Welding into a vee

[bigrab]

Out in the shed today I was trying to weld two bits of metal to each other, both are 62" long, one 1/2" broad and the other 2" broad. I had tacked them to each other at 45degrees to each other with the tacks about 3" apart.
Holding the shroud pointing into the 'vee' I could not get a decent weld! I turned the work piece over and welded the back side of the 'vee' and it was a pretty good weld!
I'm still just using co2 but thought I could have got a little bit better weld, but no matter what settings I used the weld would not fuse to both bits of metal, either burning through or laying a high weld onto one side with nothing on the other. Not even when trying to zig-zag while welding.
The 1/2" piece of the whole section has to be welded along a lip across the rear of my Estate car, should I drill holes and spot weld, or seam weld, or both, for MOT
Any advice would be appreciated.
bigrab.

 

[BillJ]

It's hard to visualise what you're doing. How thick is the metal you are welding?

90 degree fillet welds can be a bit tricky anyway but if it is at 45 degrees, that's an awfully narrow angle to get a torch into and I can imagine the shroud prevents you from getting close to the joint from inside. If I were tackling an acute angle like that I would weld it from the outside of the joint, if possible. Is there a reason why this isn't a suitable way to approach it?

As far as MOT is concerned, is this a structural part of the car? If so, weld it so that the new part is similar to the original. e.g. if the original was a single piece of metal then the new part needs to be seam-welded together to make it effectively a single piece of metal. Where there were originally spot-welds, you can use plug-welds. That sort of thing. The idea is that the repair should be as strong as (or stronger than) the original.

 

[Chickenjohn]

I agree with Bill, 45degrees is too narrow an angle to get the torch close enough to get decent penetration of both pieces.

I would also weld this sharp angle from the outside.

Or, if you can- could you join the new section to the car on a piece that has a less acute angle??

 

[Drains]

I assume you couldn't get the torch close in to the inside weld?
You also haven't mentioned the material thickness.

However if I;m understanding what you are describing, there's no need to do the inside angle. Just weld from one side Rab - that'll still be a full strength weld.

 

[bigrab]

Long story! bunch of tossers at Peoples in Falkirk repaired a back-end crash on my Estate, didn't cover up large access holes in rear xmember they re-newed, left out the impact absorber and so allowed water ingress to the said, rear xmember, therefore over the years it rusted away.
Luckily as it is not a main chassis member I got an advisory provided I removed the tow bar at it's MOT so now I have to weld it properly.
It is 62" long and 60mm broad and is 0.84 thick metal. I cut all of the rotten floor out of it, full length I have bought a 62" piece of 1.5mm mild steel 'L' shaped and I welded a 10mm strip on the end of the 60mm lower part of the 'L' at 45 degrees, this to be welded to the rear of the estate after removing the old welds, which were spot welded, The longer part of the L will go up inside the xmembers oposite side and the old steel plate will be welded to that as will two main chassis butt ends.
The MOT tester stipulated seam welder repairs if I wanted to keep the towbar but I have ditched it. So will I still need seam welding, or do spot type welding every 1" or so?
So to the rear the 1.5mm plate is to be welded to thinner metal and to the front the thinner 0.84 metal has to be welded to the 1.5mm. I am practising this and getting fair results but had bother trying to weld into the 45degree angle! I've now welded it on the outer side so am okay there now. Sorry it is so long winded, I wish I could draw it!
Bigrab.