First real welding task

[Daz.]

Hi

After quiet a lot of practise on my scrap sheets I've finally bit the bullet and put welder to the car. This is a repair to the top of the bulk head where the battery tray sits. The battery tray will be spotted on top of this area.

Any comments good or bad - I need the non sugar coated version if I'm going to make any improvements. Oh I know the plug welds are not good. I stopped too early as I was worried about burning through and as such did not fill them enough.

This is the second panel I have ever done, the first was a small section below this.

Cheers

Daz

 

[mike 109444]

Looks ok to me Daz. Just take care with thoes cables underneath, even small blobs of weld may roll off and onto the wiring/tape. Use a wet rag to drape over befor starting your welding. Easy for heat to build up underneath that box type section. Have a bucket/jug of water to hand! As above when and if you grind it back. Keep up the good work.

 

[the snooper]

a ford escort by any chance ?

they were known for the battery tray to rot away also around the fuse panel drivers side

 

[Daz.]

Thanks Mike - good tip with the rag, I'd not though of that.

I kept a close eye on the inside of the bulk head as I went along. It also gave a little time to allow the surrounding metal to cool slightly.

I was working in our workshop at work so made sure I knew where the fire extinguishers where. Much to the amusement of our workshop guys as they had money on me setting the car on fire!

 

[Daz.]

Close snopper - its a Ford Sierra XR4x4

 

[the snooper]

ahh yes still a ford with that bad design where any leaked battery acid could help the steel on its way, not to mention leak all over the passengers feet in a bad crash

 

[Norm]

lookin good daz, for your first proper go on the car I personally would be very pleased and no fire resulting from it is definitely a bonus
Regards Norm

 

[The Buddah]

Hi Daz,

I don't know much as i'm learning but it looks good to me tidy work well done.
What welder are you using? How long did the job take?

 

[Wozzaaah]

There's a hell of a lot of excess weld there and you won't win any prizes for neatness but it's certainly good enough and once ground back it'll look fine.
Had a 4x4 once, loved it!!
Saw one the other day and came over all nostalgic.

 

[Daz.]

Thanks for the comments.

Buddah I'm using a Siegen Mini Mig 130. Its not the best I wish I'd added a bit to my buget and got a slightly better one. It took me a few hours in total but I kept stopping to check and make sure I OK on the inside of the bulkhead. I just generally took my time.

Wozzaaah what could I do to improve things? I was using the thin metal technique. Should I up the power? I have Min / Max and I /II on my welder. I was using Min and I. I was getting a little peak on the weld so turned down the power and then the wire speed. May be I should have just turned down the wire speed only?

This is what the full car looks like - this was taken last year.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Up the power a tad. For the 'thin metal technique' you've got very tall welds which means you've wasted wire and gas.
Same with those plug welds, all the wire that's domed over the top has been wasted, it adds nothing to the strength of the weld, once the hole's filled you're done.
Nice car!

 

[Daz.]

Thanks Wozzaaah. I was struggling to see what was going on with the plug welds, the weld was as you said high but not wide enough.

I'll go back to my test metal and change the settings and see how if differs

 

[octo0072000]

fire fire

as for the fire bit a squeezy washing up liquid bottle full of water works well if you do get a few flames a quick squirt puts it out with very little mess.
keep a bucket of water with some wet rags to cover possible fire areas before welding
if it does set on fire a good bucket of water works well at putting it out

plus a good Co2 extinguisher as a back up don,t like powder extinguisher
leaves such a mess