Steep learning curve

Stanleysteamer said:

On the thicker stuff do you never get the urge to do it with an arc welder? I have to admit that I prefer it, and once you get a bit good, getting the slag off isn't a problem.

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if your good slag curls off on its own, stick comes in to its own in the amateur world with thick stuff just because you can have a 4 mill rod but not wire

jamesmartin said:

if your good slag curls off on its own, stick comes in to its own in the amateur world with thick stuff just because you can have a 4 mill rod but not wire

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You're prolly right ,and yes about the slag, or just a simple bang with a hammer quite close to it! Don't think I've ever welded with rod as thick as that!

Stanleysteamer said:

You're prolly right ,and yes about the slag, or just a simple bang with a hammer quite close to it! Don't think I've ever welded with rod as thick as that!

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when i was doing my apprenticeship i was banging with a chip hammer but the expert was just flicking of the curl,mig is far beter for land rover jobs ,chassis is really too thin for stick

jamesmartin said:

when i was doing my apprenticeship i was banging with a chip hammer but the expert was just flicking of the curl,mig is far beter for land rover jobs ,chassis is really too thin for stick

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I have yet to get anywhere near a LR with my mig, I only really uses it for bodywork. But I use my arc on kit car chassis and fabbing stuff for them. The chassis on KCs are usually F off thick!
The number of MOT guys who look at them, bang em with a hammer and come to me and say, "Wish all cars had those"
The windscreen surround on my Marlin is welded to the chassis, makes a roll over bar as well and is shaped in a 20 ton press. Cars have gone end over end and peeps have survived. This was one of the reasons I got one.

jamesmartin said:

when i was doing my apprenticeship i was banging with a chip hammer but the expert was just flicking of the curl,mig is far beter for land rover jobs ,chassis is really too thin for stick

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Think I need to get some kip in.
Good night, night owls!

Stanleysteamer said:

I have yet to get anywhere near a LR with my mig, I only really uses it for bodywork. But I use my arc on kit car chassis and fabbing stuff for them. The chassis on KCs are usually F off thick!
The number of MOT guys who look at them, bang em with a hammer and come to me and say, "Wish all cars had those"
The windscreen surround on my Marlin is welded to the chassis, makes a roll over bar as well and is shaped in a 20 ton press. Cars have gone end over end and peeps have survived. This was one of the reasons I got one.

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im sure they are but experience says mig not stick unless its thick ,which isnt car thick

Stanleysteamer said:

On the thicker stuff do you never get the urge to do it with an arc welder? I have to admit that I prefer it, and once you get a bit good, getting the slag off isn't a problem.

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Haven’t used one for 14 years so not really. If I had one I might. You just need to practice. You soon realize what’s pooling properly. With sheet it’s almost as though the parent metal shrinks away as your going. I only stitch sheet though.
With thick stuff, you can actually see what your pool is doing and push/pull it along whilst it pacmans the joint. Best thing I did was put a head torch on my welding mask. Makes a huge difference!

resto_d1 said:

Haven’t used one for 14 years so not really. If I had one I might. You just need to practice. You soon realize what’s pooling properly. With sheet it’s almost as though the parent metal shrinks away as your going. I only stitch sheet though.
With thick stuff, you can actually see what your pool is doing and push/pull it along whilst it pacmans the joint. Best thing I did was put a head torch on my welding mask. Makes a huge difference!

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One of my favourite welding aids is my mask that is clear until the arc, or mig arc strikes and then it instantly darkens. It was not expensive and just makes things so much easier when welding in a darkish garage, which mine is.
But i like the idea of a head torch as mine is F off bright on its brightest setting. but I'd tape a bit of Perspex over it to protect it from splatter, especially if working overhead!
Nice idea. Really!

jamesmartin said:

im sure they are but experience says mig not stick unless its thick ,which isnt car thick

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Kit cars don't have thin metal on em, which is why i got the arc. It's either thick chassis metal, ally or fibre glass!l
I got the MIG once i'd learned to arc weld and we all agreed it would be handy for working on bodywork on ornery cars. And from then on I have used it in places where formerly I'd have used arc. But I do find the continuous stop start annoying. The wire seems to stick in the tip and needs pulling through, or else sticks to the work piece rather than welding it! This is prolly cos I hardly ever weld new metal. Or else cos I is just so rubbish at setting it up. As I use it so rarely, I think the wire may get rusty on the reel and this might also account for why I have to wind the pressure on the feed mechanism so high to get it to feed properly.

This is because I tend to be welding stupid little things, not doing long runs. But I have inherited a joddler and a punch from the neighbour when he retired from garage work. So I can make a lipped edge to overlap weld with and also make holes in one piece to make the equivalent of a spot weld. He also gave me a ton of panel beating hammers and the other bits you hold the other side of the metal to bash against. Can't remember the tech term for them! "Formers"? Have yet to use any of this stuff.

