how's my welding?
Turbo Mini Forums

0.8 wire on 1mm panel butt joint? That's not easy.

In your photo you did a butt joint down the middle, with a gap. Try it again with no gap, 'stitch' / 'pulse' weld. Get some 0.6 wire. When you buy more gas, try to get an argon / CO2 mix

Edited by PhilR on 11th Feb, 2015.

Your frame work is what? 2/3 mm thick box, bigger fabrication stuff is fine with 0.8 wire, but imho your pissing in the wind with the wrong machine and the wrong wire

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

You can weld big fuck off box and angle with anything, a stick welder with 6 mil rods will do it.
Thin bodywork tin is a different matter, 0.6 wire definitely.

Hahahahaha I think not, you should see the state of anything I've ever stick welded lol

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

Oli thanks ill look into getting a better welder and new wire and Ive heard alot of crap about argon Co2 mix :/ ill do some more welds tomorrow and up load em see if its any better thanks for the tips

Nothing at all wrong with argon/CO2 gas, some people do prefer using just CO2, it all depends what you're used to using I guess, but I think the Argon mix is supposed to help keep things more stable/cooler?

I dont think the wire makes much difference.

If i were you id get some thick material and get the hang of that. Then move on to thin sheet. You will need to use a 'pulse' style of welding on thin stuff. (Like weld for a second stop for half a second, weld for a second sort of thing.) You also need to make sure you are not trying to weld up a gap. Once theres a gap between your panels your going to struggle.

Okay thanks ill give it ago tomorrow with this advice see how I get on

and surely only way you can weld two panels together is by having a gap?

Well if you must have a butt joint you want them as close fitting as possible. Once you have a gap approaching the thickness of the material your on dodgy ground.

I stand by what I say re the wire, but your a better man than me if you can do 0.9 panels with it, a final word re plug welds, don't bother, buy a second hand spot welder and learn how to use it, makes life much much easier and can be sold for much the same cost when the car is done

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

Ive had a freebie welder, 50quid free ads welder and a brand new clarke 400quid jobby and have produced the same awesome welds with all as much as the top notch stuff way back in college.. yes the really expensive pro welders are better but for home repairs and general mini stuff ive always found once set up right anything will produce descent welds! Dont give up on yours just yet... keep practicing! I find with thin mini stuff stitch welding not getting it too hot is best

i have got alot to weld into this car and i want it done right first time round

Keep playing with scrap... try some joints similar to what u will be doing, even if u go thru a spool n a bottle itll be worth it

Exactly my point if you read what I put earlier, I made no mention of the machines cost, just what it was worth, if it don't work-it don't work, an a mig that doesn't work properly is pretty worthless and I can't see it being much use even for practicing with ............unless you use as very effective paper weight I suppose

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

Thanks Tom! Chuffed with that

On 11th Feb, 2015 Tom Fenton said:

On 11th Feb, 2015 theoneeyedlizard said:
I'm using a piece of shit welder too. The only way I can get a decent weld is with the wire feed set to its lowest setting and the power as high as possible before blowing holes.



Once the new garage is finished, I'll be investing in a new one.

Gary, that looks perfectly acceptable to me, i have seen folk do much uglier shite than that using a TIG!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

If you have clean and close fitting parts you can do a nice job with a TIG.

How folk manage a big blobby oxidised mess especially on stainless is beyond me really!

Nice. I'd like a TIG at some point. Lots of stuff to pay out for before that unfortunately.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

What welder is worth going for I can't get on with this now knowing it's not up to scratch

Thanks

Snap On 130 Turbo is a re branded Cebora MIG welder, reliable decent quality machine, good spares availability, and will hold it's value well so you could always sell it if you no longer use it. Bide your time and you'll find one on eBay at the right kind of money.

I saw an average but tidy enough and complete looking cebora 130 t last week at t'autojumble for £150, is that about on the money?

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

Sounds ok to me. A brand new Clarke is that kind of dosh anyway?

Yeah, bastard cos I didn't have enough moola on me

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

Had another crack at it today

Still looks like your just doing a bead a little quick.. try doing lil circles joined up motion (try find a youtube vid cos its hard to describe) and slow down... the right hand side of the bottom middle weld looks better the way its sunk in rather than a slug sitting on top? Blimey it is hard trying to describe welding through text