Re: Welding... Reply #30 – October 06, 2021, 11:16:46 AM One thing I noticed when doing my bits on the car. It was much easier to blow holes in the NEW panels than the car body I was welding to or patches I cut myself from an old roof skin. Not sure if the repair panels were thinner, I assume not, so would be down to quality of metal, as in a higher percentage of recycled metal maybe!? note to self: re-use old metal wherever possible.
Re: Welding... Reply #31 – November 02, 2021, 03:47:31 PM Quote from: Eddypeck on October 06, 2021, 11:16:46 AMOne thing I noticed when doing my bits on the car. It was much easier to blow holes in the NEW panels than the car body I was welding to or patches I cut myself from an old roof skin. Not sure if the repair panels were thinner, I assume not, so would be down to quality of metal, as in a higher percentage of recycled metal maybe!? note to self: re-use old metal wherever possible.I think you are right on recycled metal. On comparing my mk2 and mk3 the metal quality is far superior in the mk2. The mk3 was around about a time when VW started using recycled raw materials. I would not be suprised if the new panels were also made out of recycled metal.New paints and primers though are superior to the old stuff so even the new metal has some chance in surviving many many years.
Re: Welding... Reply #32 – November 02, 2021, 05:00:59 PM I just glad I saved the roof panel from the one I cut up, even though it's a bit of a pain cleaning the paint off (and the other side where there's glue residue) it's been very useful for patches and I'm sure what I have left will continue to be helpful. To save wasting it I think I'll do any further self-training on the off-cuts of the new repair panels, 1. to not waste the good metal and 2. to get used to the self destructive properties of it.
Re: Welding... Reply #33 – November 08, 2021, 12:42:05 PM The choice of welding process to use should depend on where you have to weld your car, but in general TIG is better for all applications. For aluminum welding, you would ideally only use TIG or GTAW/GMAW with good quality shielding material. For iron body and inconel you want to stick with AC or AC+DC TIG or MMA welding without gas assist, although running out temps are sometimes unavoidable. Make sure when you go for welding the labor should use the best TIG welder. The list of best TIG welders are - https://weldzone.org/best-tig-welder-for-aluminum/
Re: Welding... Reply #34 – November 09, 2021, 12:11:30 PM Coincidentally had a go at TIG last night... watching someone who's experienced at is was a joy.The MIG I sort of got the hang of very quickly considering I'd never held a welder before, but TIG's quite a few levels up, must take a long time to master it properly.
Re: Welding... Reply #35 – November 20, 2021, 10:35:23 AM Made these a few weeks back when we were welding 2 x pieces of steel together in an 'L' for practise.When you're done with something they normally have gone into the scrap basket.I'd put the MK2 back on it's wheels earlier that day and chocked it with some wood, so it was fresh in my mind that I needed some proper ones.Couple of flat bases later and hey presto.The grips are some cut up rubber coolant pipes.
Re: Welding... Reply #36 – December 02, 2021, 05:05:02 PM Not the most flattering angle, but it's still in bare metal / needs prepped and painted.The rate this is going the course'll have paid for itself a couple of times over! 1 Likes
Re: Welding... Reply #37 – December 02, 2021, 10:17:08 PM I haven’t actually done a great deal with my welder in the time I’ve had it and it was quite an expense as I went for a decent mid-range one but I’d already say it’s paid for itself with the bits I have done. Granted I may find the bits I’ve done need to be redone in a few years but I paid £1500 for bodywork on my last one that I know from the current owner has all had to have been redone and that was supposed to be by people that do it for a living.Certainly excellent to have access to a welder and even better to know how to use it. I think I need to set myself some more projects to practice. Looks like you’re doing well.
Re: Welding... Reply #38 – February 21, 2022, 12:23:09 PM Hard to believe the course ended over a month ago.Bought a Sealey MightyMig 170 as it seemed to have enough growing room in it's spec. that if the son wanted to take things further he'd get some mileage out of it rather than have to upgrade sooner than later.Got one nearby... used our local Govt. covid voucher scheme to get £100 off, plus another sizable wack for taking a display model, then had the cheek to wangled a few freebies out of them so it all worked out at a sensible price.His birthday is two weeks before Xmas so he got it as a combined gift for the trwo, plus having a new interest opened the doors for everyone else to get him something welding related... he did alright out of the whole thing.You can imagine the disappointment then that it packed up after 10 minutes into using it... went straight back after the holidays and they were mortified, gave him a brand new one gratis to replace it. Landed on his feet yet again.Built him a bit of an enclosure in the corner of the garage, partly self serving as I was worried about the cars getting damaged.He'd made this welding table for himself at the night class and because space was going to be tight he made it collapsible.The instructors were brilliant, let him have free rein with materials and allowed him to come in a few extra nights during other classes to work on it.2 x swinging arms on pins and a hinged back, weighs a ton and took the both of us to carry it out to the car. If the Ukraine kicks off, we'll all be safe beneath it. Last Edit: February 21, 2022, 12:24:47 PM by L90E
Re: Welding... Reply #40 – February 21, 2022, 04:00:23 PM Yeah, that's a great looking table. Good work that man!
Re: Welding... Reply #41 – April 25, 2022, 05:15:08 PM Here is a question for you experts. I am contemplating welding in a new arch, not done that before. The previous owner rolled the lips back on both side and I am wanting to get it back to OEM. I am lucky that the actual arches are good but the lips are rusty now and damanged from rolling. I have repair panels from Heritage.I'm thinking to approach by cutting down the repair panel, mounting on the car securerly. Use a compass to mark approx 1cm onto the face of arch and then welding it in. Is that best approach do you reckon? Is 1cm enough to clear the inner arch metal work, though i expect to have to patch repair that as well. PS any ideas on how to remove that tiger seal stuff? Last Edit: April 25, 2022, 05:34:32 PM by MJA
Re: Welding... Reply #42 – April 25, 2022, 10:59:30 PM A compass will be no help the arch isn’t a perfect circle.
Re: Welding... Reply #43 – April 26, 2022, 08:42:06 AM I meant using it to follow the line of the arch, but 1cm from the lip for a clean line. A bit of wood and string + pen is probably what i would use. Is 1cm enough to not also cut through the inner arch - how close are they pinched together - like this - or would you go higher still?
Re: Welding... Reply #44 – April 26, 2022, 09:22:12 AM Ideally, you want to come further up the arch so your join is away from the lip and more on the flat of the arch if that makes sense. It'll help you maintain the shape and give you a flatter surface to smooth out, grind, skim fill etc.If you look here https://www.rotboxrustorations.com/mk2-golf-resto.html there's a goo picture of a rear arch repair.This is where they were done on my old one..I'd say you ant to cut just above the line of tiger seal.
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