Stanleysteamer said:

Kit cars don't have thin metal on em, which is why i got the arc. It's either thick chassis metal, ally or fibre glass!l
I got the MIG once i'd learned to arc weld and we all agreed it would be handy for working on bodywork on ornery cars. And from then on I have used it in places where formerly I'd have used arc. But I do find the continuous stop start annoying. The wire seems to stick in the tip and needs pulling through, or else sticks to the work piece rather than welding it! This is prolly cos I hardly ever weld new metal. Or else cos I is just so rubbish at setting it up. As I use it so rarely, I think the wire may get rusty on the reel and this might also account for why I have to wind the pressure on the feed mechanism so high to get it to feed properly.

This is because I tend to be welding stupid little things, not doing long runs. But I have inherited a joddler and a punch from the neighbour when he retired from garage work. So I can make a lipped edge to overlap weld with and also make holes in one piece to make the equivalent of a spot weld. He also gave me a ton of panel beating hammers and the other bits you hold the other side of the metal to bash against. Can't remember the tech term for them! "Formers"? Have yet to use any of this stuff.

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it wont work properly with rusty wire and tips need replacing often,and metal needs to be clean and you cant up the power to help with thin stuff
youve inherited joggler

jamesmartin said:

it wont work properly with rusty wire and tips need replacing often,and metal needs to be clean and you cant up the power to help with thin stuff
youve inherited joggler

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You've basically hit it all on the head.
I try to remember to take the reel off when I finish and bring it indoors where I keep it dry, but still. I clean up the rusty metal I am welding to but I always use secondhand metal to weld to it when patching, locker doors with the paint removed, that sort of thing. Not ideal! And as you say upping the power only burns through.
I don't make things easy for my self do I?!
I tend to be doing this sort of stuff in a rush, for one reason or another, but if I set my stall out properly, cut an over size piece of decent steel and joggled it and/or hole punched it, I could make a better job. Truth be told, I hate doing bodywork on a car, much prefer the mechanicals. And if it was someone else's car I'd be a lot more conscientious.
Tell me, why do tips need replacing so often?
Do they simply wear out through friction?

Tips get cakes on **** and the ID gets mucky. Every now and then, strip gun, clean up, new tip, Jew shroud. On eBay you get packs off shrouds and tips for good price. You don’t even realize how crappy a tips gone until you replace it and your welder suddenly runs lovely.

resto_d1 said:

Tips get cakes on **** and the ID gets mucky. Every now and then, strip gun, clean up, new tip, Jew shroud. On eBay you get packs off shrouds and tips for good price. You don’t even realize how crappy a tips gone until you replace it and your welder suddenly runs lovely.

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Might be a lot of my problems then. I do have spares but was not aware of what you just said.
Ta muchly!

resto_d1 said:

Haven’t used one for 14 years so not really. If I had one I might. You just need to practice. You soon realize what’s pooling properly. With sheet it’s almost as though the parent metal shrinks away as your going. I only stitch sheet though.
With thick stuff, you can actually see what your pool is doing and push/pull it along whilst it pacmans the joint. Best thing I did was put a head torch on my welding mask. Makes a huge difference!

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The Lipo power pack on the top also runs the mask via the toggle switch on the side. Saves replacing those crappy button batteries that seem to last less and less. Oh and the hood helps lots with light reflecting off the inside of the lens. I don’t know how I managed without it.

a tip for the beginners. The lens fully protects against UV and IR even if it dunt darken. Adjust as light as you can to see the puddle fully. Obviously not so light as all you see is white splodges when you finish.

I may even get round to grinding those bolts down one day, but I kind of like them

The good thing about this one is the two LiPo batteries are in parallel so just over the 3 volts used in the button battery mask. Works a treat and easy to solder a couple of jumper wires from the battery box to the button battery terminals. Via a switch obviously.
Downside is it’s all a bit heavy so needs a good headband and positioning for balance.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/90000LM-BORUiT-Rechargeable-Headlamp-T6-LED-Flashlight-Headlight-Head-Torch-Fish-/273969366981?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

That's the ticket Bob!! Mines a lot cruder - sealey cree headtorch acquired from work and superglued on lol

U n the misses going shooting tomo
Mate?

haza88 said:

U n the misses going shooting tomo
Mate?

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I’ve not got a shoot until after Xmas which is just a walked one. Have you? I’m doing my shotgun application now - sat on side but not sent. I’ll send Monday. I’m hoping next season is different to this one. I’m hoping to move to where mrs lives before March also. I’ll drop you a pm as I’d be interested in meeting once all this **** is done with. Landies, dogs, guns and beer

resto_d1 said:

I’ve not got a shoot until after Xmas which is just a walked one. Have you? I’m doing my shotgun application now - sat on side but not sent. I’ll send Monday. I’m hoping next season is different to this one. I’m hoping to move to where mrs lives before March also. I’ll drop you a pm as I’d be interested in meeting once all this **** is done with. Landies, dogs, guns and beer

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Just done my renewal. What a faff. Manchester are the laughing stock at the moment. They instantly sent me an extension to the existing certificate so god only knows when they’ll come round.