S/H R-Tech 180... working towards Car Body work.

[Retro Rust]

Hey all,

Hope I'm posting this in the right section but I've just bought myself a second hand R tech 180 and I've got a few questions about how to get started and safety. I tried one of these units a couple of years ago at Retro Rides festival and had a great time. Always wanted to learn welding (especially owning 70s & 80s cars) and so when this one came up very very cheap near me I had to go and get it.

As it sits the machine looks to be an older one as it doesnt have to spool wire switch like the newer ones. I'm not sure if thats a problem for me as I just want to eventually be welding Car body panels with the Gas bottle it came with.



Just a bit about the Gas bottle. As I dont have a shed just a Clark Garage Tent I've stood it behind the Seat of one of my Cars. I guessed it wont get disturbed there and it should be stored upright?

Lastly this is the regulator it came with. I have no idea what Gas is in there but can anyone tell if this is a good setup? I notice it says Parweld and similar units are about £30 online... thats all I know. The bloke said it was about half full, his english didnt seem great and I was asking more about the welder so forgot to ask about the Gas.

The machine itself is currently loaded with 0.9 fluxcore. The seller said he was using it to do mot stuff on cars and wasnt good with gas. He'd bought a synergic welder so was getting rid of this.
My thinking here is I should have a go with the fluxcore just to get my confidence up with using a welder in general and I can play about with some bits of scrap metal in the cold weather? What do we think? Open to project ideas ... my first Car projects down the line are repairing the bottom of my Escorts door (rotted away) and Various parts of my Capri.

Also if I do want to go to Gas and play with some old Car panels I'm thinking I'll need 0.6 or 0.8 wire? Would I have to buy new tips and rollers or can I get away with whats there?

Lastly PPE. I'm pretty safety conscious with this kind of thing. It did come with an Auto Darkening helmet but I'm thinking I'll buy a new one so I know its good. Really concerned about getting Arc Eye. Same with the Gauntlets too.
Clothes wise I guess I'll want a non synthetic boiler suit or heavy suade jacket? Again any tips here would be great.

Really excited to get going but its probably going to be next weekend now with work commitments. I'll be reading more on the forum while I wait but just wanted to start a post as I'm pretty excited about it all.

To summarise my questions:
-Safe storing of Gas Bottle
-What to practice at the start
-PPE for someone who worries about their hands and eye

A Teaser of the main thing I want to work up to welding...

 

[MikeBs]

The gas just needs somewhere where it can be tied/chained so it can’t fall over and the pipe will reach the back of the welding unit.
You may get some 0.8mm to 1mm plate from a scrappy or an old panel from a car scrapyard. I prefer gas and 0.6 wire for this kind of gauge in my workshop However in reality getting gas and shielding the area so it doesn’t blow away is harder if it’s on a drive.
A mask that allows you to see the weld is always useful. About £100 or less will get a good one. Those gloves look a bit too cumbersome to me. I got some great gloves for about £18, but can’t remember the make.
A good jacket would be essential if you are going to climb under a car as splatter is almost guaranteed and really hurts if it touches you.
Good luck.

 

[Retro Rust]

The gas just needs somewhere where it can be tied/chained so it can’t fall over and the pipe will reach the back of the welding unit.
You may get some 0.8mm to 1mm plate from a scrappy or an old panel from a car scrapyard. I prefer gas and 0.6 wire for this kind of gauge in my workshop However in reality getting gas and shielding the area so it doesn’t blow away is harder if it’s on a drive.
A mask that allows you to see the weld is always useful. About £100 or less will get a good one. Those gloves look a bit too cumbersome to me. I got some great gloves for about £18, but can’t remember the make.
A good jacket would be essential if you are going to climb under a car as splatter is almost guaranteed and really hurts if it touches you.
Good luck.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah eventually all repairs will be underneath the car or with it jacketed up on one side. Theres a few bits around the engine bay like inner wings or rear arch that I could attempt before that though.
Regarding 0.6 or 0.8 wire. Would 0.8 be any better on a driveway? Unfortunately I cant work anywhere else at the moment. I've got space but no garage. I'll be watch a load of videos on this over the coming weeks or months.

