Thanks Everyone,

[JonnyAlpha]

Thanks for the explanation. I wondered if there was some type of magnetic clamp I hadn't seen.

There are Welding Magnets for this kind of thing like THESE.

Although any magnet will do its just to hold the thing in place while you get a tack on. I did my first ever repair yesterday and had the exact same problem, had magnets on my shopping list but didn't get them so had to hold the piece in place by hand which wasn't easy and in some places would be impossible.

Hope this answers your question.

 

[drum]

There are Welding Magnets for this kind of thing like THESE.

Although any magnet will do its just to hold the thing in place while you get a tack on. I did my first ever repair yesterday and had the exact same problem, had magnets on my shopping list but didn't get them so had to hold the piece in place by hand which wasn't easy and in some places would be impossible.

Hope this answers your question.

Thanks for that Jonny. The link doesn't seem to work for me though.

Edit: a quick google just now found some ta

 

[JonnyAlpha]

mmm didn't work for me either try THIS or THIS or THIS but get them as cheap as you can. As someone told me on this site "A magnets a magnet".

 

[redwine300]

Thanks Chickenjohn, I was tempted to grind the welds back a little further but I was a little nervous of grinding through. I am chuffed to bits with regards to you describing my welds as neat, I feel as though I have accomplished a great deal so far thanks to this forum, yet again, cheers.
Hi Keith19 and thank you for your compliments also, to hear that my work is being considered as an example for others is gratifying and humbling to say the least.
To go back to my original post title, "Thanks Everyone" I really did not envisage just how much it would come to mean to me all those months ago.
I have many more areas to tackle with regards to welding and look forward to sharing more of my exploits along the way.

 

[del0m]

hi redwine300,I have read this all the way through the work you have done is truly amazing its like a show and i cant wait for the next episode. you have given me the confidence to attempt a go at the outer under door sill on my wifes nissan figaro. thanks and good luck with the rest of your restoration

 

[bainsk8]

Hi Redwine great thread, well documented, and truly inspiring work well done!

I do have a question as I am thinking of using an Argon mix gas, I wanted to know how much gas I can expect to use. I know a 10lt cylinder with a flow of 10lpm would give me 1 minute of gas. I have looked at this website section on this and it has left me confused.

I telephoned the local weld shop who say they can supply gas in 10lt cylinders, but if the calculation above is correct then why would I switch to a regulated cylinder just to have one minutes worth of gas? Surely this can't be right, so I was thinking that all though the cylinder size is 10lt the amount of gas inside is compressed and is therefore more, but it don't answer my question of how long it would last me.

Can I ask what size cylinder you use and roughly how long does it last? I did read that you have your flow rate set @ 10/12lpm so I will keep this in mind to your answer.

Oh and the reason I ask is because I am trying to work out if it would be best to practise using Argon mix or CO2 and then switch to Argon once I am a bit more proficient at welding.

Thanks in advance with help on this one, keep up the good work and updates coming.

 

[Richiew]

Bainsk8

A ten litre cylinder holds 10 litres of gas at one bar pressure.

However the cylinders are filled to a pressure of 137 bar, 200 bar or 230 bar commonly.

This gives 1370 litres, 2000 litres and 2300 litres respectively from one cylinder depending on the fill pressure.

Hope this helps.

 

[bainsk8]

Richiew that is great and helps tremendously thank you. Sorry Redwine for the small deviation of your thread.

 

[P&H-Gas]

bainsk8, if you are MIG welding, then you need to stick with the Argon/C02 mix. The pure Argon is for TIG welding, not for experienced MIG'ers.
HTH

 

[redwine300]

Hi Del0m, Glad you have enjoyed reading my thread, If it helps you (and others) tackle similar projects, like the many posts on here that have inspired me, then it will have been worth it. May be you will run a post? I would love to help.

Hi Bainsk8, Appreciate your comments, Thanks also. As for gas bottle size, to be honest I do not know, it stands about 1 mtr high if that helps, All I do know is that when I picked it up some months ago the pressure was 2,000 psi, It's now reading just under 1,000 psi and I seem to have been welding forever.
By the way Richiew, thanks for stepping in there, I think you have answered the question brilliantly.

Not much in the way of welding lately, I have been wrestling with the bl**dy fuel tank, talk about frustrating to re fit or what.
Also, over the past week I have been de rusting the filler pipe, I managed to get most of the rust off and have treated the remainder prior to paint, should be good for a few years. I am contemplating stone chip as everywhere else, I think I will be able to get into all the vulnerable ares behind the filler without taking it off again.

