Welding and panel working tools

[FarmerPhil]

Hello, I've been lurking on the forum for a while but first time posting.

I've recently brought a Doka to restore and it needs a lot of welding, of which I was aware of before buying. I have done a fair bit of agricultural welding with an old oil filled arc welder (gates, trailers, shed frames, implement repairs etc) and have just purchased a mig welder for ease with the thin metalwork. I need a bit of practice as it's been a fair few years since I used one at university.

I'm after a bit of advice of the tools to get and any weld/panel prep consumables use guys use. I see a lot of people use acid to neutralise rust, weld through primers ect so which brands you recommend and any kit which makes your life easier. I have a big selection of sledge hammers, 9 Inch angle grinders and calver clamps but these are a little overkill for this type of work.

I see a few people have made some tools for rear wheel nut removal and pressing out joints etc.

Cheers,
Phil.

[shampooefficient]

Get hold.of some scrap metal and have a play with the MIG until you are consistent. Settings online are a guide but the last tweak is the difference.

Absolutely cut back as far as you can to good metal, if you end up making bigger patches so be it - better than trying to get a good weld on almost-good metal.

Last time I needed gas I bought a load of Argon-CO2 mix from Welding Superstore (with next day delivery), the big bottles last a lot longer than the piddly little disposables, just need a different regulator than the one your welder probably came with.
Some people use CO2 in pub bottles but I get a better weld with the mix. YMMV.

Wire brush wheels in a grinder are violent but effective. Order online from eBay, I'm not convinced they aren't exactly the same as Toolfix or Screwstation sell, but online is 1/3 the price.

Nitromors rust converter is decent from Halfords but pricey. I've just ordered a gallon of phosphoric acid for the same price as 500ml of Nitromors, sold as milkstone remover, but I've not tested it yet. If you're using a converter, decant a small amount into another container rsther than putting the brush anywhere near the fresh bottle.

I am a fan of Isopon branded Zinc 182 prjmer - usually a couple of tins for £25 or so on eBay. Weld it, finish it back, then a good brush into all the crevices. Second coat after a couple of hours.

[shampooefficient]

Oh also some strong-ass magnets make life a lot easier.

[RogerT]

Small 550w grinder, with a thumb lock switch rather than a finger trigger made a big difference for me, cutting discs are cheap. Powerfile - invaluable, use zirconium belts.

For welding - butt clamps, cleco pins, a variety of clamps from big to small. +1 for argon mix, I’ve a hobbyweld stockist in town which is handy, wire wheel and wire cup on grinder for revealing spot welds, cobalt spot weld drill, wallpaper scraper and sharpened masonry bolster for separating panels after attacking spot welds,

Joddler/joggler for overlapping joints of patches. I have a hand squeeze one (shyte), and a rotary one (vintage Rolastep from eBay, fab). Punch (again shyte) for making puddle weld holes (to emulate spot welding), picador drill bit jig for sharpening the drill bits required regularly, step drills from Lidl, cheap but effective for a while.

Shrinker/stretcher - a wonderful thing.

All depends on how much fabrication you want/need to do.

Don’t worry too much, do it under cover if possible, think about how you will put it back together before you cut, be happy to make mistakes. All problems have solutions.

[RogerT]

Don’t neutralise rust, cut the rust out or grind/wire wheel off any surface rust. Get it shiny.

[FarmerPhil]

Thanks for the feedback!

Yes I be spending a fair bit of time practicing the joins with the welder. I'll have a look at the Isopon primer.

I was debating on the joggler as I've seen a few pneumatic ones which would save my arms.
I'll keep raiding Lidl/Aldi middle Ilse for stock of the step drills!

[SurfT25]

Make sure you have correct wire for mig welder -
flux cored for gasless and normal wire for gas.
Practiced for ages on butt welding trying to get correct weld, always splatterd. Gave up for a while then saw a youtube blog about welding and realised had normal wire for gasless mig no wonder I couldn't stop splatters.

[Michael4]

Might be sacrilege but has anyone experience of using panel adhesives in place of welding? 

Of course on non structural panels...

[shampooefficient]

I wouldn't be keen on using adhesives because they tend to be a bit fussy about temperature, humidity, curing time and vibration. Things you can get away with in a static application don't necessarily work in something that moves, twists, vibrates and gets hotter and colder.

[Dobble]

I haven't seen it mentioned but I use flap wheels on a grinder when doing welding work. Great for cleaning back metal as well as making butt welds flush. I'd also recommend using a gas welder with an argon mix, many years ago I just used CO2 pub gas because it was cheap but everything vastly improved when I went to the argon mix. I use SGS gas which is available country wide. 

[shampooefficient]

Excellent shout on the flap wheels. A variety of grits to go from shaping to finishing.

And always remember the adage "a grinder and some paint will make a welder ehat he ain't"

[tobydog]

Might be sacrilege but has anyone experience of using panel adhesives in place of welding? 

Of course on non structural panels...

My MOT guy recommended this:

https://u-pol.com/product/adhesives-sea ... -adhesive/


 

[JackJosh]

www.mig-welding.co.uk is a hive of information. Lots of info on paint as well.
As people say, get some thin plate and practice. Stitch weld it in, to prevent blow through and distortion. Get it to shiny metal. 1mm thick slitting discs are brilliant. 

[Al Housman]

Maybe try a needle scaler if you have a compressor. 

This will help you to remove any loose areas of bodywork and, more importantly, expose strucural weakness on the chassis.

It doesn't leave a particularly smooth finish but will get into places that angle grinders/flap wheels/wire brushes won't get.

Ideal for underneath if you're planning on using lanoguard/waxoyl etc

I only have a small compressor so have to go slowly but it does the job really well. A bit noisy . Not massively expensive - mine's a draper for about £30.00

[KateLovesPurple]

This guy on you tube has helped me massively with improving my skills. His cut and butt method of patching is brilliant, if a little more complex than the norm, but leaves no lap joints where moisture invariably gets trapped.

Fitzee's Fabrications - YouTube