Welding rear arches

[fix]

Hi i need to weld the rear arches on my T25 panel van.

The drivers side needs a full rear arch upto the seam,with the passenger side it needs just the lower part of the arch. I've never really welded before just had a quick go once but have some spare panels to practise on.

I have had a search on here but havent found what i needed,has anyone got some pics of welding the rear arches so i get the general idea,maybe where the full arch panel needs to get cut etc?


Thanks!

[CovKid]

Only tip I can give is make sure you strip out rear seats and vinyl panels before you start. Gets damned hot in there and a fire can start easily.

[fix]

Thanks for the reply,there's no interior inside the motor other than some carpet which I will be able to remove.

What do you mean by vinl panels?

[CovKid]

vinyl - interior press-on panels

[fix]

Ah my panels are boarded on the inside with carpet on the top,would the vinyl be behind these?

[dugcati]

Hi Fix...
See this link....
http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h101/dugcati/t25/
You need to login with club8090 as the password.

I did loads of welding on my van last year including both front wheel arches.....

Where do you live? maybe someone from the forum might be able to come and take look or even assist you

[fix]

Thanks for the link im going through the pictures now,tho im using mobile broadband at my girlfriends and it keeps saying page cant be displayed!

Im from Bradford ill update my location

[buteux]

From the pictures it looks as though i need all the same welding as your van!
I have bought (rightly or wrongly, its too late now) from Just Kampers, two tall rear wheel arches, the little quarter panels behind the arches and the short repair panel for the middle (kitchen) panel. Looking inside behind where the kitchen was reveals that the bit at the bottom, the inner sill? has rotted through.
Im hoping to get a welder in Wigston / Leicester to do all this, any ideas what i should expect to pay? And should i expect to get more panels in preparation, ie will the work im having done require more than i can see.
Im sure most welders can make the missing bits..

[fix]

Id just try and learn to do the welding yourself,it all adds up getting someone else to do it. Id have no idea how much it would cost,too much!


Can someone tell me if the rear arch panels are best being spot welding from the the inside of the van? Or do i weld on the outside and grind off the excess weld?

Thanks

[fix]

How the hell did you end up with arc eye when using a welding mask?

If i cant get to the panels on the inside ill have to weld on the outside and grind off the excess

[weldore]

its easy to get arc eye when you dont use the mask for tacking...i know a guy who was welding under his van and decided he could do a run without his mask,he was in hospital quite a few hours while they got the molten lump out of his eye...it wasnt me by the way..i just get metal filings in mine but they are easy to get out with a needle

[buteux]

I got arc eye from doing a load of welding over about 14 days, the mask i had was one of those where you hold it in your left hand, strike the arc with your right, and pull the mask over (tho maybe not in that order..). The daft thing is that it a only a split second here and there over and over again, very horrible.
My uncle, the welder got some stuff behind his eye and they had to pop it out to clean it. He says he could see his cheek. It may be one of those stories tho. But he did weld for years.
The arc welder was just a stupid design, the welding rod was at right angles to the holder, so it was very difficult to judge where it was going.
It was a rubbishy old welder and the voltage didnt seem too stable, it would stick, then not strike etc, the rods had been baked too. A new one is probably great, mine would be about 20- 30 years old by now. Id like to try a gassless mig and a decent mask.

[fix]

I had a quick practise at welding on saturday,but struggled as my welding tip was worn and the wire kept on getting caught.

Ive got an auto darkening welding mask which is ok,but i guess for the split second it takes to go dark i should close my eyes.I can imagine over time if i didnt do that it could damage my eyes.

Ive bought some new tips and a shroud so will be practising again on the weekend

[dugcati]

I've got an auto darkening welding mask which is ok,but i guess for the split second it takes to go dark i should close my eyes.I can imagine over time if i didnt do that it could damage my eyes.

Don't worry - auto darkening lenses are designed so that when they are in see through mode they are still dark enough and they react fast enough to not give you a flash take it from me I have been welding for years and never once had a flash from one of these - had many from traditional screens though!

[weldore]

dont care what anyone says,you cant get a flash through saftey glasses (its like trying to get a suntan in a green house)so if you have your helmet down you should be ok.but it does blind you for a sec or 2 ,im thinking it didnt cost too much.you will get used to it if everytime you press the trigger you look away for a split sec..just your eyes i mean.BUT saying that ive had some cracking flashes over the years..ones that burn so deep you cant open or shut your eyes..one tip is if you have sore eyes on a night time and if the lights are looking blurry get your self to hospital for some eye ointment,coz its not worth the pain at 2 in the morning

oh and if ya having problems with your tip just round the end off with the grinder..not too much then clip off some mig wire and push it through the tip the right way then through the wrong way a few times till it loosens up