It sure is! and thanks to everyone - - -

I will be buying a bottle and adding Co2 to my setup next week. My only problem with this is the added weight - I need to be able to roll my welder from the garage to my work area that is on the other side of the house.

Think I will use my new skills to put everything on a trailer I can pull with the garden tractor!

 

What do you guys mean by the old and new steel? I understand there are different types of steel, but could someone clarify how you know which you have? Or where the new steel comes from? Old steel is self explanitory. Thanks.

 

WillyB -

I have the same situation with MIG mobility. Your trailer will probably be fine. I bought a small MIG cart from the Summit Racing catalog that I like a lot. It is very handy, stores well, is sized well and puts the MIG unit in a very good position to reach the controls etc. It also has good storage for your bottle, regulator, and a lower shelf for extra tips, wire, helmet, etc. p/n LCN-K2275-1 ($9995).

The only caution I would have is that the rollers are only about 3 inch diameter so they work fine on a smooth surface. If you have some rough ground to cover, bigger tires, like your trailer, would be preferred.

Happy welding!

 

j gibbs -

"Old steel" is just your basic cold rolled (1018) steel sheet, available everywhere for next to nothing. "New steel" refers to the alloyed steel car makers switched to in later years. It has better formability and is stiffer so that the thinner sheet they use now will stand up (almost) similar to the heavy gage stuff our trucks are made of. Our trucks are the old steel. Patching with the new steel is trying to mix different alloys with different melting points and ingredients, which can cause some problems for weld strength and warping. The new steel also has carbon in it which causes it to harden when cooled after heating, making working (hammering) of the weld really difficult even when still hot and impossible when fully cooled.

 

Randy,

Thanks for the explanation.

 

What he said.

I know it is more work, but what I do is go to the local auto salvage, and buy up their old doors and hoods or any piece of straight panel I can get for dirt cheap. This way I can fabricate patch panels with the same alloy metal. There is more involved in cleanup and prep, but to me it is worth it. I much prefer the old metal. God Bless the Lead Sleds. <V</V<O</O

WillyB: The tank I got is Aluminum, and even full it only weighs around 20lb's. I have a small cart as well and have to roll them around. The bad part about mine is the short lead. Only 6ft. I have never had a tipping issue with it yet. I have one of those cheap Chicago Electric from Harbor Freight. It is only a 90 AMP with a 20%-45% Duty Cycle, and for the longest time I used a flux core. At that time, I was convinced they sold me a piece of junk, and I was ticked at wasting $200. Then I got a hold of a friends that had the same welder as mine, but with Co2. After only one bead, I went down and made the necessary changes I mentioned before. I can not tell you how much difference it made. It is so easy to weld now, even my wife who has never welded is making things for her garden with it.<O</O

 

IBeam,

What you said about the olde steele (I want to be British and spell with a lot of unnecessary letters) seems different from what someone else said. I thought someone else (maybe Randy) said you could still get the "old" steel, but are you saying you have to get it from the junk yard? Or that it's better results from the junkyard, or cheaper? I have some extra fenders that have some good areas on them, but the bad areas are worse than some replacements I've got. So I was thinking of starting there, but might need more steel.

 

j gibbs -

The "olde steel" is the common 1018 steel alloy - same then as now. That is the alloy used on our truck's sheet metal. If you use a piece of an old fender, it is still 1018 steel.

I buy the pieces I need from a local metal supplier. I buy what are called "drop offs", or the pieces left over when he shears an order for someone else. They are always in odd sizes, usually rectangular. They are cheap because they are scrap unless someone like me wants them. Works well for all concerned. I usually keep some pieces of 16, 18 and 20 gage around in sizes from 1 X 4 up to 18 X 48.

The possible benefit of using old sheet metal in lieu of new 1018 sheet might be the very small differences in alloying that have occured over the years. There also have been changes in the method smelting which tend to give newer steel more consistent qualities, but, because of standards, the differences are really small.

I have used new pieces of 1018 to MIG all the body mods and patches on my 56 with excellent results. My gallery will show some of those projects.

I do kinda like the nostalgia of resurrecting a piece from the old fender to be in the new patch, though. But without a sand blaster, I'm just too lazy to do the cleanup required for prep.

Thanks much for the questions, though. It's rare that we engineers get to answer stuff like this, except at work with other egg heads - and they usually argue about minutial points. We usually have to work our esoteric blither into conversations with those who could care less. I really need to excercise that gray cell. (I also need to get out more.)

Anything you want to know about aluminum, inconel, titanium or unobtainium? Ask away!

 

I guess it is mostly nostalgia that makes me use old metal from the auto salvage, that and I can pick it up for a fraction of the cost. It does seem to weld better for what I do. I am by no means a expert. I learn as I go

I am a sucker for old cars. I had a 93 F150 ExtCab, and I did love that truck, but when it hit 300,000 miles, it was worn out. I let my son have it and I started a rebuild on my 78 I have had for years. I need to post some pictures for you to see. turned out rather nice I think.

I do have one question for you though. You mention aluminum. I have never welded aluminum. I seen the notorious Jesse James building his tanks, and he was gas welding the tanks from aluminum. I do understand what he was doing when he would use a sooty flame and change the molecules as he called it, but I thought you could not gas weld aluminum. I would like to make some diamond plate tool boxes for my truck, but I want them custom with drawers and all, and fit on the side, not across. I had planned on getting another welder with the wire feed on the hand grip, but the cost is out of range for me right now.

I would like to see your 56 by the way.

