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MIG welding tintop bodywork

nick205 - 6/10/15 at 03:44 PM

Hi All,

With time to kill I'm contemplating some restoration work on my F reg 205 GTI. It needs a new drivers sill and some boot floor patches doing. My MIG welding is OK, but I've not tackled thin sheet much without making holes.

Other than practice what techniques do people recommend applying to get this right?

Cheers
Nick

jacko - 6/10/15 at 04:11 PM

spot welds rather then long welds and don't try and weld a lot in one place weld in different parts of the patch
jacko

nick205 - 6/10/15 at 04:14 PM

That concurs with the pros on youtube!

steve m - 6/10/15 at 04:29 PM

Disconnect the battery and alternator

loggyboy - 6/10/15 at 04:43 PM

Buy a jogler.

theconrodkid - 6/10/15 at 04:47 PM

as above,jogglers are well worth it,try to get the double headed one that also punches holes

owelly - 6/10/15 at 05:36 PM

Think clean!! Clean metal welds better than rusty/painted/greasy steel. Keep your MIG wire dry. Keep it indoors if your workshop is cold or damp. If you've run dusty (rusty) wire through the gun, remove wire and blow through with an airline.
Keep weld-gaps small and weld with small blob-tacks. Keep the panels cool by moving around the patch. Keep blobbing untill all the blobs join up. Flatten welds with a flap-wheel in the grinder.

ianhurley20 - 6/10/15 at 10:06 PM

Watch Project Binky on You Tube. Some brilliant welding to watch and learn particularly when you get to episode 8 - ish where Nik welds the boot panel on a Mini. As said before, spot weld and move on to avoid heat build up and holes, better still use the joggler to make a lip, punch a hole and spot weld through the hole - all demonstrated on Project Binky

[Edited on 6/10/15 by ianhurley20]

Oddified - 6/10/15 at 10:08 PM

All the above, but i also find the Co2/argon mix is better for doing thin body work steel.

Ian

907 - 7/10/15 at 06:46 AM

Nobody ever mentions it but with car restoration welding is only 10% of the story.

By far the greatest skill needed is sheet metal work, which when done to a high standard
makes the welding easier anyway.

All IMHO.

Paul G

Rosco86 - 7/10/15 at 06:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Oddified
All the above, but i also find the Co2/argon mix is better for doing thin body work steel.

Ian

this is so true! after using co2 for the last 5 years i have just changed to a proper welding bottle and its like i have learnt to weld overnight!!

also you can get mig torch shrouds that have two little legs specially for spot welding

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 07:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Rosco86

quote:
Originally posted by Oddified
All the above, but i also find the Co2/argon mix is better for doing thin body work steel.

Ian

this is so true! after using co2 for the last 5 years i have just changed to a proper welding bottle and its like i have learnt to weld overnight!!

also you can get mig torch shrouds that have two little legs specially for spot welding

Where can you get the spot welding shrouds from?

Rosco86 - 7/10/15 at 08:51 AM

any welding supplies shop i would have thought or link below

ebay

[Edited on 7/10/15 by Rosco86]

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 09:17 AM

That looks interesting!

[img]
MIG shroud [/img]

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 09:18 AM

I should add that I plan to spend less time welding and more time prepping!

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 10:52 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 907
Nobody ever mentions it but with car restoration welding is only 10% of the story.

By far the greatest skill needed is sheet metal work, which when done to a high standard
makes the welding easier anyway.

All IMHO.

Paul G

True - I do have another bodyshell to cut sections from to help with this, but it's not immaculate

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 11:17 AM

May well invest in one of these too...

jogler

Rosco86 - 7/10/15 at 11:21 AM

i do have a brand new sealey one, still in the box if your interested?

keithjardine - 7/10/15 at 11:42 AM

As above, spot weld and keep moving the weld site to reduce heat build up.

Joggler is good if you have space, butt welds are tricky-I used 0.9mm wire and 1.2mm sheet steel to replace rust/gaps.

I borrowed a gasless mig (they are generally regarded as crap) but with 1mm sheet it was plenty powerful.

Have lots of flap discs at hand!!

Be prepared to chop out more rust to get to good metal, trying to weld rusty thin metal is not worth the effort.

Are the replacement sill sections any good?

I assume you are going to drown it in Dinitrol or an alternative rust protection too?

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 11:55 AM

Rust protection is another worry long term, but it'll be well painted where I can get to it.

Garage life and dry life should help it along!

keithjardine - 7/10/15 at 12:07 PM

Dinitrol is widely regarded as being very good and relatively user friendly

http://www.rejel.com/rejel-store/classic-kits.aspx

http://www.frost.co.uk/dinitrol-rust-proof-kit.html

nick205 - 7/10/15 at 01:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by keithjardine
Dinitrol is widely regarded as being very good and relatively user friendly

http://www.rejel.com/rejel-store/classic-kits.aspx

http://www.frost.co.uk/dinitrol-rust-proof-kit.html

Will look it up before starting!

Minds me of a story on here about a Land Rover chap getting it all over the house and his cat while SWMBO was out.

nick205 - 13/10/15 at 03:34 PM

Oooops - Argoshield gas has run out and I can't drive to the welding supplier for a refill - SWMBO will have to give me lift!