Welding thin metal with stick welder?

[slimjim]

If the holes in your van are only 1 inch diameter, you can follow your own suggestion and epoxy them up with a small metal patch quite easily. I've done several holes like this over the years, up to the size of a 2-quid piece, and nobody has ever seemed to notice them, let alone stop them. Sure beats getting the welder out for a two-minute job

I do have a couple of books on WW2 camouflage, though...

Never tried epoxy on exhaust repairs, but used exhaust patches and gum gum plenty times.

You might as well use aluminium tape

and you can use what's left to make a nice hat

 

[keith19]

"You might as well use aluminium tape

Tried aluminium tape Too bright, difficult to disguise underneath, reflects the examination light. And like cheap toilet rolls, your fingers go through....

 

[bigegg]

Well, i had a go

This is two pieces of 55gal (200l) barrel top, dunno how thick, but is about 0.5mm - certainly less than a mm.

I used a 2.5mm 6013 rod with the amps turned down to approx 60 on my Clarke 190TE turbo buzz box.

Now admittedly, it's a LOT cleaner than I'd expect under the van, and it's been done on the flat, rather than upside down.
But, not bad for a first attempt?
I can't break the weld apart by bending, cos the metal bends first.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Its hard to tell on the third picture, but from what I can see, it looks like you have only got reasonable penentration on the right hand side end of the weld, you could have cold laps in areas also.

Certainly better than my first attempt (look for the link earlier in the thread)

What technique did you use?

 

[keith19]

That looks pretty good, considering what you are using. Did you have a steel bench top underneath, or some other kind of heat sink?

 

[bigegg]

Technique?
Not sure - left to right pull, and attempted to disapate the heat on the joint with a little bit of weaving.
It took a second or so to "zero in" on the weld (hence the blobby LHS).
No heatsink - just clamped to a 40mm piece of MDF.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Technique?
Not sure - left to right pull, and attempted to disapate the heat on the joint with a little bit of weaving.
It took a second or so to "zero in" on the weld (hence the blobby LHS).
No heatsink - just clamped to a 40mm piece of MDF.

Bet that made a smoke show, MDF isn't the best thing to weld up against haha

 

[bigegg]

Bet that made a smoke show, MDF isn't the best thing to weld up against haha

Wasn't that bad, wierdly.
I did have the fume extractor [1] going tho.

[1] Well, i *say* fume extractor - it's a bouncy castle blower working across my bench towards an open double door

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Wasn't that bad, wierdly.
I did have the fume extractor [1] going tho.

[1] Well, i *say* fume extractor - it's a bouncy castle blower working across my bench towards an open double door

Thats sensible, as no amount of fume is 'safe' I wish I had that kind of ventilation, instead I wear paper masks which steam up my visor lenses

Just remember that you can't really use that extractor when you use your mig, as the shielding gas will be blown away, giving you porous blobby welds.

 

[bigegg]

Based on my success with the thin stuff I tried to weld my van.

I can't weld upside down. That's the long and short of it.
Lack of room was a significant factor, but mainly lack of skill.
Gonna farm the job out to the local bodyshop, and
stick to flat welding 3mm+

is there still a market for guano?

 

[PTvor]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out, but not particularly surprised. It takes a lot of practice to weld thin steel with arc successfully and easily. As for cars, add in the extra factor of having to weld in cramped spaces and in odd positions and the general view is that it can just about be done, but isn't worth the trouble. it isn't an obvious way to go.

Years ago when MIG machines were expensive and not much about, and cars were made of thicker steel, gas was seen as a much better option than arc.

 

[bigegg]

It's a 16 year old transit - I'll have plenty of chance to practice - just not this week.
Need my van!

 

[Wozzaaah]

Based on my success with the thin stuff I tried to weld my van.

I can't weld upside down. That's the long and short of it.
Lack of room was a significant factor, but mainly lack of skill.
Gonna farm the job out to the local bodyshop, and
stick to flat welding 3mm+

is there still a market for guano?

Good on you for having a go but at least you can now see why we don't advise it.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

It's a 16 year old transit - I'll have plenty of chance to practice - just not this week.
Need my van!

I'd still be inclined to use mig, and plus if its a very rusty transit (in many cases you will always find more rot as you cut more and more into it) you will see how fast an easily mig will get you job done. Yesterday i got a 12 inch x 3 inch patch welded onto a rusty sprinter van in 20 minutes once it had tacked into position.... It took me 2 -or so hours to attempt to weld a patch the size of my fist in the floor of a rusty for ka with and arc welder....nuff said

 

[bigegg]

the way I see it, if I can do a half-passable job with a stick, how good are my mig welds gonna be?

 

[PTvor]

I think you'd do better to forget the idea and get a MIG set such as a Clarke 90, second hand.

 

[gavuk]

the way I see it, if I can do a half-passable job with a stick, how good are my mig welds gonna be?

Mig on thin material is a lot easier,you never said if you have a regulator for your mig ,disposable or full size ?.....get it tested

 

[bigegg]

found a reasonably cheap full size regulator, so as soon as I get paid for my current project (another set of car ramps) I'll be looking into buying one and getting the mig sorted.
to be honest tho, apart from the van I don't really have any use for one.
I find the buzz box does everything I need it to - although it will be convenient for welding the grills in a LPG cage I have to do later this month.

As an aside - if I decide that I need a new welder, would I be better off shelling out for a
TIG machine?
I'm assuming they'll do everything from sheet to plate, plus SS and aluminium?

 

[gavuk]

There are good reasons mig is used in industry ,its faster both to weld and the lack of cleaning ,if your mig is a 180amp it should weld 5-6mm without too much problems...its prob cheaper to run after the purchase cost of the machine and can be run on cheaper co2....it could/should replace the buzz box for most things up to 5mm...

Tig, to weld alluminium will cost the best part of £1000,then add argon gas etc it will never be a cheap option,its slow,expensive but very rewarding ...invertors are much nicer to use than a buzz box

 

[slimjim]

There are good reasons mig is used in industry ,its faster both to weld and the lack of cleaning ,if your mig is a 180amp it should weld 5-6mm without too much problems...its prob cheaper to run after the purchase cost of the machine and can be run on cheaper co2....it could/should replace the buzz box for most things up to 5mm...

Tig, to weld alluminium will cost the best part of £1000,then add argon gas etc it will never be a cheap option,its slow,expensive but very rewarding ...invertors are much nicer to use than a buzz box

not just invertors, use a Dc tig set for stick welding and it's far better, easier to start and less sticking!