I'll get a good jacket, gloves & head shroud to start. Can probably get away with some old leather Chelsea boots I guess. I'm sure I welded in those at the demo although a spark did manage to go down the top from memory.

 

[Cobbler]

Don’t use rigger boots, sparks drop straight in & you soon discover how quickly you can get your boots off.

 

[Blobber]

Looks like straight co2 gas, turn the regulator on and see what it shows on the gauges, welding with gas outside is always tricky with the wind blowing the gas away, try the fluxed stuff but don't expect nice looking welds but it's a start
Get new tips and shrouds

 

[Retro Rust]

Haha I'll give Rigger Boots a wide berth then! Are most people wearing boiler suits ?


Welding area wise. I guess my main space is a couple of meters from the nearest plug, Is it ok to use an extension cable? I've wondered about this for a while. We have a plug near the rear door of the house but I dont think it'll stretch to the car.

Also I'm going to have to get some welding blankets I think. Eventually I'll have to shield the neighbour's view from curtain twitching too.

 

[chrismac]

Don’t use rigger boots, sparks drop straight in & you soon discover how quickly you can get your boots off.

but if you wear your boiler suit over the boots no issue

Arc eye, if you wear safety glasses you wont get arc eye, you will see the bright light but the UV rays wont burn your eye as they wont pass through the lens of the glasses, if your that paranoid its an option for you.

You will be able to turn your roller for say 0.6 and 0.8 wire sizes.

 

[JOEPRO]

I use a extension lead with my r tech 180 and no issues. Just be sure to fully unwind the extension lead as it'll get hot otherwise.

I personally would say best to use gas MIG on car bodywork. You have the bottle and reg etc already so just need the wire. Most people including me use 0.8mm wire for everything.

Gey yourself mig pliers too, tip dip and spare consumables. Gas shrouds and contact tips. That way you aren't stuck part way though a job for the sake of a cheap consumable. A pea shorter type gas flow tester is a good idea also to ensure just enough gas is coming out the tip and not wasting it. I weld outside at cars with gas MIG alot and no issues at all.

TIG welding gloves are thinner and more suited to car body repairs IMO. Heavy mig gloves are cumbersome. A leather welding apron is handy to drape over yourself when welding under a car for added protection from stray molten blobs.

 

[Blobber]

Ahh the music man

 

[Cobbler]

Not knowing the history of the welder, as well as tips, it would be worth fitting a new torch liner, not expensive & easy to do, so start off with all new. A dirty or corroded liner can cause erratic wire feed., if the previous owner has used dirty or rusty wire, it’s a recipe for problems.

You can download the manual from the web site, also a chart of settings for various joint types & thicknesses, it will give you a good start.

 

[minimutly]

I use a extension lead with my r tech 180 and no issues. Just be sure to fully unwind the extension lead as it'll get hot otherwise.

I personally would say best to use gas MIG on car bodywork. You have the bottle and reg etc already so just need the wire. Most people including me use 0.8mm wire for everything.

Gey yourself mig pliers too, tip dip and spare consumables. Gas shrouds and contact tips. That way you aren't stuck part way though a job for the sake of a cheap consumable. A pea shorter type gas flow tester is a good idea also to ensure just enough gas is coming out the tip and not wasting it. I weld outside at cars with gas MIG alot and no issues at all.

TIG welding gloves are thinner and more suited to car body repairs IMO. Heavy mig gloves are cumbersome. A leather welding apron is handy to drape over yourself when welding under a car for added protection from stray molten blobs.

Re the safety stuff - if you're ever lying on your side welding above, be sure to wet some cotton wool and poke it in your ear - a molten blob getting in there is absolutely the worst thing - called fizzers for a reason...

