Thanks guys, I really don't think I would use it past these patches I am doing. Part of the problem if not most is probably me.

JB

 

If I upgraded from the HF 120v special to a HD Lincoln 220v with gas, would that be a decent welder for a couple of patch panels? That way I wouldn't have astronomical amount tied into it.

​​​​​​​JB

 

Then borrow one or have someone do it for you because that pos welder ain't going to work. Especially with an inexperianced person using it. The lincoln with gas could likely weld a beer can, good choice. I use a lincoln weld pak 100 with .023 wire and co2/ argon and it works great

 

Some good advice. Don't be disheartened, you never stood a chance with your set up, thickness and gaps. Get them all right and whilst it's not easy in the beginning, it will produce results that are night and day to now. The first MIG I had nearly put me off welding permanently. The best thing about doing your own welding is that you can take as long as you need. Pro welders are always in a hurry and you pay the penalty with distortion or overlapped patches.

 

Before you buy a new welder keep trying a bit with what you have. A good welder does make a massive difference but if you're not planning on a lot of welding they aren't exactly cheap.

Clean the paint off.
Copper backing if you're having trouble burning a hole.
Go slow, the wider the gap the bigger the chance of burning a hole.

Since it's a thinner gauge you're going to have trouble with holes. Best way around it is to have the piece you're putting in to be as closely matched to the hole as possible. When you hit it with the arc, when they're apart like that, it's going to melt and pull away. When it does, let it cool, then hit it again. You're going to need to build it up to bridge the gap.

Also make sure you're dialed in right, no pushing on the wire or moments where it cuts out. Cleaning the paint off will help that a lot. Don't forget to clean the paint off where your ground is attached as well.

And i recommend spot welding in the whole thing first, otherwise you risk it warping and not fitting when you get half way through. When it's that thin in that shape I would spot weld 4 spots, up down left right, then add 4 more (right up, right down, left up, left down) then keep doing that. A solid bead is going to heat warp everything. Keeping it cool is the trick to thin material. Go SLOW. Welding it on a metal table with a piece of copper in between can help that.

Just don't forget about the heat warpage. It's especially critical on larger patch panels. Slow and cool.

Don't get discouraged with it, it's a learned skill and super fun once you get the hang of it. Just a whole lot to learn and the thinner the metal the harder it is. At 22ga it's more a Tig welding material, you can do down to 24ga or so with a good Mig but it's not very fun.

Simply put you're starting with something that's difficult to begin with, it's unforgiving and requires several tricks. If it was an eighth inch thick patch you would have a lot less trouble with it.

Keep it cool, go slow, remember burn throughs are the nature of what you're working on. And remember there is a reason they sell angle grinders at welding shops lol

 

Great info on this thread. For gaps, we use a copper spoon from HF.Welding Spoon

 

Trying to hold copper spoon & welding can be tricky. Asking wife to hold spoon steady while in the engine compartment or under the truck is not to smart !!
This tool is the answer. Magnetic base, adjustable & flexible copper head. Got it on eBay about 30 bucks & delivered.

 

Never seen that before. It def looks useful!

 

The spoon does help, I tried that last night. But as others have suggested my patch was too small. Where it was a good fit I had success but where I had 1/16 was a problem, getting there on bridges but it's slow....and messy which is why I want a little better quality welder with gas shield and run a smaller wire.

Looking at a Lincoln at Home Depot now. Where would be the best place for a light user to get the gas tanks?

JB

 

I "rent" my tanks from a local welding supply house, they have an exchange program on refill.

All the advice you've received is spot on. If you get to where you've blown through too much, you may want to cut that section out or start again. A magnet works good to hold work as well, or C-clamps if you can one deep enough.

Trial and error until you get a feel for it.

I also found that a self darkening helmut is , pardon the expression, night and day, as it allows for more accurate weld placement.

I used a gas assist Lincoln 120 Volt welder for my project and it was more than adequate.

Keep at it.

Tom

 

+100! They are very economical now, to the point I can't imagine not using one (not the cheapest ones, either)

I bought a package deal from Eastwood, a MIG, aluminum spool gun, and plasma cutter, for right at a grand. They are all completely adequate for this kind of work. There's a lot to be said for a better Lincoln, Hobart, etc. but cost is obviously higher.

 

Sorry to say but Eastwood is a glorified Chinese machine only slightly better than HF. When you go to Eastwoods site you see that they proudly tell you their air compressors are made in the USA but you will not find that on the MIG welders because they are made overseas. But if only used for small projects they are adequate.

As far as using gas, yes you can use argon/co2 mix but for body panel welding it is overkill(IMHO) and very expensive. I highly suggest using straight CO2. It is cheap, readily available from more than just welding shops, e.g. Hydroponic stores, and last a long time. I use co2 on my Lincoln SP125 welder and use use AR/co2 on my Lincoln Power Mig255. The bigger welder is used for for heavy duty and structural items which the Ar/co2 gives a hotter weld for better penetration. For the sheet metal patches you do need the hotter capabilities of the mixed gas. That being said the small machine is getting upgraded to a Lincoln PowerMig210 MVP which offers everything the small welder does in addition to portable tig welding (steel only) capabilities.

 

I saw you are in GA. For an excellent welding information site I highly recommend weldingtipsandtricks.com. The guy that runs this is named Jody and he is also in GA. You can sign up to get free email welding videos and his site is loaded with great information. He also sells some very good products to assist in your endeavors.

Good luck.

 

For most of my mig welding, I also use C02 for shielding gas. I get my C02 from a Coke-a-Cola dealer, $27 gas and $100 bottle deposit.
...Terry

 

Have a read through this thread. It's one of the most useful threads on FTE and you won't go far wrong if you follow it's advice.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-practice.html