Those welds are shocking indeed, I'm far from being a 'professional' or qualified welder but how on earth could the person who done that think that it's OK?
Even if the vehicle/item were my own, I coulldn't let that go.
- Thread starter God mode restorations
- Start date
Those welds are shocking indeed, I'm far from being a 'professional' or qualified welder but how on earth could the person who done that think that it's OK?
Even if the vehicle/item were my own, I coulldn't let that go.
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,699
- Location
- Essex UK
Not welding but we had a BMW 3.0cs E9 in for work, low brake pedal and uncertain steering were two of the issues, it was an import from Australia and had been fitted with a late Mustang V8 and larger brakes from I think an E24 six series, there was soooo much play in the wheel bearings the brake pads were getting knocked back hence the low pedal, stripped it down and they had used the E24 hubs and wheel bearings, only problem was that the E24 had larger dia. stub axles!!!!! this was not an old banger, the guy had bought it from a dealer for north of £50k and he had been to several "garages" who could not diagnose the issue, DOH.
slim_boy_fat
Member
- Messages
- 29,540
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Ah, the modern industrial equivalent of the WW1 trench message "Send 3/4d, we're going to a dance".
John_d1974
Member
- Messages
- 31
- Location
- Fife
do you even get 0.6 flux'd?
No you can't get 0.6mm flux core like you can with gas, so I just used 0.8mm flux core and bashed on with it, it was middle of december... I was welding in a snowstorm trying not to get electrocuted and as I say the car is 19yrs old and worthless so I wasn't giving a crap about "structural rigidity" (sorry DVLA/VOSA)
and I literally just done a half arsed thin metal technique dot to dot tac welds, when I burnt holes in the plate I just used Quicksteel putty to patch them up, ehhh it's definitely not "safe" by 1st world standards but Indians would be impressed! it held on with a kick (only worthwhile test) and with body filler and paint over the top it looks like a weird skin graft but eh what the hell, had the car two years and two MOT's now and about to get rid of it, It would easily pass another MOT but I'm in the market for something much newer and nicer, with no rust! Maybe I can sell my welder, may I'll let it gather dust who knows.
Why do you think these other garages missed that? Could it be the case of younger mechanics just relying on what a diagnostic unit tells them rather than actually looking at the mechanical/metal/dirty parts and putting 2 + 2 together and working it out? I really dunno because I've always worked on vehicles myself, I'm only going by what I've heard so many times from others, a lot of the younger generation of mechanics just don't seem to have a clue if it's nothing to do with the computer side of things.
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,699
- Location
- Essex UK
Why do you think these other garages missed that? Could it be the case of younger mechanics just relying on what a diagnostic unit tells them rather than actually looking at the mechanical/metal/dirty parts and putting 2 + 2 together and working it out? I really dunno because I've always worked on vehicles myself, I'm only going by what I've heard so many times from others, a lot of the younger generation of mechanics just don't seem to have a clue if it's nothing to do with the computer side of things.
I understand they both adjusted the wheel bearings to cure the problem, and it did, for a week or so, it was the outer bearing that was too large for the spindle, by 3 or 4mm! as for computer diagnostics............... a good tool but not god by any means, often when one of my "mechanics" suggested replacing a part that did not normally fail I would ask, ok, if we fit that and the problem is still there what would you do next, blah blah blah, ok, do that first before I spend £x100's of the customers cash, every day a parts customer would come in to try to buy a new or used DPF, WHY DO YOU NEED ONE, because it is blocked! ok, why is it blocked? dunno! so if the one I sell you blocks what will you do, bring it back for a refund........... nope you will not, you need to sort out why it is not regerating first.... had one guy come in with a very burst radiator, he wanted a new one, ok, but if you try to return it because it has burst I will not refund you because your head gasket has gone, he did actually try to return it a week later as it had burst, said he would involve trading standards etc.
I'm not a welder tho, had never welded anything in my life before, but I'm too cheap to buy cars unless I really really have to so I just bought a welder, sliced the rust out, dot to dot welded a new bit plate on, smothered it in tigerseal on the underside and body filler on the bodywork upper and then painted over the top... MOT station couldn't say **Language** all really and just passed it. They clearly knew it was a badly welded car but hey **Language** it they just had to pass it as it passed the hammer test. That was two years ago, car is still going. Hey, if it works for the third world countries it's good enough for me, it's not like my car is the only death trap out there *shrug*
pedrobedro
Man at Matalan
- Messages
- 12,985
- Location
- CX near Chesterfield
I've never known someone be so proud of terrible workmanship
At least he "sliced the rust out" and didn't plate over it
daleyd
Member
- Messages
- 10,168
- Location
- Wrexham, North Wales
I've never known someone be so proud of terrible workmanship
You’ve never met me then John_d1974
Member
- Messages
- 31
- Location
- Fife
I've never known someone be so proud of terrible workmanship
I admire his honesty lol
slim_boy_fat
Member
- Messages
- 29,540
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I've just noticed the date of the original thread.......
