I have an '84 and an '86 F-250's in the backyard that have the usual rust-out areas .... floor pans, cab corners, etc.

I want to start fixing them up, buying stuff from LMC and that other online place. My only welding has been done with an arc welder doing heavy, quick repairs at work. I want to buy a welder .... my local welding shop said a litle MIG setup is the way to go for these body panel repairs. He is right?

Thanks in advance for any input, or suggestions as to how much of a welder I need.

 

Now I'm not any bodyshop or welding pro, but during the restoration of my truck we used a MIG welder. My grandfather used to work at a body shop when he was in his early twenties, and my cousin is a welder. When we did the panels on my truck my cousin tack welded with the MIG then we quickly dowsed the weld with a wet rag to prevent the sheet metal from warping. I'm pretty sure we used the MIG because you can control the penetration and keep it at a lower temperature than stick (easier for tacking). NOW REMEMBER I AM NO PRO IN WELDING OR BODY REPAIRS. THIS IS ONLY WHAT I REMEMBER FROM BEING THERE AS MY GRANDFATHER AND COUSIN HELPED ME FIX MY TRUCK.
Hopefully this helps and hopefully somebody with more experience can help some more.

 

I do body work all the time and I use a mig..... Its the way to go

 

Yes, I would say the guy @ the welding supply is absolutely right.
I bought a little 110V MIG from the Matco guy many years ago and it gets more use than the rest of mine combined.

Hope this isn't too long winded

It's great for bodywork, jigs, light fabrication, most anything ^ 1/4".
A little tricky at first, when you pull the trigger it's time to go.....you can't just hold the arc like a TIG. It's like there's no throttle, just on or off, The wire's going and you can't really fool w/ the heat while you're running a bead. So *practice* on some scrap of the same gauge metal first.
The only other simple advice I could give you is to make sure it's CLEAN. You're probably patching some rust, but get back to clean and shiny metal.
If it's rusty it will pop, burn through, spatter and smoke. You're using gas (i like 75/25 argon/ CO2 mix) to keep the oxygen away from the puddle but the rust IS oxydized steel...think about it.

I can't tell you how many miles of wire have gone through my MIG or just how handy it is.
As you get better you might want to accesorize more but some things you will want (read need) are:
Some deep reach vise grips with big enough jaws to hold the seams tight as you weld. (they look like tongs).
A decent helmet, the bigger the lens the better, and try a #10 tint. The handheld "guard" they give you is a joke. Don't get me started abt. UV burned eyes, NOTHING'S worth that pain.
and a can of anti spatter or 'tip dip' to make it easier to clean the nozzle.
Ask the guy @ the welding supply for a lesson and you'll see it's almost as easy as a caulking gun to use.

Good luck w/ your Truck!

Jim
(damn I can't wait to get a sig)

 

If you are going to buy a MIG welder, the cheap ones work great, but you will be disappointed if you do not spring for the extra money for the shielding gas. The flux wire does not leave a nice weld like the MIG with gas does. So get a cheap welder, just get the gas kit with it, and then go locally and get the bottle of gas.

You also do not need to weld continuous beads. Get the panel trimmed and fitted, and then drill 1/4" holes around the perimeter about every inch or so. Drill a couple of small holes here and there and use sheetmetal screws to hold the patch down in critical areas, and then put the MIG in the 1/4 " holes you drilled and just make a puddle or "spot" weld. When you are done, you can take the sheetmetal screws out and then weld those holes shut. Then put seam sealer around the edge of the panel. This works good for floor panels. You may want to get more picky on the outside body panels.

 

Ironman,

Franklin2's very right w/ the sheetmetal screw tip.
And 'plug' welding as opposed to a continuous bead will give you less heat distortion.

You can even buy special spot tips too, the 'legs' allow you to apply pressure w/ the gun to hold the seam tight while you tack, or if your hand isn't steady or you can't see where you're working.
They just slip on the end of the gun to space the electrode (wire) and contain the gas.
Look here:

Maybe <http: daytonamig.stores.yahoo.net="" spotweldnozzle1.html=""><http: daytonamig.stores.yahoo.net="" spotweldnozzle1.html="">not. Seems I can't post attachments or even the URL, try googling "Daytona MIG spotweld nozzle"


I don't know how you can have a Metal Inert Gas welder w/o inert gas?.... as opposed to a flux core wire feed welder?

