A small amount of welding on the R,S,Cortina.

[Nashy]

Hi all,
I'm about to do my first welding on a car's bodywork.
I mocked up a couple of plates today (not cut to exact size yet) so that I could make a start today, but I ran out of gas after the first 2 tack welds. :thumbdown:
Here are a couple of photo's …
Cleaned up ready to take the 1st plate …



With the 2 tack welds I managed to do …



It will need a bit more bare metal exposed.to weld it in properly.

A couple with the other plates held in place (not cut to size yet) just as a guide to see how they will look when they are shaped and welded …





Hopefully I can get them sorted out nicely tomorrow, as I have got a small bottle of CO2 from Halfords & a reg to fit it, now as I can't get my Pub Gas bottle 're-filled. :thumbdown: … I don't know who can/where I can get it filled.

I'll keep you updated as to my progress.

Aaron.
P.S. Can anyone solve an argument between me and my Dad … is 18 gauge steel thicker or thinner than 20 gauge steel?
Cheers.

 

[Paul.]

Can anyone solve an argument between me and my Dad … is 18 gauge steel thicker or thinner than 20 gauge steel?
Cheers.

18 swg is 1.2mm thick in new money
20 swg is 0.9mm the equivalent metric sheets are 1mm

 

[Nashy]

Where can I buy some 'welding Magnets' front in the Cardiff/Pontypridd area?
I have tried Halfords, the local motor factors & a cheap show that I had sen.them in before, but to no avail.
They would be a big help at the moment for this part of the project.

CheeRS,
Aaron.

 

[Nashy]

I've taught myself to ARK WELD … & now I'm teaching myself to MIG Weld.
Aaron.

 

[Wedg1e]

Where can I buy some 'welding Magnets' front in the Cardiff/Pontypridd area?
I have tried Halfords, the local motor factors & a cheap show that I had sen.them in before, but to no avail.
They would be a big help at the moment for this part of the project.

CheeRS,
Aaron.

One problem a lot of people find is that the proximity of the magnetic field messes up the arc as you weld; I tend to use magnets only to get the first tacks on, then remove the magnets and weld away.

Try a professional welding supplier, they usually deal direct with the public and their prices are often a lot cheaper than you might expect for consumables and odd bits.

 

[stuvy]

I've taught myself to ARK WELD … & now I'm teaching myself to MIG Weld.
Aaron.

Like most people on here mate,

a quick google came up with this place
http://www.weldingcutting.co.uk/

there isnt many near you! Order the magnets off ebay, you can get them for saturday if you do it today depending on the sellers postage rates

and google came up with these,
http://www.firerite.com/

give google a try it works, honest

 

[atomant48]

Have you considered squirting some rust convertor or something into that dodgy metal under your patch before you weld the new bit in? Might help it last a little longer. Id recommend a tin of RC900.

 

[Nashy]

Have you considered squirting some rust convertor or something into that dodgy metal under your patch before you weld the new bit in? Might help it last a little longer. Id recommend a tin of RC900.

Cheers for that idea … I'll look into it.

 

[rikrobson]

is it just the photos or is there still some rust behind where you just welded?

 

[Nashy]

There is a Shi… load of stone chip coating stuff all around that area.

 

[Nashy]

I'll have a good look, though, when I take the wing back off to do the welding and if there is any rust still there, I'll put some KuRust on it before its covered by the plates.
Cheers for pointing it out … too busy trying to get it welded to look properly. Lol.

Aaron.

 

[Cris B]

Good luck with the repair.

It's hard to tell from your photos, but it looks like you're just adding the new metal by using overlap welds to plate over rusty parts of the car so that it will appear cosmetically sound if someone looks at it. It's well worth try to chop out all of the rotten sections and rebuild the car using butt welds if you can. Otherwise the rot will continue to spread in the background and will return to the surface and you'll be doing the repair again...

I have found it easier to fabricate up repair panels for the whole area in one go than end up with a patch work of smaller pieces that then creates more welds. It's amazing what you can put together with a vice and a hammer

 

[mike 109444]

Aaron ref magnets and other tools if you go down into Cardiff then try "Whats" on the Newport road near PCworld. It is a cheep jack shop and they do have a fair range of tools and hardware at good prices. Not the best quality but usuable. They do have the mag clamps and mole type clamps, flap wheels, grinding wheels ect. There is also A1 plant at newport (on one of the industral estates) try google them. They do advertise items on ebay as well.

 

[mike 109444]

PS if your married then take the misses she'll like looking round Whats as well.
We use to have two of there shops in Bristol but sadly they shut down.

 

[Nashy]

Cheers for the advice..
I have ground it back to bare (and got the rusty sections out) metal,I might have forgotten to treat the rust behind, though, but as it's my first welding (with a MIG anyway) job, so I thought that an overlap world would be an easier.option than a butt weld, for me to do.
Aaron.