Welding...should I give it a go ?

[ranger]

Hi everyone.
I need to replace the lower front panel on my 81 reg Devon conversion. Seems to a common place for the rust to set in. See various YouTube clips where it is referred to as the bath as all the water collects there.
I like the idea of tackling myself. Did a part time welding course at local adult tech college. I am not very good but only get better with practise I guess..
Do you think this is a job I could tackle myself ?

If I was confident to try it , does this sound like something a keen by still novice can do ?

How and where would I get the replacement panel to fit in ? Seems to be a lip that go over bumper.

Anything I should look out for or any tips on the steps I should follow.


Cheers all.

[I_can_learn_anything]

Hi there, I dont want to hijack the thread but I am in the same position and am thinking of tackling some rust repair and the front tray myself, as well as some other places.
here is a video I found of someone doing it, perhaps this is one that you have seen already ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzA_xCEw0JQ

[JonathanR]

Couple of threads on this topic. See boatbuilders thread also metal Micky and there is another if you search front panel. As to doing it yourself - start the journey. Frustrating but rewarding


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[boatbuilder]

I have some photos of doing mine in here somewhere..
http://s192.photobucket.com/user/boat_b ... ibrary/T25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Plasticman]

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=110336" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
plenty more to look at if you want depressing/inspiring
mm

[bluebus1987]

If you have a place to do it, go for it!
Unless your loaded its the only way most vans are going to stay alive.
Anyone buying a T 3 should be ready to roll their sleeves up and get on with it, and rust is what turns them into prey for the breakers.
The more of them kept on the road the more likely a good new parts supply will be maintained and prices stay reasonably affordable.

[ranger]

Cheers all , think I will give it a go....

Post to follow on recommendations for cheap DIY welder

[Ant-t]

Cheers all , think I will give it a go....

Post to follow on recommendations for cheap DIY welder

Good for you

[weegaz22]

Cheers all , think I will give it a go....

Post to follow on recommendations for cheap DIY welder

I've been a member of a mig welding forum for years, most of the members/welders on there will say and i would now agree with is do not skimp on a mig welder, as the cheap hobby ones (cosmo, SIP, WOLF etc) you will constantly be fannying about with the wire feed mech, settings etc as they are usually plastic pieces of crap with a motor no bigger than you would find in a 10 quid RC car...ask me how i know

I just sold my wolf 135 amp turbo mig welder on Gumtree on sunday after buying a decent R-Tech 180 amp mig, the difference in laying a bead between the 2 is night and day, i built a welding trolley from start to finish at the weekend and it birdnested once, the wolf would do that every ten minutes if you were lucky, every 2 if you weren't, as well as just generally stop feeding, i would spend more time getting it to work than actually welding, not to mention the welds would look like a crow had shat them out

I know its not what you want to hear as i have held off for years before buying a good one, trying to fanny around with some mods to the wolf in a hope to get it to work better, but i am MORE than chuffed with the R-Tech, i also arranged a discount code for members of the forum with R-Tech so you can get a small discount too, I'm sure Simon Baxter that runs Brickwerks has one as well, whether that is for the brickwerks workshop or his own personal one i dont know....

[Plasticman]

good choice , i run the R-tech helmets and they are as near good as the speedglass
mm

[ranger]

Thanks everyone.

These were the welders I was looking at . I know not the top end of budget but need to go with what I can afford bearing in mind I will need to get other ancils as well.

Clarke MIG102NG 90Amp No Gas MIG Welder 109.00
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke- ... ig-welder/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or

Clarke MIG 152 No-Gas / Gas MIG Welder
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/010112152/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

any thoughts on those 2 or the price range they sit in ?
Any other welders in that price range that would be better ?

Will only be occasional use as and when the van needs it.

cheers again.

[bluebus1987]

I'd sit on it for while and look for a quality one second hand.
Like everyone says, with a cheapy you'll spend most of your time just trying to get it to function, and that is hugely dispiriting when trying to learn.

[MGP]

I use a clarke 135te and it's spot on, the clarke ones are one of very few manufacturers that fit industrial wire feeds on the small machines however the gas is controlled in the torch which have a tendency to leak.
I have fitted mine with a euro torch and an electronic gas valve mainly as the small welders have a short torch lead which means you are always moving the machine around.
Personally I think you should steer clear of gasless as it is much easier to get a good weld with gas and also the weld pool is cooler with gas so you will get less distortion. The gas is fairly cheap if you go with something like the hobbyweld cylinders.
Regardless of what machine you go with keep the whole machine in your house or if you get one with a removable torch keep the torch and the wire in the house, the wire and liner will rust very quickly if they get damp and if that happens I doesn't matter how good a welder you buy you will have problems with the wire feed.

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[weegaz22]

I use a clarke 135te and it's spot on, the clarke ones are one of very few manufacturers that fit industrial wire feeds on the small machines however the gas is controlled in the torch which have a tendency to leak.
I have fitted mine with a euro torch and an electronic gas valve mainly as the small welders have a short torch lead which means you are always moving the machine around.
Personally I think you should steer clear of gasless as it is much easier to get a good weld with gas and also the weld pool is cooler with gas so you will get less distortion. The gas is fairly cheap if you go with something like the hobbyweld cylinders.
Regardless of what machine you go with keep the whole machine in your house or if you get one with a removable torch keep the torch and the wire in the house, the wire and liner will rust very quickly if they get damp and if that happens I doesn't matter how good a welder you buy you will have problems with the wire feed.

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I don't know about now but i know a few years ago there used to be a difference with some of the Clarke machines wire feeds around that amperage, iirc it was either the 135te or 151te and up that had the better more commercial grade wire feed mechs than the the lower amperage models, I think the bigger amperage clarke machines like those are one of the better "hobby welders", there are plenty of guys on the mig welding forum with a few modified Clarke machines, which says to me they still aren't "perfect" out of the box, but still better than most of the really cheap stuff out there like the wolf i had, the way i look at it is if you are going to spend money on modifying it then just spend a bit more and get a good welder that suits in the first place unless your getting it at a really good price (I picked up my wolf for £20 needing some work and sold it for £70 after fixing it )

The R-Tech is kinda pricey but the way i bought it from them was to pay £177 deposit and take out 21 quid a month 0% finance for a year, i wont really notice the £20 a month, and the year will go by pretty quick, so it takes the sting out of buying a more pro-grade machine, and compared to the Clarke its not that much more of a jump in price if your looking at the extra specs your getting, i think the 135te is £280 from machine mart? the R-Tech is another £150 more, but its a 180 amp, has a euro torch, uses the newer inverter technology, has a digital amp display etc etc

[MGP]

It all depends on how you use the machine, for me as I'm a mobile mechanic I need a machine that can from time to time run off a generator which limits me to transformer based welders, the other advantage is the fact that there is only one circuit board in the clarke machine which when the time comes is cheap to replace.
There is one other reason I would fight the corner of the clarke machine which is the build quality mine has spent it's life in the back of my van and continues to work faultlessly unlike my expensive light weight trolly jack which needs all the bolts tightened on a weekly basis.

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