Not that that makes the current responses [mine included 
] any less relevant. 
Not that that makes the current responses [mine included ] any less relevant. 
mrsbruce
Member
- Messages
- 1,974
- Location
- Livingston, Scotland
I've just noticed the date of the original thread.......
Looking at the pictures of the welding in first post, I feel like a Welding God in comparison.
Nauticus
If l let my mind wander, its often gone for weeks!
- Messages
- 86
- Location
- Lincolnshire, UK.
If we are on the subject of poor workmanship . . . . .
Many years ago, when I first started working for myself I had a '2 car workshop' on a small industrial estate. I was doing mechanical repairs and body repairs. (gas welding only!- not even heard of mig. Couldn't afford a Spot Welder yet.).
A chap from a nearby unit came in for some MOT work to be done. An Austin A30 with holes in what looked like a new sill. He was very upset that the sill had failed the MOT. He explained that the sill had been very rusty with lots of holes etc. and he had quite enjoyed spending a week of his holiday repairing it - only to have his work failed.
He explained his method of repair :-
Bang it well with a hammer to get all the loose rust off.
Fill the sill void with scrunched up wire netting.
Whip up up a strong sand and cement mix and force it fully into the sill void and smooth it to the sill profile.
When the cement was dry, smear body filler over the whole cement sill, sand down and paint.
"It looked as good as a brand new sill" he said.
"I just don't understand why it failed! Concrete posts and buildings have metal in them, - so that sill had to be stronger than the original" he reasoned!
The MOT examiner had been tapping the sills with a small hammer to test integrity. When he tested the "repaired" sill it obviously sounded like hitting a concrete floor and deserved further investigation - and heavy hammer blows!.
It was very difficult for me not to laugh at this repair. I managed to keep a straight face, quoted for and did a proper repair with new outer and inner sills. The car sailed through it's retest and he became a regular customer until I moved premises.
I had to dispose of two bucketful's of painted filler and cement.
Malc.
Many years ago, when I first started working for myself I had a '2 car workshop' on a small industrial estate. I was doing mechanical repairs and body repairs. (gas welding only!- not even heard of mig. Couldn't afford a Spot Welder yet.).
A chap from a nearby unit came in for some MOT work to be done. An Austin A30 with holes in what looked like a new sill. He was very upset that the sill had failed the MOT. He explained that the sill had been very rusty with lots of holes etc. and he had quite enjoyed spending a week of his holiday repairing it - only to have his work failed.
He explained his method of repair :-
Bang it well with a hammer to get all the loose rust off.
Fill the sill void with scrunched up wire netting.
Whip up up a strong sand and cement mix and force it fully into the sill void and smooth it to the sill profile.
When the cement was dry, smear body filler over the whole cement sill, sand down and paint.
"It looked as good as a brand new sill" he said.
"I just don't understand why it failed! Concrete posts and buildings have metal in them, - so that sill had to be stronger than the original" he reasoned!
The MOT examiner had been tapping the sills with a small hammer to test integrity. When he tested the "repaired" sill it obviously sounded like hitting a concrete floor and deserved further investigation - and heavy hammer blows!.
It was very difficult for me not to laugh at this repair. I managed to keep a straight face, quoted for and did a proper repair with new outer and inner sills. The car sailed through it's retest and he became a regular customer until I moved premises.
I had to dispose of two bucketful's of painted filler and cement.
Malc.
Cobbler
Codger bodger
- Messages
- 7,759
- Location
- Gloucestershire UK
A friend of mine years ago repaired the chassis on an A40 Devon van with sand & cement. All was well until he went over a humpback bridge far too fast & got airborne, on landing it all fell out. He scrapped it soon after, best thing for it.
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,699
- Location
- Essex UK
I have seen sills repaired with undersealed flashbanding.......... quite effective and easy to make complex shapes!!!
colnerov
Member
- Messages
- 4,824
- Location
- Nr Gatwick UK
Hi, We had a customer that was a carpenter and he'd carved a sill out of a solid piece of timber and most disgruntled it had failed, so we had the joy of removing it and welding in a new steel one. You've never seen so many wood screws on a Hillman Minx.
Colin
Colin
