Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

That's an excellent website marknotgeorge thanks for the link.

I might actually look for a college course and garage the 2cv until later, it's not the cost of the welding that's putting me off having it done it's the fact that next time, and the time after that etc I'll still be paying out when I could have remedied it myself.

In the meantime I'll have to buy another 2cv Laughing

marknotgeorge · Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 12

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22453 Location: UK

better still, practice on someone else's 2cv Laughing

R
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Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

Charming! (said in my best Kenneth Williams voice)

Uncle Joe · Guest

On this one, I would have a tendency to agree with buzzy. No point learning to weld on new plate, if the only thing you are going to weld is rusty stuff.... Laughing

One of the best sources for sheet body metal for welding is just that. Old car bodies!

Old-Nail · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 853

I've been spending time on the welding website above, I think I could get to like welding!

Uncle Joe · Guest

Are you making any progress on learning to weld? In between the paint, that is! Very Happy

pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

Don't know if it's generally used method? But I took a lot of the pain out of welding the underside of my Sprite by lifting the back with a hoist.
I had to remove the front bumper to get it high enough but it certainly made welding a lot easier.
It's not quite a hairy as it looks because I tied it to the rafter and put props under it while I was working, rather than trust my life to a Chinese engine hoist.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/donthebat/r4.jpg

rustyreks · Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 44

A couple of things not all fillers are porous most are though and need to be undercoated as they will rust the newtech one i use is much stronger as reinforced with aluminium it is good as a base also lead solder is better than filler for particular jobs like fenders where there is alot of flexing or body movement filler tends to crack in these situations when using lead it leaves an almost invisible finish.It can be done with a propane burner or even a blow torch so specialist equipment isnt needed. brent

Uncle Joe · Guest

Generally speaking, I find body solder far more preferable than filler.

rustyreks, have you tried the lead free stuff yet?

magic9r · Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Posts: 33

From both a beginner & professional point of view MIG/MAG is the weapon of choice for mild steel, TIG is gaining popularity in the pro bodyshops but to augment not generally to replace MIG.
With a change of gas/wire you can weld Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Brass, Copper, Bronze and Aluminium.
By choosing the right wire you can weld/braze any of the above to any other with the exception of Aluminium.
Phosphor Bronze wire gives a brazed joint with the tensile strength of a mild steel weld and can be used to build up a bearing face on worn components

I picked this MIG up off ebay for £80

The Smashweld 180 was specifically designed to give good performance on both steel and aluminium to allow bodyshops to repair cracks & broken mountings on the Aluminium gearboxes and diffs which were becoming common when it was launched (mine is over 20 and still going strong!)
I bought the extra as a spares donor for mine but it was working and only needed new castors and a clean up so the plan changed to keeping the old MIG with C02 for bodywork welding & the new (to me) one with Argon for AL SS CU Brass & Bronze.

This is after 10 minutes fiddling & setting up the feed etc.

This is a socket MIG Brazed to a brass wheel to form a handle for my shaper.

And a compressor housing repair for a good friend of mine

The whole corner including a mounting leg had been smashed off when it was dropped, it's fine now.

With 316 SS wire & some pre-heat with a gas blowlamp I rebuilt my Scimitar's near side manifold where some chump broke it off outboard of a stud where the down pipe attaches, drilled, tapped, new stud & drove it for 12 months before laying it up again.

I want a TIG but until I can come up with a good reason for getting one it'll have to wait, good ones are expensive even second hand.
Cheap TIGs are too limited in capability to be worth using, if it doesnt do AC, DC, HF and take a foot pedal you're going to hit it's limitations one day & have to buy another or pay for welding again,
Regards,
Nick