Well it’s time to start repairing rust I think. In several places on the cab I would like to get it fixed as well as a few holes filled so I can put on weatherstripping. I need advice on what direction to go with welding.
like what would be most budget friendly, including the cost of a machine, gas if needed, wire if needed, etc... I think y’all will understand what I am asking.

I just need advice for repairing rust on a tight budget, looking to permanently repair the rust as well. I have a whole bed to learn on also. And will sign up for a welding class after I decide what direction to go

 

I bought the Eastwood 135 it seemed to be more reasonable than the Hobart or Lincoln. Good for sheet metal not much else unless you switch to flux core. You need a gas machine for sheet metal I believe .Haven't had any problems with it 2 years or so.

 

I have a Hobart handler 140 and am happy with it. It is great for body work and sheet metal, doesn't break the bank and the learning curve is fairly short. You will need gas and I recommend several different wire sizes. Almost all of my sheet metal work is done with 0.24 solid wire. The best advice is to practice whatever weld you are doing many times before you attempt it on your truck. Welding up a hole that you burned through your own truck is a PIA.
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I agree with you on the wire size and burn through. Get or make some of those copper backing plates if you can.

 

Thanks for all the info so far guys, looking forward to what everyone else says.

i was talking to a family friend about possibly brazing the small patches needed there, since he has a torch and everything. He said that it should be fine as long as ALL the flux is sand blasted off and then it’s seam sealed. Anything y’all can tell me about fixing floors this way?

 

I bought a cheap flux core welder from Northern Tool about 5 years back for about $150. It has held up through one truck repair and is still doing all the welding on the second. The flux core spatters a lot which means more time with grinding and coarse sanding. One problem with the preformed patch panels is they are lighter gauge than the original. I have found it is very difficult to get a good butt weld when the thickness differ; overlap or spot weld works fine for non-visible areas. Like mentioned, I always practice the weld on scrap pieces before making a final weld on the truck. I’ve only burned through a couple times, but it does suck to repair when that happens.

 

So the repairs I would be doing would involve me shaping the sheet metal and I could get it in the original thickness. Does flux not burn through?

 

Any method will burn through if the settings are not dialed in. I have made a lot of my patches from 2 foot * 4 foot sheet metal stock I bought locally. I take scrap pieces of the same thickness and dial the settings in before actually performing welds on truck. I’m not a professional welder by any stretch, but think if you sacrifice scraps here and there even a novice can get good results

 

Awesome, I’ll have to look into that more because I know it can be cheaper. I was looking tonight at tig and see that the advantage is slightly less clean up afterwards over mig, but it’s a little harder to learn

 

I have been documenting repairs at this thread on a very rusty truck. There are gaps as I pick up small contracts here and there and jump ship from state to state....,
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...t-monster.html
Anyway, all the welding was done with the cheap flux core using .030 or .035 wire. Wire size hasn’t really made a quality difference. The one thing that has made a difference is the wire feed mechanism. It is made cheaply and does not feed consistently with the heavier spools of wire. Therefore I buy the 1/2 pound spools as the feed mechanism slips when trying to feed out the 2 pound spools. This of course increases material cost a bit. Good luck with your project and please keep us updated. I wish more people would post lower budget progress threads. Keep more of theses old rollers on the road

 

Okay this is interesting because everything else I have read says to absolutely stay away from flux core when welding this sheet metal.

 

You can weld sheet metal with flux core but it will require more cleanup. That being said, depending on where the welds are, you're going to be grinding them flat anyway. Fluxcore will take a more gentle touch but its doable. Heck, I've stick welded sheet metal before.

MIG with c25 shielding gas and light gauge wire will be the easiest for a novice to handle sheet metal work.

I've personally not used the small import welders from Eastwood et al but plenty of folks have with fine results. I stick with the big 3, Miller, Hobart, Lincoln as I know I can get parts from any competent welding shop most times off the shelf. ESAB is slightly less common but I see their machines at shops all the time and I wouldn't hesitate to run one of theirs. I don't know parts availability on the imports, may be a moot point.

Taking a class is a great plan. You'll greatly reduce the learning curve. And as others have said, practice, practice, practice.

TIG and gas welding are much more difficult to learn than MIG and much harder to do out of position. Welding overhead with a torch is a talent to say the least.

