dave21478 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 also....weld-through primer and a few pairs of mole-grips. Maybe also a drill and drill bits for spot-weld action. If you really want to do good work rather than slapping patches over the top, then a joddler is a good tool to have, but depends on what and where needs wleding as to how useful it is in your case.... HOWEVER - I would suggest cutting it apart and seeing the true extent of the rot before getting spendy on too much tools and panels, as if it turns out to be too big for you and the tame welder to take on, it might be best to sack it off and find something else. Rave and John F 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 As a shiter with ambitions in the field of saving desirable* motors, I wish you good luck and Godspeed. Perhaps some welding magnets and those clever clamps for holding butt welds together. And some door braces for maintaining structural integrity while you cut the shit out of the sills... And DON'T forget to disconnect the battery before the weldathon beginneth. And cover up all paintwork before you break the grinder out and all glass before welding starts. Even my recycling bin has rust speckles from its close proximity to grinding. Sent from my BV6000 using Tapatalk oldcars and Rave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted September 22, 2017 Author Share Posted September 22, 2017 OK thanks very much lads, duly noted! I'll acquire some dust sheets and masking tape. I have some of those magnet holder things. How about this as a joddler tool? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Setter-Stepper-Joggler-Joddler-Flanging/dp/B00TE1OT94 I want to do good work, but I'll settle for a bodge to get it through the MOT if that's not possible! I'm hoping it won't go floppy when we cut the outer sills off one at a time; my uncle's mate seems to think that propping the car up on some old tractor tyres is the way forward... Edit: if I can't fix it I have my uncle's permission to leave it there for up to a month, so I could end up offering the car here as a freeby, or bits of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 1mm grinder cutting discs for grot cutting and flap discs for tidying up after welding.Mig welding can be challenging outside as the wind can blow away the gas shielding .The joggler looks good the hole punch can be handy for making holes to puddle weld through . Rave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted September 22, 2017 Author Share Posted September 22, 2017 Apparently we could make space in his garage if the weather is too poor to weld outside. I imagine welding in the rain isn't much fun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 it's good for getting zapped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_Q Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Where in Yorkshire? Have MIG welder available for potential borrow. oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuboy Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Apparently we could make space in his garage if the weather is too poor to weld outside. I imagine welding in the rain isn't much fun...umbrella over welder... another umbrella held by ex-wife over me whilst i weld a transit in the rain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted September 22, 2017 Author Share Posted September 22, 2017 Where in Yorkshire? Have MIG welder available for potential borrow. He's a couple of miles from Tadcaster. Thanks, but I have a gas MIG I bought from Aldi a few years ago on a whim. It seems a half decent machine; it'll certainly have enough juice for car bodywork sheet steel. Just need to get it out next week and check that the wire feed still works etc., I hear they can rust up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Good point - if there is a reel of wire in it and it's got damp, check that first for rust and if it is, don't feed it up the liner - I would suggest you bin a reel of rusty wire - feeding it will be problematic and probably shag the liner. Also, if manually feeding good wire up the liner feels rough, a new liner is probably the way to go - the one fitted in an aldi welder will be cheap shite. Sent from my BV6000 using Tapatalk Rave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 it's good for building character FIFY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 You've not lived until you've had s spark fizz it's way down your ear hole and try to light your ear wax like a candle . Angrydicky and richardthestag 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy18s Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 Or have a nice chunky lump of super-splatter make it's way past a full face helmet,nomex balaclava and backwards facing cap...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mally Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 I can feel that from here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 Ewww, that looks raw. I hope it's all healed up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 I think I've gone off the idea of taking up welding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommytwo Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 In 1970, I was living in Denmark and had to go into hospital for an ear operation.(Stapedotomy) In the bed next to me was a German guy by the name of Gerhard Girt. He was working as a welder in a shipyard in Flenburg, when a welding spark entered his ear and burned a hole right through his eardrum. I wince at the thought of it. The surgeon took a piece of skin from the back of his hand and performed a skin graft for him. His operation was a complete success. Hopefully, you will not let stories like this put you off welding. Once you get the hang of it, its a breeze. The hard bit is fabricating a replacement panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted September 24, 2017 Author Share Posted September 24, 2017 In 1970, I was living in Denmark and had to go into hospital for an ear operation.(Stapedotomy) In the bed next to me was a German guy by the name of Gerhard Girt. He was working as a welder in a shipyard in Flenburg, when a welding spark entered his ear and burned a hole right through his eardrum. I wince at the thought of it. The surgeon took a piece of skin from the back of his hand and performed a skin graft for him. His operation was a complete success. Hopefully, you will not let stories like this put you off welding. Once you get the hang of it, its a breeze. The hard bit is fabricating a replacement panel. Hmm, well I'm 50% good there, as I'm pretty sure I don't have a left eardrum after my two mastoidectomies. Or does that mean the weld will just go straight through to my brain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted September 24, 2017 Share Posted September 24, 2017 You should buy enough replacement panels to replace the entire shell and structure, but never get round to it and keep everything sat there until the nos panels are more crusty than the car... That's how people usually do it isn't it? Rave and Dick