Blue Man Group???

 

off topic post deleted

 

sorry..I follow your thread and that was not intended for you.. I screwed up somehow and will delete.
Thanks

 

Thanks Chuck for taking the time and effort to post this excellent tutorial. I am new to the forum and mig welding. I have found this thread very helpful. I have a 1954 F100 and need to do several patches. Where can I find Esab easy grind .023 in two # spools online?

Elmo

 

Elmo,
FWIU the easy grind wire is only available in the 11# (8") spools unless you find old stock someplace, but that is unlikely since most ESAB dealers did not stock it. I hope your welder will handle the larger spools, or maybe you can sell your welder for most of the cost of a new welder that will like the Eastwood machines. Most machines that only take the 4" spools also don't take shielding gas.

 

Thanks for the reply AX. My welder is a Miller 180 autoset and it will take the 12# spools. I just loaded a 12# spool of .030 solid wire and didn't want to buy a large spool right now. The welder isn't new but had been used to build a cart only when I bought it with a large spool of flux core .030. Can .023 wire be used to weld heavier steel up to 5/16"?

 

The 11# spool of 0.023 Easy Grind isn't that expensive and will last forever, well worth the price. 0.023 won't give you enough heat/penetration for > 3/16", so just switch sizes of wire as necessary. The Miller shouldn't be very difficult to switch over to .023 solid core: clip off any wire balling, pull off the gas cup, unscrew contact tip and pull it off the end of wire. There should be a hole in the rim of the spool of .030, If not drill ~ 1/4" one outside the wire. turn the spool so the hole is near ~ 5 o'clock, hold the wire on the spool with one hand so it can't unwind, release the drive roller tension and pull back about 12" of wire and cut. Put the end of the wire thru the hole in the spool rim, pull tight and bend around itself. Now spool can be removed and switched.Thread wire and feed until it comes out end of stinger, slip on contact tip for .023/,025 wire and screw in finger tight, adjust the feed tension according to instructions. Should take less than 10 min. Your welder should take standard tweco contact tips available from a welding supply house, Home Depot, Lowes etc. pick up a jar of "tip dip" while you are there, a clean tip and gas cup welds much better longer.

 

AX is right. The Easy Grind is certainly a big improvement particularly on imperfect metal. I got mine at WeldingSupply.com (https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/ei...776:OR:130PS43). I could not find anyone that carried in here in Detroit. Note that the smaller spool is .030". The .023" is what you want for sheet metal even though it only comes in the larger spool.

 

Thanks AX for the reply. I have changed the rolls and you are right it is easy. I have the tip dip and it is much better than spray. Keeps the tip and nozzle really clean. Your tip on seeing the weld helped me a lot. I found a pair of glasses that I used to shoot handguns with, the focal length was perfect for welding. My eyes have changed since shooting days and the focal length is about 12 inches now. Your tutorial really helped this old guy weld better(68).
Elmo

 

Awesome Thread! So much valuable information. I skimmed over it but I will take the time it deserves and give it some "study" time. One thing I found interesting in my limited experience is the "Henrob Welding System". It works awesome for welding sheet metal. It will weld two pieces of sheet metal together with no filler needed, providing the joint is tight. The problem I have with Hebrob Welder is while welding small pieces of sheet metal together, the heat disipates the metal and into the atmosphere, leaving no warpage from heat build up. When the same process is applied to larger pieces of sheet metal, I had considerable warpage from the heat using that process.

Definitely going to subscribe to this thread. Thanks AX

 

I have seen the henrob torch used, but never used one myself. I started off torch welding steel, there were no MIG machines available for the home shop. I explained that welding is a fusion process, does not need filler wire (I do fusion torch welding of precious metals, especially platinum, frequently when crafting jewelry). and the purpose of filler rod (want to get me aggravated, keep calling it welding wire around me...) to the process early in the theory part of this tutorial. The biggest mistake made when fusion welding sheet metal with a torch is using too large a tip that heats too large an area, and then not adjusting the gas mix correctly. Even the smallest tip made for the average Victor style torch is almost too large. In my jewelry studio I use miniature O-Ac torches with tips so small I can shoot a flame thru the eye of a sewing needle without melting it. The secret to a henrob is it uses smaller tips and a gas cup style shield that concentrates the heat and keep the atmospheric O2 away much like shielding gas does with MIG.

