I only advocate short tack welds for sheet metal and for extensive welding where heat warpage will be a problem. The scale of the project needs also to be taken into account, a sort tack on 18-22ga is 1/4", when boxing a frame the short tacks may be an inch long.

 

What a great thread, if your into welding. I started in small sheetmetal shops mig and tig work on steel and aluminum, where the art of welding Al. pop cans together was a lunchtime activity. Worked some heavy steel for some tunnel boring machines running dual shield which I thought was hot, until I spent a part of a year welding axles for the tractors of eighteen wheelers. About 425 amps big deep welds (3/8" to 1/2" and close to 3/4" deep) in one pass burning thru the coats of paint and shipping oils, you would not believe the flames and smoke that came off those things, of course it was forced air hoods in that enviroment.

For the stick guys my favorite way of welding materials around the house was to use 6013 on thinner metals, and was shown the use of a filler rod on very light material as it had a cooling effect on the puddle. For anything 3/16 and up in size I would run a root pass with a small dia. 6011 stick (for the penatration factor) and then run a nice hot pass with 7024 jet rod over the top, nothing better than seeing a nicely run bead with the slag peeling up behind you. If you can get a nice deep bevel and run the root deep in the bevel, clean the slag out good and run the jet rod to fill your bevel, you should be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Thanks for bringing back the memories.

 

Hmmn, from reading the first part of your message, I take it you are trying to grind the slag off? All you need is a chipping hammer. If we hook up this weekend, I'll show you one.

ANother thing when stick welding, every time you lift up and break the arc for anytime, before you start another, you need to chip the slag off when it cools, otherwise you weld over the slag and have no penetration.

That's why you do all your tacks, chip the slag, then weld...then chip all the slag again.

Did I mention I don't like arc welding?

 

Good stuff! Thanks for the great advice. I will be using a mig and planning to use 023 wire, what do you recomend for gas? thanks

 

I use Ar CO2 with ESAB ezgrind wire.

 

Thank you, I have one - but I will look at them the next time I go to town as mine is old and the pick is blunt. It may be that a combination of poor welding and a blunt tip is what makes removing the slag so difficult.

I am using 6013 rod.

 

Ok one more question befor I start cutting. The panels come to the first body line (96 ford truck so you know the line) No I'm thinking I should shorten them so I don't screw up the lines of the truck, the guys at work seem to think I should weld on this body line. Seeems to me it there is any shrinkage this line will give it a way, would also require more body fill to correct. Perhaps I'm wrong??

thanks

 

boss -

I would weld on the flat below the body line. Make sure you can get the dolly behind to hammer it. You shouldn't have any shrinkage to deal with if you hammer/dolly the welds between passes to restore the shape. Just take your time.

I find that a gap of .040 between the pieces to be butt welded works best. I just put the .023 wire in the gap and start the arc. The weld grabs both sides right away and really well. I like to use the little butt weld clamps between the pieces (see the Eastwood catalog). They hold the pieces even with each other and hold the gap consistant. That might prove difficult on the body line, since it isn't flat. I just used magnets and a feeler gage to set the gap before I found those cool clamps.

I also prefer to use just tack welds, rather than short stitches, and I use compressed air to cool the tacks right after. That keeps the heat way down and reduces the amount of hammer/dolly work required. In fact, many times, no hammer dolly work was required.

Practice on some scrap pieces with both tack welding, cooling and hammering. Once you get comfortable with the process, you can start on the actual patch area. Practice makes perfect.

Also, don't worry about how ugly the welds are. They always look perfect after they are ground flush.

 

It is much more difficult to weld along an edge or crease, and nearly impossible to straighten one.If it was me I would weld it a couple inches below a feature line. Another trick you can use: back the seam with a tightly clamped strip of copper ~ 1/16" thick or thicker. The weld will not stick to the copper but it will help keep the edges in alignment and help prevent blowthru. You can use strong magnets or clecos to hold the strip in place if you can't get clamps to it.

Sorry Randy, Do what works best for you, I prefer metal finishing a flat(ish) panel!

 

*****, I almost always chip with the chisel end of the chipping hammer. Try using a glancing swing from the side like the weld bead is a golf ball. If your bead doesn't have voids in it the flux should practically pop off, finish with a SS wire brush.

 

AX - Oops. I edited it after your comment. I changed my mind. We were typing at the same time.

 

Carefull - welding may not be such a good idea. The new trucks have a different steel, and even the factory shops glue them together now. At best, when it is a structual item they spot weld and glue - but they do not do the welding we know.

I would sure try it on some scrap before I started!

I wrote up a part of an article on glue, but have not published it yet. You can read what I found at http://www.old-fords.com/welding/glue.htm

If it asks, use "FTE" as a username, and "weld" as a password.

 

good catch *****! Are you using a genuine Ford replacement panel or an aftermarket patch panel?

 

Problem is that after 1980 Ford went to a high carbon steel, not the 1018 we are used to. Even Ford does not recommend welding on the newer bodies.

The newer stuff is thinner and much lighter.

Don't you need a different wire if you were going to weld it? I thought most wire for wirefeeds was 1018 steel - or will it mix with any type steel?

 

I don't know what the composition of EZgrind is, ESAB doesn't give it, but I have not tried to weld any of the new body metals.