The Welding Thread for Landy projects

[BikerB]

I thought it might be useful to have a thread for projects to include welding advice where we can all learn how to do jobs, ask about kit and maybe, if you watch me, see what not to do
This will save hijacking others build threads and maybe allow us to see smaller projects and pick up tips from each other for our ongoing projects.
My interest for the near future will be setting up my TIG machine and getting going with it, but any welding process is of interest.

 

[steve24v]

, good idea. I will probably be posting some in the future, will be building my own front and rear bumper for my disco once the the body is back on. I do welding for a living, always happy to help where I can if anyone needs it. Best advice I was given when I first started to tig was to get comfortable and practice as much as you can. Took me ages to get used to feeding the filler rod in without getting it stuck to the electrode. A good starting practice is an outside corner weld without the filler rod to get used to moving the torch and holding it in the right position
Cheers
Steve

 

[freelance]

Get yourself welding scrap bits of metal first whilst setting up, don’t go straight for the repair

 

[DanClarke]

As an amateur metal torturer I have had a stab at MIG and I struggled because I found it to be a bit like "spray & pray", so I went on to TIG which I have found suits me better for bench-work welding.
But...I just bought a MIG and I am determined to get better at MIG because it is better for outdoor fun.

 

[steve24v]

Like I said, you just have to keep practicing at it. My mig welding when I first started was shocking, bought a cheap sip welder and went for it on my opel manta I was doing up. As time went on my welding got alot better but the machine really wasn't up to the job, it worked but the feed rollers were cr4p. You get what you pay for with welding machines, unfortunately decent ones are expensive for the home diy're

 

[kevstar]

Get on a welding forum chaps.............
MIG Welding Forum (mig-welding.co.uk)

 

[Shippers]

Fitzees Fabrications on youtube is well worth a watch channel he makes repair panels using basic tools and then patchs them in with mig..

 

[BikerB]

I have watched quite a lot of youtube videos and been on various fora over the last few weeks to pick a machine.
However there seems to be some interest here on various welding jobs and techniques specific to Landrovers.
I also have a few little jobs that folk on here have already done that I am sure advice would be helpful to complete.
My first TIG job, after a little practice, will be to insert a balance pipe between the two silencers on my Yam XS750 to try and cure a mid range power issue. Thinking about it tonight I have realised that I can purge it with a little argon from one of those SIP cylinders, toolstation have them for around £14 and it would be ideal to flush the pipe inside.

 

[BikerB]

Like I said, you just have to keep practicing at it. My mig welding when I first started was shocking, bought a cheap sip welder and went for it on my opel manta I was doing up. As time went on my welding got alot better but the machine really wasn't up to the job, it worked but the feed rollers were cr4p. You get what you pay for with welding machines, unfortunately decent ones are expensive for the home diy're

That was my problem, my first welder was a small SIP that kept tangling up because the feed mechanism wasn't up to the job and used those stupid little disposables.
I did do some work with it, including some LR outriggers on my old 90 in the street but it took forever to do, a decent machine would have breezed through it.
I ended up buying a nice Oxford Migmaker and this is night and day compared to the SIP, although this doesn't make thin sheet any easier on the car at times, hoping TIG will be the answer here

 

[Zed.]

gonna watch this, I've been laying hot-glue for a few years (both hobby & industrial) but still happily learning

Rich.

 

[Dr Strangeglove]

I think a link to land rover welding projects would be great if that is possible.

If anyone could start us off with links to front bulkhead outriggers and dumb irons (both defender) that would be helpful. It is not just the welding, but more alignment of the replaced parts and undertaking the task without removing the body.

 

[steve24v]

That was my problem, my first welder was a small SIP that kept tangling up because the feed mechanism wasn't up to the job and used those stupid little disposables.
I did do some work with it, including some LR outriggers on my old 90 in the street but it took forever to do, a decent machine would have breezed through it.
I ended up buying a nice Oxford Migmaker and this is night and day compared to the SIP, although this doesn't make thin sheet any easier on the car at times, hoping TIG will be the answer here

Never used them disposables, used to get free rental argon/Co2 mix from boc off my dads account before they started scanning the bottles. Now I get a non rental bottle from a local motor factors, quite expensive though. If you are going to do lots of welding then it would be worth going to boc, air products or somewhere like that.
I now have a Riland 175gd 3in1 welding machine, not bad to be honest, cost about a £1000 with everything included (tig+mig torch, arc rod holder and earth clamp with extra consumables), doesn't have ac capabilities though

 

[Disco1BFG]

If you are going to do lots of welding then it would be worth going to boc, air products or somewhere like that.

IIRC, there used to be a forum advertiser who sold welding gases .... when I contacted them, they said I was out of their area, and couldn't supply me... I wonder, if there are enough of us, could "we" have a deal with one of the suppliers ?

 

[lynall]

I bought a new mask the other day, Parweld XL screen true colour, didnt think it was much cop initially, then used mates normal auto one, bloody hell the Parweld is the mutts in comparison, only downer is the head size adjuster keeps coming loose, so every time you remove it when you refit it you have to readjust it
Then as I had some overhead mig work to do and I am sick of my burnt arms taking ages to heal I bought a suede welding jacket, one of them things I always thought bloody gaylords, but 20 odd minutes welding over my head in a confined space and not one burn, arms on the jacket have hundreds of scars but not me.

