then adjust your settings and/or you technique.

 

Once you get the hang of it, you will automatically know what settings to use for each application and will get great results every time.

 

Feel free to post up pictures of your practice pieces and we can give you pointers.

 

Good luck

 

Ben

[kezzkitkat]

+1 on welding on a flat peice steel no real gain

[Fossy313]

Cheers guys that much appreciated straight for the 1.2 mm steel and joining I think, I'm going to get an edge setter/hole maker as part if my tools to help me and practice spot welding, I'm on that mig sight a couple of guys there helped me pick the welder I'm getting.

Cheers guys thanks and I will post some pictures up in a month or so when I get it!

[Tamworthbay]

When you start, try and get it to sound like sizzling bacon. It will make sense when you start. When it sounds like sizzling bacon it's a good sign the wire feed rate, gas flow and power settings are about right.

[Ben_O]

Oh and try and keep the wire feed tube from kinking as this can cause jittery wire feed which will result in the weld just building up on the surface with no penetration.

 

Some cheaper Hobby migs are prone to this as i have found in the past. It's something to watch for

[alex-95]

Make sure the metal you're welding on is nice a clean else it'll make it a lot harder. It may pay to start with some thicker metal so that you get a better technique then move onto the thin stuff.

 

+1 for posting pics.

[bluemini17]

what they said

 

I would also buy an angle grinder, some 1mm thick cutting discs (115mm) and a flap disc. Almost a complete tool kit for basic metal work.

[bluemini17]

oh, and don't forget to buy some spare copper tips, you will probably have a fair bit of burn back (when the wire burns back because your wire speed is to slow and/or too many amps) and knackers your tip ( if you get the welder for xmas all the shops will be closed) nothing worse than having to wait

[Tupers]

I made a tree when I was learning to weld, there are lap, butt and fillet joints in there. It's more entertaining than doing lines on a sheet of steel and gives you a chance to try welding in different orientations.  

 

[castafiore]

I strongly recommend anyone interested in welding to join the migforum.co.UK. Lots of very knowledgeable folk, many of whom are restoring cars. I know some Mini people like JohnnyAlpha are already over there. The welding tutorials are very helpful.

For anyone buying a mig or other big gear, it is worth registering with Machine Mart. They often send out 20% off codes to use with Clarke products.

When buying a mig for car work the most important thing is that it will weld thin metal. Loads of threads on the mig forum about the best mig brands and models for bodywork.

For my experience, I would also say that buying a full face auto dimming mask is vital if you have a lot of welding to do. We made the mistake of starting with the small hobby bottles - they last only a few minutes. If you have a big project the best deal is the BOC Volkszone deal - you rent a huge cylinder but the refills are cheap. It's the best value deal ATM. Again, there is a big thread on the mig forum about the Volkszone deal.

If anyone lives near Manchester/Salford I can recommend One Stop Metals of Trafford Park Rd, Manchester. Very helpful guys and reasonably priced.

[Fossy313]

Casts cheers mate I actually joined the mig forum a couple of weeks ago and they have helped me choose a Clarke 151en gas/no gas welder which I will convert to gas.

Thanks for all the tips guys and when it's down I will post up more.