I have a Hobart Gas MIG -wire feed with either shield gas or the flux core
wire. Cost about $750, and you really should go for the auto-dimming
welding mask ( around 150-200) The auto mask is REALLY helpful, especially
when you are under the car and helmet-flipping would otherwise be difficult.
I have been able to do reasonable panel welding, although 19 gauge metal
welding is not a trivial task. You have to maintain a delicate balance
between wire speed, welding current, torch rate of travel, torch angle,
etc.... in order to get sufficient penetration without burning through. If
you buy a cheapo welder, I would expect the chances of success would be
diminished by a substantial amount.
Here is what I would propose- When you pay a welder to fit new
metal, most of his time, and hence your money, is spent chopping out the
rotted metal and fitting the new parts in. To effectively weld them in, you
cannot expect to bridge a gap much larger than the thickness of the metal-
so a good fit is really crucial. and time consuming.... So why not spend
your funds on some good tools related to cutting and fitting the components,
and then pay a welder to come in and zip em all into place? This would
probably appeal to the welder, as most of them do not really like to cut and
fit little pieces of metal- especially with any degree of attention to
detail. You would need left and right Wiss Aviation shears, a decent Pop
Riveter with STEEL pop rivets, a 5" electric grinder with some coarse disks-
abrasive paper as well as the hard disks, and maybe a coarse wire wheel as
well. Invite the welder over for a 'ground rules ' discussion,
order whatever metal is needed, ( buy some band aids) and get busy.
If you want to learn to weld, it is more wise to learn on good
equipment, with the advice of an experienced teacher. Trying to learn stick
welding on rusty sheet metal while laying on your back is as close to
futility as you can get. And you'll make a mess of the car, too.
Good Luck!!
Bob Westerdale
59 TR3A TS36967E
is
-----Original Message-----
From: john donohoe [mailto:gt6driver@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 3:25 PM
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Welding Sills, Floors, etc.
Has anyone here got any auto body welding experience?
I'm curious to know if the $99 welding rig at the
local dept. store will be sufficient for jobs such as
mentioned in the subject line (floors, sills, etc).
It's the kind where you use rods, but then there's
also a $199 version with its own wire feed...
As I come closer to doing the Spit Six, I feel the
need to learn something about welding, though I don't
have the money to buy anything exotic...$99 would be
bearable if its up to the job!
Thanks for any tips.
John Donohoe
'70 GT (for now) 6+ KC 81718
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