Longbridge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 There's nothing like planning ahead, and this is nothing like planning ahead . I've finally managed to dig the mig welder out of the garage, and found that the wire feeds out lovely and smooth, so that's one thing at least! I'm off to try and acquire most of the rest of the stuff I need this afternoon. Toolstation do an autodimming welding helmet for £36 and there's one at the end of my road, so that's getting bought. I rang a local steel stockholder who said that they could do me a 2.5mx1.25m sheet of galvanised 1.2mm steel for about 55 quid- does that sound like the stuff to use? Only problem is that they can't cut it, so I've got to try and find a way of cutting it myself to get it in the car...they also do non galvanised mild steel in 2mx1m for a bit less, but I reckon the 'galv' will be favourite? Irritatingly the panel supplier took 4 days from the date of my order to reply saying that they're out of stock of one of them and they're not sure when they'll be back in. If they can't get them to my uncle's by Thursday I guess I'll just have to sack them off and try and patch up what we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan_dyane Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 You don't really want to weld galv, it gives off pretty noxious fumes. Buying steel isn't really in the rules you're supposed to use an old car bonnet or a fire surround. chodweaver, somewhatfoolish and Rave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Sadly I don't have any old filing cabinets lying around . So I should buy the 2x1 sheet of mild steel and spray the repair sections up with weld through primer before I weld them on? Is 1.2mm right, or too thick? Apparently the yard aren't going to like me using power tools on the sheet to fit it into my car, so I'm going to have to attempt the job with snips. I daresay 1mm will be easier. Equally though, I want a bit of strength in the repair, I don't actually want a dangerously weak car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 A cordless angry grinder or jigsaw and a means of holding the steel off the ground while you're cutting it, such as a Workmate(other makes of wobbly folding benches are available) or a couple of lengths of wood. Aviation snips will do it but your hands will not thank you. If you've got a roof rack buy a sheet of 12mm plywood or similar and strap the steel to that and then the roof rack, no need to cut anything. My preference would be for galv as the extra protection will make the repair more durable(unless it's a WBoD/not a keeper/shed and to be disposed of before the next MoT, in which case find a filing cabinet or old bonnet to hack up). Just be sure to remove the zinc from near the edges to be welded to avoid fumes. Rave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 OK, buy galv and grind the edges before welding it is then. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I'd just buy normal mild steel sheet, like said above it gives off some particularly unpleasant fumes. If you paint it and rustproof it it won't go rotten again. I'd include a tube of Tiger Seal in your armoury as well, paste it round where you've welded. Rave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Right well I went and bought the sheet today. 1.2mm looked a bit too thick to cut, and 1mm still looked thicker than the metal on the car, so I went with that. My snips got me about 2 inches through the sheet before I physically couldn't get them in any further. I offered the lads in the steel yard a fiver if they'd use the petrol powered saw they'd just used to cut some angle iron for me (for another job) but they rebuffed me saying that it was strictly banned, and there were CCTV cameras to enforce the rules. It hadn't stopped them cutting the angle in a big shower of sparks without wearing goggles... Anyone know why they can't cut sheet? I'd like to find out so that I can avoid injuring myself if I decide that an angle grinder or similar would be the best way to cut out repair segments... Anyway, fortunately one of the lads had more common sense than me, and suggested folding the sheet in half, which worked fine, and had the benefit of not leaving jagged edges to damage the car's interior, or decapitate me in an accident. I got pretty much everything else I think I'll need too, apart from the hammerite underseal I was planning on finishing the job with, Screwfix were out of stock. Got weld thru primer and cavity wax though. I'm going to pack the car, do my household chores here and set off up to Yorkshire late afternoon, with a view to starting the job tomorrow morning. I will try and update with pictures as we go. Give me a wave if you see me northbound on the A1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardthestag Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 yep 1mm 18gauge is about right.Probably find that because the sill is a closed box section that Frod would have used 20 gauge which is about .8mm Tinsnips are fuck all use on this sort of stuff unless they have 2foot handles, scribe a line and use a 1mm cutting disc. Don't cut right on the line you can always use a flappy disc to trim it back a little. My local body shop has a plasma cutter which they let me have a play with, "gotta get me some of this" I thought. cheapo 240v units don't cut the mustard though. Now I use 1mm cutting discs and a long handle shear like this https://www.frost.co.uk/auto-bodywork-welding-metalworking-machine/cutting-tools/throatless-shear.html shield everything within 5metres when cutting. those pretty sparks burn through paint and make nice rusty pin spots all over the paint. They also seriously fuck up glass, and upholstery etc etc, I used to have an old rug that was quite good at laying over the top of bits that needed protecting and not so thin that the spark would go straight through it. When welding try start the weld on the newer thicker steel and draw the pool onto the old stuff. less chance of blowing holes through all over the place good luck, p.s. you forgot celebratory beer for when you hit milestones, dont drink and weld etc etc wont someone please think of the children chodweaver, somewhatfoolish and Rave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardthestag Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 oh and get a deburring tool they get rid of the swarf and thin edges on the line you cut. if you dont debur then the welder could start a "chain reaction" and blow holes straight through the work piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Booked the Focus in for some welding, it's gone where they all do on the inner arch to boot floor. Getting ground back then stick a plate over it then thorough paste with underseal and some Waxoyl. Should see another few years out. I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 I was just going to use a file to clean the edges up TBH. Bit late to acquire any more tools now unfortunately. Thanks for the tips . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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