Any tips for a beginner???

[smoggyrich]

hi there.

I'm new to the forum and i'm just after a bit of advice.

I have a 1970's VW camper that i have been doing a bit of restoration work on.

My next job is this......

It's the seat belt anchor point that has been repaired once before some point in it's life.

Iv'e got myself a lend of this....

It's set up for gasless at the moment but can be used with gas.

I can get hold of the repair section that includes the anchor point.

My plan is to cut out the rot, give it a good cleaning down then weld in a plate from the under side then weld in the repair panel on top.

I have done a bit of arc welding at work in the past but that was welding thick plate metal.

I have some sheets of steel to practice on...

Any tips would be much appreciated.

What will be best to paint on the area once the welding is done?

Will i be able to do it without gas. Or where is the best place to get some?

Thanks

Rich.

 

[pedrobedro]

Something as critical as a seat belt mounting point should not be attempted until you are sure you can do it properly. A coat of zinc primer and anything to keep damp out after you finish it but with something that is worth a bit like that when it is done I would consider getting someone who knows what they are doing to do the structural part.

 

[keith19]

Hi Rich, and welcome to the forum!

"My plan is to cut out the rot, give it a good cleaning down then weld in a plate from the under side then weld in the repair panel on top."

Sounds about right, but with all respect welding in a repair plate from underneath isn't the easiest way to start learning positional welding with a mig!

However much practice you have on the bench, welding under a vehicle is a little bit more special. You need to be happy with your ability to handle the gun, and the settings on the machine, be wrapped up well for protection against the sparks and bits of weld that drop off on you, and be prepared to hang in there and make a good really job of it.

Welding in anything that will be holding a seat-belt mounting has to be first class work, new metal to good well-cleaned parent metal. This work is obviously safety-critical and will be subject to close scrutiny, if your MOT tester is anything like mine. If you have any doubts about your own ability after lots of practice, do all the clean-up and cutting work yourself and have a pro weld it in.

What thickness is the repair panel and/or the underside of the volksbus you'll be welding to? If it's around 1 - 1.2 mm your gasless wire should be able to cope, but you'll need to practice a lot first to avoid blowing through, as the gasless arc is fiercer than the gas-shielded equivalent. Look at the mig training pages and videos here on the forum, with especial attention to the gasless ones, and to the 'thin metal technique', which comes in mighty handy at times. Read any threads on 'welding upside-down' and the like, to get an idea of what it's all about.

Practice on scrap on the bench first, then hold scrap metal in a vice and practice in different positions, including underneath if possible. You'll find all these different positions may require adjustments to power and wire speed to get the best settings. Note these settings down once you're happy with them, at least while you're learning. They'll give you a starting point when you're welding for real.

Having replaced a few seat belt mountings, you won't mind me pointing out that you should take careful cross-references of the mounting's current position between fixed points on the vehicle, before you remove the mounting, so you will be putting it back in exactly the same position.

So far as painting goes, if it's going in for MOT within a week or so just paint metal primer on it until it's been passed. If the resto is going to take months then give it a coat or two of metal primer, then a couple of coats of any heavy-duty paint, if it's underneath I generally use hammerite smooth or something similar.

Best wishes with the resto, learn to mig carefully and don't rush it, and make a good job.

 

[smoggyrich]

Thanks very much for the advice fellas, some good pointers for concideration there.

My dad is a plater by trade and has said he will come round to help me out. He's never really used MIG though.

I'm going to have a lot of practice on the sheets of steel first before going anywhere near my van.

The thickness of the panel is about 1 - 1.5 mm so i got myself some 1.5mm mild steel sheet to practice on.

Have you any suggestions as to what settings i should try first on this machine. Or will i be better just to have a fiddle about with it untill i find something that works?

Thanks again

Rich

 

[cumbriasteve]

I'm afraid with the SIp it's fiddle until something works, they are not known to be the best for constant wire speed and ease of use, although I am sure there must be some of them work ok...ish

The problem is that your learning may not be helped by the way the machine works, making you think MIG welding is impossible to get the hang of....good luck.

 

[Tigman]

I have one tip for you keep the torch lead as straight as possible , I found on these small machines if you have coil in the lead the wire feed isn't to good , good luck , plenty of practice first !

 

[smoggyrich]

first attempts. What do you think

had a go today here's the results......

I'm actually quite impressed. I know they aren't the prettiest welds but it was my first attempt. and i was using gasless.

What's your opinion fellas???

 

[Wozzaaah]

Honestly?
Pretty poor.
They're very cold, the weld has built up on the surface but hasn't fused to the parent metal meaning they'll be very weak.
If you look at the edges of the beads you'll see they're sort of rolled under rather than tapered out.
Looks like you need a bit more power.
Your torch control needs work too, the beads are a very inconsistent width.

 

[smoggyrich]

Honestly?
Pretty poor.
They're very cold, the weld has built up on the surface but hasn't fused to the parent metal meaning they'll be very weak.
If you look at the edges of the beads you'll see they're sort of rolled under rather than tapered out.
Looks like you need a bit more power.
Your torch control needs work too, the beads are a very inconsistent width.

Thank's for your honesty. That's what i'm looking for. This is how the welder is set up at the moment........

Should i try setting the switches to high and max?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Try it on all the settings and see how it affects your welds, it will help you to see what I meant about the edges.
The settings in order should be LOW/MIN, LOW/MAX, HIGH/MIN, HIGH/MAX so, if that machine is the 105A one, I reckon for 1.5mm steel you should probably be using high/max so looking at how you had the switches you're way underpowered.