DIY - Learn how to Weld...Basic Steps and Equipment Needed

[Daox]

Welcome to the site thinkmoto, and thanks for the suggestions. Would you mind posting an introduction thread so we can get to know a little bit about you?

[thinkmoto]

you want to get to know me I'll have to work on that.

[JohnnyGrey]

I highly recommend the auto-darkening helmets. With the regular kind, you can't see a thing until you strike an arc (often in the wrong place). You don't have to worry about the helmet not darkening in time, because the most harmful UV rays are blocked whether or not the helmet darkens. A good helmet will let you adjust the darkening level and possibly the response time.

I have a Millermatic 135 welder and I highly recommend the Miller brand. Everyone has their pet brand, Hobart, Lincoln, Miller etc and with few exceptions, all the US-made stuff is very good. I do mostly reverse polarity gasless welding. Last thing I used it for was to weld a wideband O2 bung into my Porsche's downpipe. Gas will give you a cleaner weld, but for exhaust work, who cares?

Also make sure none of your skin is exposed at all when you weld. The UV rays from the arc will actually give you a bad "sunburn".

Weld on a pile of scrap before you do anything critical. You'll have to get used to adjusting power and wire speed.

[apples]

Hi,

I have a little website called Learn How To Weld that I am working on. Maybe have a look around there and you might be able to pick up a few welding tips and tricks.

I have got some welding information on how to strike an arc, how to lay a weld bead, mig welding wire, welding torches, welding helmets and a couple welding videos.

Cheers,
Apples
Australia
Learn How To Weld

[wagonman76]

My first welding project was repairing the floorpan where the rear trailing arms attach on the old 6000 wagon. I already knew metallurgy and have worked in metal fab shops since I was 18, but never actually handled the welder. I bought a Century 130 mig welder from a local shop for $100. I use flux core wire in it and it works well, I dont have a place for the gas. Hardest part was getting penetration without burning through. Pulsing the gun worked well, also waving the gun back and forth quickly worked well too. Another thing is if youve got stuff that might burn nearby, wet towels work wonders for diffusing sparks. It turned out well, I got it so it wouldnt come apart when beating it with a sledgehammer and its still holding up several years later. Heres some pics, drivers side was similar. Later on I sealed up similar holes in the wheelwells in the van and a hole in the engine cradle.

[apples]

Yeah car cancer.

I have never seen rust in a car on the back seat like that before. What sized gasless mig wire did you use for your welds? You want to use the thinest gasless wire possible. Which is about 0.6mm / 0.023".

Peter

[wagonman76]

Yeah Ive always understood that thinner is better for that. I had 2 choices availably locally, .030 and .035. I used .030 even though I could get .035 in bulk for a lot cheaper.

The trailing arm bracket detachment that you see in the pics is the kiss of death for a lot of good running a-bodies from the northern states. Kind of a shame, because they seem to run forever otherwise and are cheap and easy to fix. And not too many people will attempt to repair it.

[apples]

I'll take a gues and say that you have snow in winter there. And they throw salt onto the road?

Maybe that is why the rust is there.

Peter

[wagonman76]

Yes and yes. What happens is once you get even pinhole in the floorpan in that area, water gets under the seat. Under the seat is this thick insulation with a tarlike substance on one side that traps the moisture. And thats when the cancer really takes off. Ripping that insulation out is the best thing you can do, and its not even any louder going down the road. This may apply to other cars as well.

When I did the van, there were these gaping holes in the wheelwells where the salt came up through all winter, and soaked through the interior panels. When I repaired it I ripped out all the carpet and insulation, and cleaned the panels. There was a bed of mud like 4 inches deep inside the panels. There were several colonys of flying ants living in mud under the carpet insulation. Everything got a good cleaning, the floorpan got repainted, and the pad got replaced with household carpet padding.