Few questions before I weld :)

[Welding Bear]

Hi guys, hope you're all well.

I am currently studying level 3 motor vehicle. I have one more exam left and then I'm free lol

Anyway, although I now can service and repair my car when the need arises, I've got a bunch of rust on my car that I would like to tackle myself. The rusty areas include a bit on the sills (nothing overly terrible), a bit on the front chassis rails and by far the worst area is a rusty wheel arch which, when I look in the boot and peel back the side carpet, it has gone through there also
Here's some pics of the carnage...
Front chassis rail

Sill

Mid/front chassis rail

Arch

Other side of arch viewed from boot

Passenger side rust from sill area (presuming the sill itself is rotted too although I haven't actually had the sill cover off yet)


So I'm thinking of getting self taught and buying a MIG welder.

As for the physical welding, do I simply cut out the rot and weld new in? Apart from the arch as everything else is under the car can I bash the steel in to very rough shape and weld it in? not really bothered about it being pretty.

Thank you

 

[the snooper]

the first pic just looks like a load of surface rust, clean it up and treat it, if you do have rot clean it up cut back to good steel, shape a new piece and weld in.
its best not to overlap as it creates a place for dampness and will start to rot again

 

[Welding Bear]

the first pic just looks like a load of surface rust, clean it up and treat it, if you do have rot clean it up cut back to good steel, shape a new piece and weld in.
its best not to overlap as it creates a place for dampness and will start to rot again

Thanks Snoopy,

To clean up the surface rust should I just get my wire wheel on my drill and give it a good going over with that?

 

[Welding Bear]

Ps, as for the arch... I can get a brand new panel for real cheap. how would I go about welding it in though?

I'm thinking, cut out the whole panel in the boot, weld in like supporting steel and then attach the new panel to that? what do you think

 

[TAITSIE]

If you are getting involved in welding get a grinder, a good brand 115mm version will soon become your best friend .

 

[Welding Bear]

Thanks Taitsie is that what I would call a ''cut off wheel''?

 

[the snooper]

when fitting a new wheel arch its best to cut it down to a minimum, no point replacing good steel and it will cut down on the possibility of the panel warping with the heat

 

[TAITSIE]

You can use various discs on the grinder, wire wheels, flap discs, thin cutting discs, grinding discs etc . Always wear goggles or mask and gloves

 

[mike 109444]

And be aware of those pipes nearby ! Fuel or break fluid .....

 

[Welding Bear]

Thanks for the input guys. Ok so I'll have a good go at the chassis rails with the wire wheel and I was going to paint them with used engine oil . . . I've hard that's good for protection and I'm a poor student and have loads of old oil..

That just leaves sills and wheel arch. With the sills are they easy? I'm presuming just bending a piece of steel and if it looks crap it don't matter cos it's under a cover?

 

[Jan]

Since you've admitted to not having any experience with welding you're going to be tempted to buy the cheapest equipment you can find - much as I did. You may be lucky as I was, but it's usually strongly advisable to invest more money into your tools in the long run and get the best you can afford even if it means saving up a little longer to be able to afford them.

Other than chassis rails, car bodywork needs a lot of practice on scrap metal of a similar gauge before you should get anywhere near the car itself to avoid the inevitable blow throughs and other cock ups.

Used engine oil is a decent substitute for proper underseal, but needs to be reapplied on a frequent basis as it washes off easily. Get a proper Schutz (underseal) gun even if you can only afford a hand pumped one and apply real underseal. Another advantage is that you can now inject the stuff inside the chassis rails where it will stay for longer and should 'chase' out any lingering moisture inside them.

For chassis rails simply 'bending' them into rough shape is not enough. The new sections need to conform to the dimensions and specifications of the removed sections or they may not give enough support to the car. As an aside: The more rot you have to chop out, the more extra temporary bracing the car will need before starting the job so that the whole frame doesn't distort due to lack of torsional stiffness!

In many cases what appears to be surface rust bubbling up under the paintwork can often be the first signs of much deeper rusting that has come through from the other side of the panel. Many years ago I tackled a 'bit of surface rust' on the floor of my 4 year old Ford Escort Mk3 with a screwdriver. Within a minute I had to get out of the car and retrieve the screwdriver from underneath the car! Yup. It had gone straight through!

I short: Get the best equipment you can afford; make sure you use the right materials for the job; practice, practice, practice; take your time and do it right the first time; attention to detail is vital; and above all ...

Enjoy the learning experience

 

[Welding Bear]

Brilliant post thanks Jan

I do have the advantage that I've got a friend showing me the ropes first of all. Was considering another course but its easier to get my mate to show me.

ive done the mechanics and now really feel like this is a brand new chapter in that learning curve.... so looking forward to it

 

[marlinspike]

One tool I can strongly recommend for use on rust is a Dremmel. If you use the burr accessory you can really get into the pitted rust and get down to shiny metal. I use Deox Gel too.

There are knock off Dremmel tools which, although not quite as good (I have a Macalister one) can be bought for half the price. Aldi do one. They are also good for cutting metal in hard to reach areas.

I have an Aldi angle grinder which is very good. It has a soft start which is useful. They are in stock ATM and are about £20.

 

[Jan]

I have an Aldi angle grinder which is very good. It has a soft start which is useful. They are in stock ATM and are about £20.

It must have been in the 'reduced to clear' section. I was in my closest Aldi yesterday and didn't see any of them. Odd, as I could do with a second grinder to use as a cut off tool mounted on a bench adapter. If I find the time today I'll check out the next closest store.

 

[bc30se]

The last time I saw such a view was when I took a look at the bottom of my omega... wish you luck.... :d I trashed mine... but god knows I loved this car... did so many things with it and she taught me a lot...

Knowing her so well I tell you, no point in doing her up, it's all rotten already and you don't even realise how much... it is an inborn feature of this car... bash it to death and farewell my dear...

for good restorative advice, also tin worm battles visit www.totalcarlton.com, both are identical as for the body and weak points, much good stuff there and photos, at least you will see how it looks from the inside because what I see in yours is not just a surface rust...

good luck...