 

Henrob designed a special tip they recommend just for sheet metal. There is a good video of using it on the Henrob Welder site, but the demo is welding small pieces together. I could replicate the video with no filler wire just butt welding two pieces together. But when I attempted the same procedure on larger pieces of sheet metal, warpage came into play.

 

As I explained in the nature of molten metal some warpage and/or distortion is always going to happen, no matter the size or thickness of the metal, it can't be avoided, but it can be minimized, controlled and then removed without a great deal of effort or pain if you understand where it comes from, how to reverse it, and don't let it get too far out of hand. You need to know the difference between on dolly and off dolly hammer and dolly work and have some decent quality body tools (don't have to be expensive, I buy most of mine used off ebay and refinish them to suit my needs, or make them. Just don't buy those CLUBS the discounters and auction sites sell in sets! They are better suited for driving nails! Then learn to use them properly. I constantly remind my students that a hammer is a PRECISION tool like a micrometer or torque wrench. They are used to move metal by persuading it with a series of accurately placed light taps, NOT BY BEATING IT INTO SUBMISSION! If when doing hammer and dolly work you feel like you need hearing protection or you are striking the metal so hard that you would be unwilling to place your fingers between the hammer and metal, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!
If you can't come to one of my workshops (??? international airport, RDU is 15 min away, and I do workshops for as few as one student, never more than 4, any 2 or more days of the week.) then buy a copy of Ron Covell's excellent DVD: Basic Techniques for Working with Steel (Ron Covell Creative Metalworking Workshops). When you watch the sections dealing with hammer work, first watch it through to get the idea and info, then turn the sound off and play it again at 1/2 speed and zoom in on his hammer hand if your player has that feature, concentrate on watching how he holds the hammer handle, his arm position and motion, and how and where the hammer face contacts the metal. Finally watch it again at normal speed, this time turn the sound up or use headphones and concentrate on what kind and how much sounds his hammering makes each time the hammer strikes the metal.

There are a few specialized tools that can make metal working easier and better:
First is a bullseye pick hammer.
Helpful hint (warning somewhat self serving...): many on the market I've tried either do not work properly and/or are IMHO very overpriced. I make and sell a better design bullseye pick that is also less expensive. PM me if you want details.

Second is a shrinking disk. This is a heavy stainless steel disk that mounts on an angle grinder that works like magic to help smooth bumpy metal.
Helpful hint: (not self serving this time...) There is a seller on ebay (search: shrinking disk) that sells two sizes, one for a 4.5" grinder and one for a 7" hs grinder at fair prices. The smaller one works nearly as well as the larger one, but do get the corresponding plastic backing disk as well. Don't believe the marketing hype of some more expensive versions, the smooth disk works as well or better than the ones with grooves, lines or ripples in them.

Third is a shrinker/stretcher machine. This is the most expensive investment but is nearly indispensable if making your own patches.
Helpful hint: Unless you have a way too tight tool budget, buy the two body, 2 die set rather than the one body swap-able 2 die set. When working with it you will go back and forth often and swapping the dies will get old in a hurry. Save by making your own stand instead. Harbor Freight sells a cheap light duty clone set, but don't believe the specs, 20 ga is about it's limit. The dies are softer so will need replacing more frequently. The set Eastwood sells is better for up to 18 ga, but the die teeth are courser, marking the metal more/deeper. Mine are Mittler, will do 16 ga and the marks are easily removed with an 80 grit sanding. Never operate without metal in the jaws and store with a piece of oil soaked 1/8" hardboard between the jaws.
Fourth is a set of three (or the medium size if you can only afford one) HMW plastic torpedo mallets and sandbag.
Hint: these are available on ebay for~ 40.00 or less each. You can buy a sandbag and fill it with dried play sand or lead skeet shot, or make your own from sewn up leather salvaged from an old suede or smooth leather coat (be sure it's leather, not vinyl) from a thrift sale or a bag about as good can be made from a section of a not too worn out blue jean leg.

PM me if you want more info on purchasing/making/"tuning" body tools.

 

Wow, thats a lot of information. Im going to re read it a couple more times before I contact you, but I will contact you PM.

 

If anyone PMs me with a question or for information, include your email addy so I can email you directly and attach pix if needed.