 

[Morris]

Re the safety stuff - if you're ever lying on your side welding above, be sure to wet some cotton wool and poke it in your ear - a molten blob getting in there is absolutely the worst thing - called fizzers for a reason...

That's why removing wax is a bad idea

 

[Islander71]

Weld splatter goes straight through normal boiler suits and cotton shirts as I discovered. I use an old leather jacket for welding now. You can often see a bit tatty ones in charity shops quite cheap.

 

[Retro Rust]

Cheers for the replies. I was just looking at new tips and a shroud for 0.8 wire. Of course you can get them from Rtech but I just thought I'd see if theres much difference from getting them from tool station etc being a consumable anyway? I will look at the torch liner. I'm guessing I have the original Rtech torch but all modern ones are the same right? (euro torch?)

Re boiler suits I thought that might be the case. I can't see me welding on my side or anything for a while yet. I need to have a look at my space out back and see where I can do it without bothering anyone. I'd like to practice make bits before I have to attack the Car haha.

 

[dave h 2]

As you are just starting out.
Check out the welding thin metal tutorial at the start of this web site and do what it says.
Throw the joddler away, lapped joints are un painted water traps.
All auto darkening helmets have a permanent UV protection filter that has nothing to do with the darkening bit.
Sparks from welders and angle grinders don't bounce off glass, they just melt right in.
Always turn the gas off at the bottle, you can't trust the welder gas valve and all the piping not to leak.
A cheap water mister for plants set on fine mist is good for when those little unwanted flames appear in the sound proofing or underseal. A single pssst of mist saves mopping up half a pint of water.

 

[addjunkie]

When I was young and daft enough to lie under cars welding them, I had flame retardant overalls, but used to use an old leather jacket from a charity shop, with all the linings ripped out over the top. Something to stop stuff going down your neck too!

Practice. Go buy some new clean steel, 1mm. And play….once your welding flat, stick it in a vice or a work mate and lie on the floor and try it upside down and vertical. You will-see its quite different. Once you are ok on clean steel, youll find rusty old stuff a bit more tricky.

Once under the car, the skill is just cutting enough out, making repair patches the right shape, and not setting the car on fire when you put them in.

 

[MikeBs]

Just a note about tips. I got my first spare tips from MachineMart and they worked OK.
I next got some from eBay, 10 tips and a couple of shrouds for a tenner or so.
The tips lasted for a few seconds before they melted, the shrouds, a few minutes.
Moral - Don’t buy cheap.

 

[chris y]

Lots of good advice already given.
I'd suggest using a fairly shortish extension lead if possible, made of 2.5mm flex, many are only 1.5 and it can make a difference.
Don't worry too much about the length if it's not silly, not coiled up, and thick flex.

I've welded cars outdoors a huge amount, as long as it's not windy it's not a problem.
Spatter in your ear is the biggest risk under a car, and of course getting the car in the air high enough and safely on less than ideal ground.

 

[Retro Rust]

Yeah I've been thinking all week about how to get my Capri high enough on one side facing away from the neighbours. The passenger side probably needs repairs all down. Not that i'm expecting to get stuck in striahgt away.

Any advice on good helmets? I saw a few bad reviews for the Rtech True Colour Speedmaster one. I think something about them not kicking in when arcing up. I have used their £50 Auto darkening one before though when I tried the machine a couple of years ago on an Rtech stand.

 

[Smallfry]

Regarding gloves, I find that I cannot weld car bodywork with hulking great gauntlets like those pictured. They are OK for welding battleship plate and heavy fabrication, and for worming the cat with tablets ......... anyone with a cat will know what I mean. They impede the finesse and feel needed.

I use thin leather, and sometimes thick cotton gloves, but this is really to protect you from the UV rather than the heat. By and large I find the heat generated is not that great, as you will not be welding continuous seams, as you would be if doing heavier fabrication. No matter what you do, you WILL burn yourself, but you will quickly learn to take more care.