Tips on Welding!!!
Turbo Mini Forums

Something we all need! I know i do, any hints and tips would be appreciated plus also what might be an idea is approx settings and what type of mig you use to give people a guide, i know all mig's are different but it may help a bit.

I use low number 2 on a clarke 130 turbo and wire speed 4

Not saying its right as i cant weld brillaint but that seems to be giving good results at the minute, ive got plenty more car to practice on!!!!!

Any more tips?

Obviously shiney metal is the key!!

Nobody got any? However small, anything is helpful

Edited by iain on 5th May, 2004.

well im self taught from scratch, and if i can do it anyone can

Useing a SIP handymig (nice and cheap) i use "high - min" setting for flimsy thin metal that has a touch of surface rust(removed) as any higher will blow holes in it.

use "high max" for good new sheet steel.

Tips: -

to set your wire speed and gas rate, try weld a seam in teh middle of a flat bit of fresh steel, playing with the appropriate controll as you do.

when welding try not tobend the wire thingy to the gun, it wil cause erratic wire delivery, wel it does on my cheap mig

when screwing on the regulator, screw it in till it *just* seals teh gas, if you screw it on tight you wil ruin the regulator after a few days hard use.

if you unscrew the gasss and its leaking(costing you money) get a big nail, hold it in your hand and quicly stab the valve on the botle, you wil get a loud "pop" then it will seal up :)

Buy new mig tips regularly, i never notice them " going" but when i replace old with new i notice the difference!!!

to get a good earth on bodywork, clamp the exposed metal in mole grips and put the earth clamp onto the grips.

always tac stuff in place with wee blobs of weld, check alignment, then check again, THEN weld :)

hope thats of some use to someone :)

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

Set your wire speed and current as high as possible untill it just dont blow a hole.
Weld in short sessions untill you just dont blow a hole.
Try to avoid to much heat in your material, weld a section than move to another section and then back to the first.
Try to use eye potection and gloves, do not have a sigaret lighter in your pocket.
If welded above your head than clean also the top of the material, rust preventive stuff can melt and drip down, you will get burned. Than you have to clean it afterall.

For more tips ask, I am quite familar with welding thin material.

anyone got tips on welding stainless with a tig?

Team www.sheepspeed.com Racing

yeh, get someone else to do it......

thats what i do, i find it really easy. perfect weld every time!

And on the 7th day........... God created turbochargers!

good tip!

Good to see the thread getting answered too, its little tricks and hints like this we need!!

I know i do!

Welding stainless steel with mig i even more easy than carbon steel and will give a more satisfied wels as well, but doing so will give a weld that can rust.
To prevent this SS wire shall be used and a different sort of gas.
welding SS is superb. I can show you when your around.
with mig you an also weld some castings like a block or head, you could try. it was broken anyway.

Arno

Further, When using patches for MOT or so, remember that between the two sheets there will be rust. and after a year or so you will have to put another patch next to the first.
For proper patchwork, remove the hole and surroundings untill healthy material is reached, than treat the bare metal for corrosion after welding.

have fun

ive got a sip 130 wewlder and ive found that high low or high medium settings work better than the low high settings,if you know what i mean.
get the metal as clean as possible.
to avoid metal distortion due to heat do smaller runs of weld rather than a big long one
you can tell a good weld because you can see it flowing like molten lava.
dissconect your gas bottle at night saves it leaking out
a good book will show you different techniques
im no expert probably not even good at welding but its all about practice practice and more practice
AND ALWAYS KEEP A FIRE EXTINGUSHER WITHIN EASY REACH

no longer a series, but still 1.3 turbo.

"runs for the fire extinguisher as all the built up crap under the car sets fire, smoke..what smoke i cant see anything..."

Iain, still not finished the frog?,
Smoke, fire, flesh burns and welding eyes are all part of the learning process, seems unavoidable.

For complicated repairs on sheet metal, first clean the surroundings than cut out the rotten piece untill healthy material is reached, Than take a piece of stiff cardboard and make a template of it to fit exactly in the hole. fold it open and take it over on the new piece of metal. mould this in the shape required and make sure you leave about 0.5mm around the edges to give space for the wire. basically fill up the gap. this will aloow you to grind the weld afterwards, if you do not allow for this gap yoy will weld on the material and fter ginding the metal may come loose again.
Vent you garage wilst welding (or burning).
Arno

Nope not finished the frog yet, its only been at my place a week Got the engine out at the weekend though and bought another mini to cut bits out of to weld into the frog!

