had my first attemt at metal work today

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defenderdavie

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right i took me door off mi disco ter get at the door post
its rotted to bits so i had a go at making a replacement bit

its my 1st attempt and it aint finished but im quite proud of it so heres some pics:D
 

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well done, but you will need to clean the area up well and remove all the rot before welding, only weld to good strong section or you will be doing it all again later on
 
if ya dont try you dont know. as above cut out all the rot so your welding to good metal, it takes longer but its worth the hassle. after your done get a bucket load of waxoyl inside to stop the bare metal rusting. :D
 
lookin good that mate but don't leave any rust, grind out more than is needed an you won't have to do it again;)
 
right i took me door off mi disco ter get at the door post
its rotted to bits so i had a go at making a replacement bit

its my 1st attempt and it aint finished but im quite proud of it so heres some pics:D
Looking good mate, nice one! Like the others have said though just make sure you've got rid of all the rust before you weld.
 
here are sum more things that mite help ya DD.

Sorry it took so long.
 

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If you're new to welding then I'd advise you to do plenty of practicing on bits of scrap metal of the same thickness as those you're using on the repair. You can get the settings spot on then before starting on the real job. Make sure there are no draughts as they will blow away the gas shield. You might well have already figured it out, but making a template out of cardboard is a great way of working out the shape of complex repair sections. Cornflake boxes and the like are perfect. Like some others have said - cut out all the rot so you're welding to solid metal and grind away all surface rust and paint to get a good weld. It can be a bit disheartening doing this because you end up replacing much more metal than you might have thought was necessary - but you won't end up patching it again in another couple of years. Having a fire extiguisher is handy incase you set the interior alight (been ther done that:D )
 
looking at what you have dont you need a bit more power. and move the tip slower over the joint. hes a link that you might find helpfull:

MIG Welding - The DIY Guide

MIG welding tips and resources

if you do a search in google ect for tips on mig welding there are hundreds of sites. it is worth reading a few and then trying out what youve learnt, if its not very good keep trying and keep looking up tips for what your doing wrong,
its quite easy when you get the hang on of and the more you do the better you will get.
 
tried welding terday i tink ill need a bit of practice 1st
Image of welding practice - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The type of weld you are doing there is known as a butt weld. They are the most difficult type of weld to master because it's very easy to blow holes - so you're jumping in at the deep end! Lap welds are much easier to do (thats where one piece of metal is layed ontop of another) Put little tack welds every 2" to hold the pieces of metal tight against eachother. I'd reccomend that you spend a day or so practicing before doing attempting the actual job. There are so many variables to consider when mig welding - it'll take some time to know what settings are best for what thickness of metal.

With butt welding you need to be very accurate with the shaping of the repair sections. You should aim for a gap of 1mm between the two pieces to be welded. Tack the piece in place to keep it aligned. A good tip for butt welding is to use a fairly high amperage (3 rd highest of 6 settings on my 150 amp welder) and pulse the trigger as you're welding - it took me many hours to master butt welding though.

You'll learn so much faster if you get somebody to show you the ropes.
 
ive been having a look at a few sites and plan to get a more powerful welder when i buy my own a decent sized dual purpose mig welder
at the minute im learning with a mates gasless hobby welder
mind you my practice bits stayed stuck togetjer

ive got a load o scrap metal to practice before i attempt the actual welding and hopefully my brother can teach me a better technique next time he visits
 
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