Can someone tell me what would be a good book to buy on body repairs? It has been a whle since I did any and I was not that good at it then. What kind of welder(s) should I buy to replace cab corners and floor?

 

I wish I knew a good book on body repairs. I'll be watching for answers to that one. You could try a local library or the book stores.

As to a welder, MIG is the way to go. It is relatively inexpensive to buy and operate and easy to learn. MIG is basically a point-and-shoot kind of setup.

If you will only be using the welder for sheet metal, a 110v system is great. If you plan on welding heavier stuff, a 220v will be needed. The 110v systems will easily handle .070 thick material. I have welded 1/8" thick stuff with mine using the flux core wire.

Here's a pic of my setup. I attached a work belt that has everything I need on it. I have done MANY repairs and modifications successfully with it.



I had to learn both welding and bodywork to do my truck as I never did either before. I am very pleased with my results.

 

ive got a good book on body work, but i cant remember who its by or what the name of it is. but just about any book store should have something. as far as welders go just about any MIG welder will work. personally id go with a hobart 125 or 140. both of them use 115 v power and will weld from about 18 gauge to 1/4" metal and cost about $400 at tractor supply.

 

I'd suggest a DVD: Basic Techniques for Working with Steel by Ron Covell Welcome To Covell.biz.
I also suggest a Hobart Mig welder but I would buy the 140 as the best bang for the buck over the 125 since the 140 comes with everything you need to use shielding gas except the bottle of gas itself. By the time you add in the cost of the accessory kit to add gas to the 125 the price is near identical. I got mine delivered to my door in 2 days ordering it from Northern Tools online. The shipping is always free and they often have sales where they reduce the price and/or include an accessory tool kit or roll around cart. Don't believe anyone who says you can weld sheet metal with flux core wire without gas, it is just an exercise in frustration. I have welded non structural 1/2" stock with my 140 and gas shielded solid wire by V grinding the joint and filling with multiple passes from both sides. the 140 will easily weld almost any metal you'll find on your truck yet can be throttled down to weld 20ga sheet metal with .025 wire. You also want to immediately buy yourself a self darkening helmet, ~ 60.00 up for a decent one, it will shorten the learning curve emensely. Do a search on this forum for numerous discussions on welders.
Also do a search here on my user name and body work, I have posted numerous how to do it posts. The search function can be found in the light blue band just under the small Ford Truck Enthusiasts logo and your users name. Use the advanced search for better searches. If the search function is not showing up for you, make a few more posts, you need a minimum of ~10 or 15 posts before you can search.

 

I learned fabrication and paint at a local college evening class

I would also recommend the videos by Ron Covell for welding and fabrication

For filling and paint the videos from Kevin Tetz's Paintucation - Paint Your Own Car! are also very good

 

i would also get an auto darkening helmet makes it alot easier when learning mig welding

 

AXracer, I have tried to do searches but it keeps timing out. I am probably doing something wrong

 

You could take a vocational class to learn auto body. I taught night-time adult education auto body for 3 yrs at night.....you can learn most of what you need.
Covell's books are great.....body work is all dependent on how much time you spend and how critical you are.
Most guys are very critical till they do it themselves.
Also,a nice 4 1/2 or 5'' hand grinder is a great all around tool...I use mine alot..I like Bosch.
Good luck and I am painting a 56 cab tomorrow---hope I remember what to do!! hahah!!

 

I also recommend Ron Covell videos. I have heard some good things about Kevin's paint-u-cation videos as well, though I haven't seen any yet. Maybe this year's Christmas present to myself.

I have graduated with an autobody degree, and today's classes are a bit different than one may think. (luckily, I had the old teacher....thus old school techniques) They focus on bodyshops and repairing modern cars. If there is a restoration class, I'd go that route. Especially if you plan on doing a few and maybe get paid for it.

 

I have a Lincoln wire feed flux-core welder. I know that using sheilding gas will help keep down spatter and then only if you use Argon or mostly Argon mix. Would CO2 have as much splatter as the flux cored? I was planning on using my flux core to weld body panels.

I got the cheap hand held eye sheild with my welder. Does the auto darkening really work fast enough (I'm sure it does since every welder uses it now) without any eye damage. I got a pretty good burn working in a welding shop as a teenager - figured out quick I didn't want to be a welder the rest of my life.

 

The self-darkening lids are the best thing since sliced bread. I don't know how you could do MIG without one, especially with "old eyes".

 

Ar CO2 mix is the most economical and effective gas for steel. Pure Ar is used for welding aluminum. Pure CO2 is cheap and better than flux core,but not as clean as the mix.When buying a self darkening helmet there are features that are required and others that are nice to have. All will protect your eyes from flash burns even if off, but need to react quick enough to prevent discomfort such as you might get from looking at the strobe on a flash camera.MUST HAVE:darkening time of 0.5 milliseconds or faster to avoid discomfort. If the helmet doesn't give the reaction time, or it's slower than 0.5 ms pass on it.GOOD TO HAVE:Adjustable dark setting. MIG doesn't require as dark a lens as TIG or even stick welding, so it is good to be able to set the max darkness. MIG needs about 9, stick 10-11, and TIG 12.Reaction time setting: certain positions will trip the lens at different speeds. You want to adjust this to provide an unnoticable dark shutter effect, especially if welding straight down below you or overhead.Large lens: makes it easier to use especially for novices.NICE TO HAVE:Mutiple sensors: useful for out of position welding.Solar and battery operation: I wouldn't recommend solar only unless you will be always welding outside in the daytime. Make sure whatever batteries are used are readily available (check that the number is carried at least at your local Radio Shack) Nothing like getting all ready to weld, your helmet is dead, and the batteries have to be mail ordered from China.A good head harness: if possible actually try on whatever brand/model you are considering or be sure that you can return it. You should be able to adjust it to feel comfortable like a hard hat, and have it stay on your head when flipped up or when you face directly at the ground and swing you head around. I have an expensive Miller Elite that I like everything about it but the harness, it falls off my head much too easily no matter how I adjust it.
The helmets on a steeek are the dumbest things I've even seen only good for an observer or making into a holloween mask IMHO. You need to be able to use your other hand for guiding the stinger or holding a piece in place while tacking, not for holding the helmet. I wouldn't buy a welder that included one of those especially for a beginner, just one more obstacle to learning to weld.

 

the search function is usually the first thing to go when there is a server problem here.I've been trying to add links to this post but it won't let me. GRRRRR!

 

I use a video rental place called "SmartFlix" .... SmartFlix, the Web's Biggest How-To DVD Rental Store .... for welding, painting, body work, even my wife's crafts projects are found there. You can rent Ron Covell's videos for less than $10, a much better deal than paying $40 to buy one...that is unless you want it for your library.

 

[quote=havi;6621180]I also recommend Ron Covell videos. I have heard some good things about Kevin's paint-u-cation videos as well, though I haven't seen any yet. Maybe this year's Christmas present to myself.

Havi and to all others, I have the paint-u-cation dvd's but have also seen them on you-tube, so you might like to searsh for them on there and decide if you want to purchase them,FWIW.
John