 

[redwine300]

Good news, Back to welding at last.
I managed to tackle one of the many little niggling areas today. It's the ridge that is formed by the coming together of three panels and is used to attach the boot/hatchback seal around the closing edge.
I guess in hind-site, These are the areas I should have started with first, it would have afforded me the experience and improvement in my welding ability I have since gained, thus would have in turn been better suited to the more structural areas.
That's the learning curve I guess.

 

[Sphinx]

Damn you're good at making repair panels! I know that one was simple but it was still bang on!

 

[Chickenjohn]

Lovely! Another totally invisible repair! :-) Great job!

But is there any part of that car that didn't rust?? I'd be tempted to take the interior out and check the inside of the car as well!

 

[tux]

Once again an excellent job. Well done indeed.
How on earth did you form the doubled over part of the repair panel? It looks like it has been done on a heavy duty pro type bender, which I suspect is not the case. Cracking bit of work.

 

[redwine300]

Praise indeed guy's, I really do appreciate it.
I know what you mean Chickenjohn,
During my exploits, I have had all the interior bar the dashboard out, surprisingly there was not to much tin worm to take care of.
On the face of it, the latest repair looks relatively straight forward, I soon realised that forming the clean corners along with the correct height proved somewhat difficult at first.
As you say Tux, no pro type bender I'm afraid, just a few hand tools and some handy pieces of wood. The pictures below show my extensive array of panel beating equipment.

 

[BillJ]

Go on, then. How did you use those tools to make that repair piece?
I have to say I'm very impressed!

 

[Chickenjohn]

Yes, very impressive metal work indeed- Redwine you clearly have some natural ability in all this! Or a good teacher. There are many mechanics who cannot do this.

I think Redwine uses the thick metal "split pin" type thing, puts the sheet steel in there, with the line of the bend marked in line with the flat face of split pin, then used clamps to hold the "split pin" around the sheet steel like a vice and using the waterpump pliers to form the first 90degree bend, using the hammers to tap it flat and tight, then flip the metal round to the next mark in the split pin clamped tight and the the next bend is formed, then flipping the piece around again, and with hammer taps to get the doubled up lip, then metal flipped again and clamped again to form the final bend.

very impressive though, I'm going to try and replicate this repair piece in a vice using the same tools as I think the big "split pin" type thing is clamped with the mole grips to act as a vice.

The key is to get the lip the right length, and then use the piece to mark the car for cutting.

Good guess??
Am I close? Those tools bring to mind the Thai VW restorers:-
http://vwrides.com/viewtopic.php?t=77

Achieving complex metal forms using simple tools fascinates me!

 

[redwine300]

Hi Billj, Thanks for your compliments,
As for the step by step process of how I formed the repair,
It was pretty much exactly as Chickenjohn described. A bit fiddly without a vice mind,
Again, Chickenjohn was spot on, they are designed to be held in a vice, but as a substitute I made good with a pair of mole grips clamped either end.
The 2 pieces of wood were used as anvils to flatten everything out against. Also acted as a pair of anvils to enable me to panel beat the back face flat and level with each other.
I have the other side to do in the same way, I will photograph the repair in stages and add them to my next post.
By the way chickenjohn, that was a very interesting link you posted, I shall be reading more of it over the next few days, some very useful tips indeed.

 

[WazOz]

Resto

Hi Redwine, am an Aussie, and like othersm have enjoyed the whole adventurem will watch to see it on the road, a testimony to a mans conviction and to step out of the zone and do it yourself, many would either trash it, do a quick crap job and sell ASAP, with that amount of metal rot, great work in deed, like others alos have a vehicle to fix up, a 4x4 with roof rot, seeing how you had the guts and gumption to take it on helps me think I can do it, even at 58, age is no barrier, at least I will never have to worry about snow, just flies and now the heat has gone halleujah, some cooler weather at last, what is good is the least amount of tools and experience you had to begin with, so many say you need, this tool and that gadget, the metal fab work is inspirational, great posts also, even better that you have taken time out to help others.
Your missus must have a lot of tolerence as most wives would not want their husbands speding that amount of time on a car.
Will follow this thread

 

[redwine300]

Hi WazOz, Really happy you have enjoyed the thread. i must admit, I have had some difficult times, but with the help and inspiration I have received from this site, I have managed to overcome my problems.
Good luck with the 4x 4 by the way. Hopefully you will start a thread and post your progress,?
I am sure you will receive all the help and advice from the guy's and girls here. (just as I did, and still am)
50% of my posts have been to seek help, the other 50% has been to help others where I can by way of sharing my exploits. just my way of showing my appreciation I guess.
As for the wife, I try and help as much as I can around the house so as to buy my time for the weekend.
She's a diamond!
As for age? it's just anumber. (me? 52 going on 18)