If welding an overlapped seam however make sure that the metal is tight down to the stuff underneath as otherwise this encourages holes to be burned!

Get all your welding done in the winter, cos hot weather = t-shirts which result in lots of burns from flying weld and angle grinding sparks.

1) Have spare gas bottles !!!!!
2) For all repairs now MOT states must be SEAM welds and not spots ; I used to do lots of spots with a mig ; as my seam welding is none too good !!
3) Use C02/Argon mix ; it is much cleaner a gas than straight Co2 and you will have a cleaner weld
4) Thin - Medium metal ; not too much at a time ; you will be suprised how easy it is to distort the work by overheating
5) Disconnect your battery !
6) Get a very good clean Earth for you welder to the work
7) If when weldin the wire pushed your gun backwards .. then the speed is too fast !
8) If you are contantly having to bang cut scream at your tip to dislodge your wire; then its to slow
9) Always trial fit your work with a couple of small tack welds to hold it in place
10) If repairing a panel ; then I like to get the metal behind the work rather than over ; so I sometimes weld on a small handle
for example if welding a 2 inch square plate in a a door skin; weld the handle in place on your repair panel and hold the work inside the door from the outside !!! a few tack weld and off you go ; then grind you handle off !!! ( Usually a crappy bit of tin !)


Steve

Edited by b12 on 25th May, 2004.

TurboLessTosser

Right! read up, also read alot on the wire speed setting, and how not to blow holes in it, so here goes! Its sunny tonite, so im off in the garage! wish me luck!

The only bit im not sure about, if i get that far, is how to hold the cross member thing in place, the little square, it also seems to small, so ill leave that bit for now.

Previous Engine: 1040cc Morespeed engine, 1275 turbo head T2 Turbo Mirage Manifolds Megajolt
Previous engine: STD metro turbo, megajolt
Drives: 399bananahp (flywheel) Honda Civic Vtec b18c4 T28 Turbo 1968 Mini

Megajolt maps to download: http://www.jamesfawcett.co.uk/cms/index.ph...&gid=3&Itemid=3

Good luck, you will be thirsty afterwards, I always am (also before come to think of it)

Wasnt mentioned above....

Keep a container of water nearby! stuff catches fire!

Previous Engine: 1040cc Morespeed engine, 1275 turbo head T2 Turbo Mirage Manifolds Megajolt
Previous engine: STD metro turbo, megajolt
Drives: 399bananahp (flywheel) Honda Civic Vtec b18c4 T28 Turbo 1968 Mini

Megajolt maps to download: http://www.jamesfawcett.co.uk/cms/index.ph...&gid=3&Itemid=3

Is a Clarke 151 EN mig welder ok for automotive use? ie usual bodywork stuff and possibly also welding up a rollcage?

Jim

I don't know a clarke 151EN, but it sounds like a 151Amp maximum machine. if so than its fine for sheetmetal, but you better use something more powerfull for rollcages.

mine is 180amp

its been great for everthing I have done so far including exhausts and chasis work

S

TurboLessTosser

i just started practicing with mine today, i can do half decent seam welds on flat panel so far and i am using.
a clark 130turbo
no gas wire (just for practicing)
low number 2 and wire speed just below 3 on the dial. seems to be giving some nice welds on that setting.
i will remind people to keep water handy, because even on my practice pieces i managed to set fire to a couple of the welds. so it is obviously quite esy to set fire to a car with its fuel lines.
DAN :)

One little tip that a lot of people forget is to protect the windscreen and glass on the car while you are welding or even grinding,The molten spatter will instantly melt into the surface of any glass it lands on and will either leave a tiny crater or will embed itself in.

or rust :)

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

practiced some more with mine today, tried winding the wire speed up to just under 5 and the weld quality is now so much better,
just thought i'de let everyone know
DAN :)

good tip from b12 bout disconnecting the battery...i always disconnect the alternator as well as....( THEY DONT LIKE IT UP EM CAPTAIN MAINWARING )...keep the earth as close to what ur welding as well....good luck

love that straight cut scream!!!
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