Okay the van needs some welding done - bit of an understatement . Have asked those I know who have / can weld to help but nobody has the time . Can't afford to pay someone - unless they want iron oxide coinage
So, how hard can it be? Mostly its hidden non structural stuff - holes inside the wheel arches and a couple of not so hidden wheel arch panels. I have a scrap range rover to practice on. i want the van to be useable and reduce the amount of rust, so it don't need to be entering any competitions
If I do it what welder is best (MIG? gas or gasless?)
Has anyone learnt welding this way (on their tod) and what advice can you give?
Thanks,
Mr DD (aka Russ.)
Last edited by DivingDaisee on 08 Jul 2008, 13:28, edited 1 time in total.
Get yourself a MIG gas (my opinion only), a protection device to go across your battery (or make sure you disconnect it) and a cheap angle grinder with suitable disk.
Clean the around the area to be welded with the angle grinder, you do not have to been scrupulously clean.
If you can see shiny metal that is usually enough.
And simply have a go, practice makes perfect.
Someone will be able to tell you about settings on the MIG, I just do mine by ear. When it makes a continous even buzz it's somewhere right.
It is remarkably easy to produce satisfactory welds.
Haynes do a reasonable book on automotive welding.
I've taught myself to do welding, each time i do more the finished results get better each time.
I bought myself a clarke mig welder from machinemart on a vat free day, it was the most powerful available for running off standard 13amp 3 pin plug household electric's.
Start on some scrap metal to practice, oh and remember there's petrol pipes and breather pipes all over the shop on these vans.
So, how hard can it be? Mostly its hidden non structural stuff - holes inside the wheel arches and a couple of not so hidden wheel arch panels. Mr DD (aka Russ.)
When I MIG vehicles I remove carpets to find clean metal and weld from above after using a power file to remove paint and a hot air gun anf scraper to remove underseal/ mastic. The panelscan overlap as but joints are weaker, more difficult and an overkill in workmanship unless you are in very high class work. This way you are lookng down on your work and have better metal to work with. I do exterior work this way as well as with the best will in the world it is very dificult to weld in restricted or upside daown positions. If you have removed virtually all rust then a cosmetic fill will be quite sufficient.The underside or inside areas can be beaten flat maybe filled wit hfiller or mastic and painted with someting like hamerite or underseal.
Chers
ken
Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.
"A quiet shy boy who took little part in games or sport"
88 High top 2.1 WBX
Try this web site mig-welding.co.uk.... Loads of information and a great forum.......
I started last year on my 81 Aircooled camper (long team rebuild) got a mig off E bay and then i practise on some scrap to start with .. couple of hours then got stuck in and learned from my mistakes GREAT FUN
Best to use argon/ CO2 gas for a cleaner weld.. small bottles from Machine mart or halfords and make sure the metal you are welding is really clean... small grinder and a good mask are essential
i learned to mig weld in 6 weeks ( employed as a welder ).
a couple of tips :
buy the best welder you can afford , it will pay for itself in time.
buy an auto darkening mask, essential, this will save your eyes and you will not have to try and grow a third hand.
keep your contact tip clean-dirty tip crap weld
practice on flat , when you are getting a good weld practice on vertical surfaces ( you may not be able to roll the van over )
over head / underneath welding will come with practice
wear overalls and gloves , spatter burns
panels to be welded must be a tight fit , if not they will be forever apart when welded , use clamps or clico panel clips , save time and better results
dont let this put you off take your time, rob
YOU ARE ONLY YOUNG ONCE BUT YOU CAN STAY IMMATURE INDEFINITELY !!!!!!
One other thing to bear in mind is petrol vapours!.....
I had a friend nearly kill himself welding up his Opel Mantra the other month - six broken ribs, burns and a damaged ear drum from the explosion - he was blown out of the car (luckily or he would be dead) and through the fence by the force of the blast
Biggest thing in any welding is the same as painting - it's all in the prep.. the cleaner the parent metals the better the weld will be
It is by will alone that I set my 'van' in motion!
Only problem with the small gas bottles is they are damned expensive and don't last long. I have a large bottle filled with Argon but for non visible repairs I use the gasless wire and find it perfectly adequate especially when welding outdoors. You can get a joggler tool from machine mart, it punches holes along the edges of the metal (and forms a rebate if you want). You can then imitate spot welds and very simple to do as a beginner as you don't have to move the tip. With the repair section in place you can then tack along the edges. The more you do it the better you will get......go for it but definitely get an auto darkening helmet and, as others have said, make sure the area is back to bare metal. Not hard and very rewarding!
arv been a welder for 18 years,but im still crappin mesen about ripping the widows out n doin the weldin round um,very scary when its going to be on show!!!
. Have asked those I know who have / can weld to help but nobody has the time 
. Can't afford to pay someone - unless they want iron oxide coinage 
GREAT FUN 
