Welding my Land Rover

I've been welding for some time now but I still struggle to get decent welds, I know that its not going to be perfect when your'e upside down trying to weld to old steel but I want to try to improve my work. I have to get a new bottle of gas tomorrow cos I ran out yesterday, I'm thinking of 80% argon 20% co2, Im using .6 wire in a Snap On Pro Mig 186 machine, any one got any tips or advice?????? (expecting the reply 'get someone else to do it')

Make sure the mig set up right. Snap on ones are usually cheap cebora ones rebranded and marked up

I have been pretty much self tough and my only real bit of advice is to practice. Learn to setup your machine for the job your doing and get your material as clean as you can.

I find that if your trying to weld something like a chassis that might be thin and a bit rusty or in a difficult spot. You should aim for good penetration spot welds one after another leaving a second or two to cool.

I can't think of much else. Good luck.

Are you using an extension lead?if so you will get a voltage drop even on a short lead.ideally you should plug straight into the plug socket in the wall if you have to use an extension use the biggest cable you can and urroll it fully.

tig weld ftw

tidymeup said:

I have been pretty much self tough and my only real bit of advice is to practice. Learn to setup your machine for the job your doing and get your material as clean as you can.

I find that if your trying to weld something like a chassis that might be thin and a bit rusty or in a difficult spot. You should aim for good penetration spot welds one after another leaving a second or two to cool.

I can't think of much else. Good luck.

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Would follow the advice from above.

Dr_evil said:

Make sure the mig set up right. Snap on ones are usually cheap cebora ones rebranded and marked up

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Snap On machine is by Wilkinson Star, I'm trying to find out what the power settings are but failing that trial and error again.

have a small snap on mig welder in garage, not a bad bit of kit, served well over the years on me dad 200tdi, yet to try it on mine

I had a small Clarke machine which did well. I sold it when this one came up, got quite good money for it too, never tried tig welding, only mig and arc, I have been using the spot weld technique with a fair bit of success.

all i doo is tig weld, probably could count on two hands how mny times iv used a mig welder. but wen i have used one oxford ones seem to perform well, mig only comes out when someit needs a quick tak lol

DieselDisco said:

all i doo is tig weld, probably could count on two hands how mny times iv used a mig welder. but wen i have used one oxford ones seem to perform well, mig only comes out when someit needs a quick tak lol

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So what you tigin....... tiger Just luv to tig

Thor1950 said:

So what you tigin....... tiger Just luv to tig

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haha i just tig stanless steel, not quite a tiger, more of a lion

DieselDisco said:

haha i just tig stanless steel, not quite a tiger, more of a lion

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Tig...er as I am a tig.er. Stainless is sweat but the, reflection can get you some good flash burn. Remember doing a very large stowage box 4'x5'x4' and the reflection coming in the sides and back of the welding hemlet, next morning not good

haha its even better when the 4x5x4 box is 304 mirrior finished, may as well do it with some saftey goggles, you dont relize when everyone is tig-in around you the amount of reflection that comes of all the steel, im only in my 20's and my eyes feel like there second hand out of a 70 year old

DieselDisco said:

haha its even better when the 4x5x4 box is 304 mirrior finished, may as well do it with some saftey goggles, you dont relize when everyone is tig-in around you the amount of reflection that comes of all the steel, im only in my 20's and my eyes feel like there second hand out of a 70 year old

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get a good set of wrap around sun glasses.. under you hemlet. Did noy have them in the early 70's

did not have what ? and yh i could do with some dark wrap round glasses, its not too bad if you havent got a 2m x 3m sheet stood behind you acting as a mirror :/ lol

DieselDisco said:

did not have what ? and yh i could do with some dark wrap round glasses, its not too bad if you havent got a 2m x 3m sheet stood behind you acting as a mirror :/ lol

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Wrap around glasses.

Thor1950 said:

Wrap around glasses.

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ohhh i thought u meant the tig welders, which they wont have, in them days u will of just had oxy settleing and maybe stick ?

DieselDisco said:

ohhh i thought u meant the tig welders, which they wont have, in them days u will of just had oxy settleing and maybe stick ?

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not that fooking old junior

Thor1950 said:

not that fooking old junior

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haha u wernt of had a tig in them days, just a decent set of rivets and a hand riveter haha