Working on cars

[Jim Davey]

If you disconnect the battery it should be yes. Also make sure you have a good clean earth, preferably close to where you intend to weld.

 

[Wedg1e]

I did the repair on my TVR's fuel tank using TIG, just because I feel it gives me more control on paper-thin sheet. MIG all the way for 2mm plus of course.
I'm not claiming to be any sort of a welder with either technique, by the way...

 

[Richard.]

316 will perform a joint but if it's under strain or vibration it could crack as it's not an over alloying filler to give you the austinte joint when diluted with the MS (12% Chromium) That said if it's just a patch up supporting its own then it would probably do.
As said above disconnect the battery (make sure you know the radio code if it has one before hand) and the hf shouldn't interfere. If you wanted to be double safe use lift arc.
As said above also direct earthing is essential to avoid it taking unwanted paths.

 

[langy]

I wouldn't use stainless rods myself A15 will do the job perfectly

 

[Richard.]

I wouldn't use stainless rods myself A15 will do the job perfectly

For stainless to mild?
Dissimilar is going to be the best performed joint.

 

[TigLad]

Did the one sill tonight, was very difficult with the sill being paper thin, blew through a couple of times but got there in the end, not really looking forward to doing the other side tomorrow, any tips for welding such thin steel?

 

[Richard.]

Did the one sill tonight, was very difficult with the sill being paper thin, blew through a couple of times but got there in the end, not really looking forward to doing the other side tomorrow, any tips for welding such thin steel?

Well how thin are we talking.
The idea is to cut out the real thin stuff till your up to something that is solid and will take a weld.
I know in some cases it is like chopping half the car away but if you don't you'll end up doing it again very shortly.

 

[langy]

For stainless to mild?
Dissimilar is going to be the best performed joint.

Sorry I meant I wouldn't use stainless rod or sheet

 

[TigLad]

Well how thin are we talking.
The idea is to cut out the real thin stuff till your up to something that is solid and will take a weld.
I know in some cases it is like chopping half the car away but if you don't you'll end up doing it again very shortly.

Initially i cut out about 120 x 110mm but the one side was literally paper thin so i cut it back by a further 80mm where the metal was a lot stronger but only about 0.8mm, it started welding nicely but when a hole blew it was difficult to fill without making the hole bigger

 

[Richard.]

Sorry I meant I wouldn't use stainless rod or sheet

Me either.
That's just making the job harder.

 

[langy]

Me either.
That's just making the job harder.

Seems quite common on this site to make a simple job as difficult as possible

 

[TigLad]

I cant get my hands on any mild steel, only stainless, thus why i asked the question in the beginning, to get a better understanding of how difficult it would be, and although its not ideal it was at least doable

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I cant get my hands on any mild steel, only stainless, thus why i asked the question in the beginning, to get a better understanding of how difficult it would be, and although its not ideal it was at least doable

Try the scrap bins of a fabrication company, I can get 0.9mm and 1mm sheet upto 750mm square from the scrap skip of a company on the local trading estate, they don't mind so long as you don't take the Pi55.