 

I purchased a book at the store where I buy my welding supplies - "Welder's Handbook" by Richard Finch. One subject he covers is gas welding aluminum. I have no experance with aluminum, but he states that you use an aluminum rod with aluminum welding flux, and a colbalt blue lens on your welding goggles.

You do not use acetylene gas, but instead use hydrogen to mix with the oxygen. You use the same torch, but need a bigger tip than what you would use for the same thickness of steel.

Both the flame and the weld pools are different colors than you are used to - you look for aluminum to get "shiny" just before it melts.

Other than that, it is the same process as oxyacetylene welding steel.

And yes, I too would also like to see Randy's 56. He attends truck shows in Southern Califorina so there is always the chance we can meet.

 

I do not currently own a MIG. I recently acquired an older Miller 300/300 with TIG and a foot pedal for light money. In the past I always gas welded for any body work. You are all talking up the MIG big time. Have any of you gone from TIG to MIG? Do you find a significant improvement in doing sheet metal with MIG over TIG. I had planned to get comfortable hammer welding with the TIG torch and go that route.

 

you guys should look at RJ's gallery, he has a nice truck with some neat innovations, I especially like the bed treatment.

 

Thanks for the nice comments. I, too bought the "Welder's Handbook" and it was very helpful since I am a self-taught welder. My gallery albums have lots of examples of my own MIG welding. What you can't tell by the pictures is how many times I had to cut it back apart and reweld it or just start over. I welded a lot of scrap pieces before I ever put the torch to my truck. But, grinding any weld flush makes it look perfect anyway no matter how you welded it.

Welding aluminum in aerospace work is always done using TIG and aluminum rod. No flux is required. Shielding gasses are usually helium and Argon. Unlike MIG, the gasses are usually in separate tanks and mixed at the weld site rather than pre-mixed in one tank.

There are more variables to TIG than any other method. The tungsten tip shape and gap to the work piece, the shielding gas mixture and pressure, the tip coolant temperature and water volume, the power applied, the speed of the pass and the rod alloy are all variables that must be balanced. Really good TIG welding is truly an art. That said, TIG is, in my opinion (and Ron Covell's), the ultimate welding system. It produces very controlled and beautiful welds. Many times, the beads are left as welded, since there is little or no spatter to clean up. A good example would be most custom motorcycle frames. Controlling very small tacks or beads and how much heat goes into the part is easier. It is a more complicated and awkward system to use compared to MIG, since it is difficult to use in all positions and requires both hands and one foot (or knee) to work the power pedal.

TIG is very sensitive to any contamination on the parts to be welded. They must be very clean. Aluminum details see a hot and strong alkali bath to remove any oxidation and then are welded literally within minutes. Steel isn't as fussy, but still needs to be mechanically well prepped. That said, I would love to have a TIG setup some day.

MIG is inexpensive to buy and use and is an easy system to learn. (I think arc/stick welding is the least expensive and easiest, but is clearly the messiest). MIG is a one-handed point and shoot system which (with enough amps) will weld any thickness at pretty much the same speed (quickly) at any attitude (even overhead). Better welds require similar joint and part prep, although MIG tends to be less fussy about that. I have tacked some pretty funky looking parts together. It always requires some cleanup, since there is usually some spatter (as much as arc/stick when using flux core wire).

I don't yet own an oxy-acetylene setup, but want one, especially for brazing, cutting (gas axe) and heating/bending (gas wrench). The Welder's Handbook recommends oxy/acetylene as the preferred starter setup because it is more forgiving and so useful and learning it is a good key to mastering the other methods. You learn to use the changes in metal color to see when to fuse the parent edges, add rod and fuse the puddle. Most welding classes will teach gas welding first for those reasons. I've seen some oxy/acetylene welds that were as pretty as TIG. It is very versatile in that gas welding can be used to join almost any material.

Welding has been the most fun and rewarding process of all the things I have done to my truck. (Although making horsepower is pretty cool too). The kick I get out of welding is that you actually CREATE stuff welding, rather than just fix, replace or adjust stuff. Welding is way cool! I picked MIG as my first and primary system because I could do the sheet metal patching and mods I wanted and it was within striking range of my credit card. Even though my system is a very inexpensive one with few whistles or bells, I have been very pleased with it. I probably have less that $500 total in my system including the welder, cart, auto-dark helmet, coat, gloves, etc.

My 2 cents...

 

That is the kick I get from welding as well, creating things. I build a lot of Wrought Iron gates, fences and garden things just for fun. I keep busy all the time. Drives the wife nuts. When I am not working, I am either in the shop building, or playing PC Games like Serious Sam, Call of Duty, Guild Wars, etc. I can not watch TV or sit still.

I am a self taught welder as well. My Son has gone to school for it. He has a Degree in Metalology, and is a Certified Welder. He can weld great, but I can out Fabricate him. Some things just come with time and experience. The part that sucks is he is just out of College, and his starting wages are more then I make after 17 years on the job. I am happy for him, but I would like to have more money to buy Bigger Toys.

Just wondering, does anyone here make their Benders and Jigs. Because I can not afford to buy them, I make all of my own. Besides it is fun to make them. I just find examples on the Internet, and then fabricate them.

 

I make some of my own jigs and forms, just simple stuff but you are right it is fun to make the them. As for the welding cart, I went a little further and built a war wagon. Not as elaborate as the ones the Nascar or USAC guys have but I used them for inspiration and it is one handy thing to have, I don't know how I ever worked without it.