Make sure you do some safety research, you can get burned or much worse if you don't know what you're doing. Cotton and leather are your best protection options. Wearing no clothes is better than wearning polyester (or any other flammable synthetic) and I have a very nasty scar on my leg to prove that (and I knew better but was in a rush).

Anyway, good luck and have fun. You'll be burning so much together you'll wonder why it took you so long to buy a welder.

 

When I started my Autobody apprenticeship (after Graduating in 1979), migs were not part of the program, shops were still brazing, or gas welding with steel filler rod.
By the time I went for my third year training in 1983, shops were starting to get mig welders, and they had added a few @ N.A.I.T. (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology).
My instructors advised us against using flux coated brass rod to weld on patch panels, and that it didn't matter how clean you got it, there would be a chemical reaction with the filler over time that would end up causing blistering under the paint.
At the time, I thought to myself, "that's got to be BS, anyone who had problems probably wasn't getting the surfaces clean enough".....well, over the years, I've seen a number of older repairs that were done with brass, and in many cases, you could tell exactly where the patch was, because of the little line of blistering in the paint all around the perimeter of the repair. And, once you strip off any filler, you will find some nasty green stuff on the brass. My instructors also told us that the only way to prevent this was to use lead (SOLDER) over the brass on the repair.
So, your truck, your techniques, and the consequences will be yours as well

**A few years later, some of the manufacturers started using Silicon Bronze on some of the joints (sail panel to roof panel, etc), and from what I have read, the issues that came up with the use of brass do not happen with Silicon Bronze. The two methods I've seen used for Silicon Bronze are hard wire in a mig with shielding gas, or tig welded with shielding gas & Silicon Bronze filler rod. (It's not a FUSION weld, which is why they call it Tig Brazing)
Although I have seen some guys say they can & have butt welded using Silicon Bronze, I personally would not!

As far as migs go, some may have used flux core wire on sheetmetal, but as far I'm concerned, it's a bad idea. "Trigger Welding" is a common way to join two pieces if there is an air gap, and with flux core, after the first time you pull the trigger, you're welding onto the slag from your first pull of the trigger, so porosity is going to be an issue.
To do Auto Body, a 70 to 90 amp welder using 0.6mm (0.023") ER70S6 wire with shielding gas is all you will need, but you will be limited if you ever want to do any fabrication later on. (**but bumping up the wire size to 0.030" or 0.035" for heavier material makes a difference you won't believe until you try it!!)
As far as brands go, yah, there may be some deals on the "no name" stuff, but the downside is parts availability several years down the road. As already mentioned, Miller, (& their lower line Hobart), Lincoln, Esab, etc are a safer bet for long term availability of consumables ......

**And, as was also previously mentioned, DO NOT buy a welder Friday after work, and start on your truck Sat AM, find a sheetmetal shop that will sell you "Drops" from behind their Shear,(16g, 18g, 20g) take them home and PRACTICE. Once you can do butt welds & plug welds you're not ashamed to show someone, then you may be ready to start in on your truck......

**Yah, I'm long winded
One last thing. Others may not agree, but unless you're dealing with a joint that the factory did as a lap joint, or a flange that was spot welded (which is where the plug welding practice will come into play), your patches should be butt welded. There are a number of reasons for this, I will give you the top two.
No. 1 : It's almost impossible to "work" a lap welded seam with a hammer & dolly to get rid of distortion.
No. 2: Lap welded joints are more prone to issues with rust forming in between the two panels.


HTH
James

 

Wow that was a lot but thanks for it! Very useful, so is flux core the cheapest option? I would just have to be careful to not warp or burn through due to incorrect settings and wire?

 

1966F100SC: Go back and read what I wrote about Flux core again...... For doing fabrication with light wall tubing, etc, Flux core works good, and saves you the cost of shielding gas.
But, with sheetmetal, you're typically running very short beads, or "trigger welding", and unless you're disciplined enough to stop and wire brush your weld before continuing on, you will be welding over the slag from your last stitch, this can lead to issues with porosity. (yes, some have done it, with good results, but even though the welder may be less expensive, to get good results, you will ultimately spend more time using flux core vs hard wire & shielding gas).