 

[lynall]

IIRC, there used to be a forum advertiser who sold welding gases .... when I contacted them, they said I was out of their area, and couldn't supply me... I wonder, if there are enough of us, could "we" have a deal with one of the suppliers ?

These seem to have the whole country covered, sensible prices as well.

https://hobbyweld.co.uk/

 

[BikerB]

I bought a new mask the other day, Parweld XL screen true colour, didnt think it was much cop initially, then used mates normal auto one, bloody hell the Parweld is the mutts in comparison, only downer is the head size adjuster keeps coming loose, so every time you remove it when you refit it you have to readjust it
Then as I had some overhead mig work to do and I am sick of my burnt arms taking ages to heal I bought a suede welding jacket, one of them things I always thought bloody gaylords, but 20 odd minutes welding over my head in a confined space and not one burn, arms on the jacket have hundreds of scars but not me.

I bought one of the parweld jackets some time ago as well, moving on from a leather apron that I still got lots of burns from on the arms. Love it although after a bit of use they do start smelling a bit "ripe", better that than all the burns though

 

[Stretch]

My welding input:-

If you are starting out and want to learn how to weld - start with MMA / stick welding (like you would have to if you were learning to weld at a technical college)

If you can stick weld nice welds on 2mm + thicknesses of steel then every other type of welding will be within your abilities - there is a reason why most training courses start with this type of welding.

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TIG welding and MIG/MAG welding outside is usually a bad idea - wind (which more often than not is present) will blow the shielding gas away.

If you need to weld outside use MMA / stick welding - this is not so sensitive to wind / muck / rust / rain etc etc

Some modern stick welding machines allow you to weld with a pulsed current much like (similar to) the AC TIG amplifiers that are designed to weld aluminium - you can in principle weld thinner thicknesses more effectiviely with these more modern (but still expensive) MMA amplifiers

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[Apparently] Originally a series 2 chassis was welded together from sheet steel with oxy acetylene so if you want "real" authenticity that's a good process to consider learning

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WARNING - Specific to Land Rover welding activities

Consider the dangers of welding through zinc / galvanised steel before you start - if you are unlucky and you manage to gulp down a good gulp of welding fumes whilst welding through zinc you could die - it is very nasty stuff - so take care

 

[Dr Strangeglove]

I find stick welding more difficult than mig. I think stick welding is great outside due to the lack of gas and size of the machine.

The problems I have with stick are the skill level is higher. If you start to get a bad weld it's a real pain trying to re-prep the weld so you can carry on. Welding thinner materials is harder as you can't stitch weld easily.

I mig outside all the time as I don't want to weld in my garage. Occasionally the wind stops play - but not as often as the rain! If it is too windy I sometimes create a wall out of wheelie bins (that's why we have 4!)

I started my apprenticeship as a welder doing stick and gas. If you are good at stick welding it is great, and if you can learn at college that's fantastic, but if you are learning on your drive then it's more difficult. You also have to learn welding in different positions which is more difficult than mig as you have to take into consideration how the slag forms as it can contaminate the weld. I was taught vertical welding bottom to top but that was many years ago and I would not attempt it now.

I also find stick can be quite messy due to the amount of slag you get.

Stick can be good if you have the skill level as you can get into places with a rod that you won't with a mig torch.

These are purely my opinions so please don't think I am telling anyone that mig is better than stick. I admire people that can stick weld well - though not as much as TIG, as that can sometimes be art-like.

 

[lynall]

I find stick welding more difficult than mig. I think stick welding is great outside due to the lack of gas and size of the machine.

The problems I have with stick are the skill level is higher. If you start to get a bad weld it's a real pain trying to re-prep the weld so you can carry on. Welding thinner materials is harder as you can't stitch weld easily.

I mig outside all the time as I don't want to weld in my garage. Occasionally the wind stops play - but not as often as the rain! If it is too windy I sometimes create a wall out of wheelie bins (that's why we have 4!)

I started my apprenticeship as a welder doing stick and gas. If you are good at stick welding it is great, and if you can learn at college that's fantastic, but if you are learning on your drive then it's more difficult. You also have to learn welding in different positions which is more difficult than mig as you have to take into consideration how the slag forms as it can contaminate the weld. I was taught vertical welding bottom to top but that was many years ago and I would not attempt it now.

I also find stick can be quite messy due to the amount of slag you get.

Stick can be good if you have the skill level as you can get into places with a rod that you won't with a mig torch.

These are purely my opinions so please don't think I am telling anyone that mig is better than stick. I admire people that can stick weld well - though not as much as TIG, as that can sometimes be art-like.

Stick is harder, but I think what Stretch was suggesting was, if you can stick weld even badly, then you have the basics and any other form of welding will be easy in comparison.

 

[BikerB]

Its funny, maybe because I was taught stick and gas when an apprentice, but I find stick welding the easiest to get a good result.
I have to qualify this and say that this is on thicker materials >3mm or so.
I wouldn't even try to stick weld on thin car body materials with a stick welder, I know I simply blow lots of holes everywhere!