BTW, Daytona MIG is a great source for parts if you break something. Lots of these little Italian welders are just a few different models rebadged, they're the same inside.

HTH,
Jim

Pardon the n00b question, what's "that other online place" ?</http:></http:>

 

You can get the really cheap ones, with no option for the gas. You can only use the flux core wire. I guess this would be called a "wire feed welder", and I would not get one of these for body work.

Then you can step up and get the ones that come with flux core wire, but have the "option" to add the gas regulator and the gas. I guess these are "wire feed" and "MIG" if you use the gas.

 

Dave, (can I call you Dave?)

Thank you for that clarification. I understand now.

IMO, Ironman would be wasting his time w/ the flux core. And would probably be frustrated by it (soot, spatter & chipping slag). Though I've never used one I have seen the 'results'
I'd trust the 'local welding shop' to set him on the right road. They're looking for a new customer, right?

Jim

 

Great information laid out so a dufus like me can understand it. Thanks Jim!

A MIG welder is likely my next major purchase.

 

Thanks for all the tips, guys.

I do trust the local welding shop in town ..... family business that set me up with my acetylene torch/supplies. This is what he suggested (not pushed it on me) ....

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_140/

They stock much of the Miller and Lincoln line, and deeply discount that list price

I was surprised to see that it is only 120V input, and welds only up 3/16. But, from what you guys are telling me .... that's all I need.

I was thinking that maybe I should buy a bigger one, just so I could do some heavier welding in the future if I needed to, but I think I'll just look around for a old arc (stick) welder to buy and keep around. Again, my only welding experience is doing some quick, sloppy, probably poor quality, stick welding on heavy pieces of steel at work out in the yard.

So, unless anyone thinks that little Miller is not a good choice, I'm going to take the plunge and buy it.

I'm the noob! lol ... I forget the name of the place .... its often mentioned along with LMC. I hate to buy China parts and put it on my old Fords, but I just went to the junk yard for a turn signal housing/assy for the '86, and it was more than double the price of a new one from LMC. Maybe I can find better places to buy parts. I'm just starting out on this whole thing.

 

Ironmine, (sorry)

That is SWEET!
And just right for what you want to do.

Nice to see it takes the 11# spool too.
140A is more than enough, but I wonder abt the 20 percent duty cycle @ 90A. They're probably just being honest, but I ended up putting a "muffin fan" in my cheepo Italian job to keep it cool and welding longer.

Glad to hear "family business" you know they have an interest in you as a customer.
Not enough of these anymore IMO, please support them.
Does Miller make a cart for that? I didn't see one in 'accessories' or a site search. You'll want one of those for sure, or maybe it's a good 1st project for you.

Keep an extinguisher handy and enjoy your new TOOL.

Jim

BTW, you can always weld thicker metal in mulitple or sweeping passes if you Vee it out first.
3/16" is full penetration in one pass. Mind you I wouldn't try it on a frame or something, but I'd believe 3/8" within this welder's limits using these techniques.
Ask at the welding supply. I'm not a professional weldor. YMMV

 

You are getting the name brands, which pretty much guarantee you will be getting a good quality welder.

What amazes me though, is my dad bought a cheap Clarke welder(if I remember right, it's a 130 model). I believe they are made in Italy? Anyway, he got the gas kit with it, and I have borrowed it a couple of times, and when you get it adjusted right, it lays the most beautiful bead you have ever seen on a piece of sheetmetal. I couldn't believe it. It reminds me of using a caulk gun or a hot melt glue gun, and it fills gaps very well. You just pull the trigger and move along. And the weld is very strong too. And if you grind it down, smooth with the surrounding metal, you can't even tell you have welded it.

 

Which wire thickness is best? is .030 too thick? cause blowouts?
Thanks
Reamer

 

i found that when I went up from .025 to .030, it made my welds much cleaner and stronger. I use a home depot lincoln 3200 mig welder, and the wire made a night and day difference. Keep in mind that this one uses shielding gas.

 

When I borrowed the Clarke, he had it setup for .030, and it worked fine. He gave me the 0.25 if I needed it, but I didn't use it.