Itinerant Air-Cooled

I own a Hobart 135. Big enough for damn near all automotive welding, Questionable on say, a snow plow frame. The biggest mistake is not cleaning the metal enough. You must grind to bright clear steel. You can't get a good weld any other way. A MIG is very easy to use, even with poor technique you can get a decent weld. Just don't try to start at one end and weld all they way to the other in one pass. The thin sheet steel gets to hot and you start burning thru and warping. Little bits at a time, heeping the bits far apart and cooling with a wet rag.

Bill

You folks are FANTASTIC!


Thanks for all the suggestions.

neal

Clear RTV? The permatex product, yes? I've been using the blue RTV on the valve cover side of my valve cover gaskets.


neal

Amskeptic wrote:

MeyerII wrote:In case even that is too spendy for ya, there is an abundant source of rust-free un-corrodable material - literally on the side of the road - that you can use.
 

You have been demoted to IAC Level 7:
Hill-Billy Who Drives A Rusted-Out Monte Carlo With Coconut Air Freshener Trying To Hide The Damp Wet Dog Smelling Carpet Hiding The Speed Limit Sign Floorboard

Wierd thing is I actually did that once when I was in college - to a '77 yellow Chevette. The floor dropped out after a nasty cold snap and a buddy had one of those yellow arrow signs that indicate an upcoming curve in his shop. We had it welded in in no time.

Funny thing was every time you put it up on a hoist, there was that arrow. The color almost matched, even.

But it sounds like Neal got his answer. I did the high-dollar fix to my old '71 camper:

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/Detai ... 11801051KX

The $50 or $60 it cost back then was a pretty good investment.

 

That's the piece Meyer. The plan is a temp until I can learn to weld and get that side of things going. POR 15 the other (battery tray, both back bottom corners, etc.) unless the Colin treatment is appropriate. As there's more than just the floor that could be done better with a welder.


neal

ruckman101 wrote:That's the piece Meyer. The plan is a temp until I can learn to weld and get that side of things going. POR 15 the other (battery tray, both back bottom corners, etc.) unless the Colin treatment is appropriate. As there's more than just the floor that could be done better with a welder.


neal

Whups - just noticed somebody already listed it. My bad. And yes - Wolfsburg West is a joy to deal with. Professional, knowledgeable and fast.

 

Two words: Duct Tape.

Amskeptic wrote:I continue to vault into my VW with gusto.
Colin

we need video proof said vaulting

pb24ss wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:I continue to vault into my VW with gusto.
Colin

we need video proof said vaulting

Yeah... After our second day mega adventure Colin more or less kind of slowly crawled in. Then again I think it was midnight and he was weighted down with a stomach full of lasagna

ruckman101 wrote:That's the piece Meyer. The plan is a temp until I can learn to weld and get that side of things going. POR 15 the other (battery tray, both back bottom corners, etc.) unless the Colin treatment is appropriate. As there's more than just the floor that could be done better with a welder.

neal

Consider a Lincoln Pro-Core 100? No gas to buy.
Got mine at Home Depot and love it. (and I used to MIG and TIG for a living)
Maybe $350 or so. Just a thought.
But when you get a welder you won't know how you lived without it.

Rob

Hippie wrote:Consider a Lincoln Pro-Core 100? No gas to buy.
Got mine at Home Depot and love it. (and I used to MIG and TIG for a living)
Maybe $350 or so. Just a thought.
But when you get a welder you won't know how you lived without it.

Rob

Are you saying that Hot Rod Lincold should be all you need, minus welding bridges supports, for Bus repair?

Sylvester wrote:Are you saying that Hot Rod Lincold should be all you need, minus welding bridges supports, for Bus repair?

Depends on what you're doing, I suppose.
I have done everything from automotive sheet metal to 1/4" mild steel with it and have not needed another welder.
1. Bus: I welded in a new battery tray,
2. Bus: rebuilt a jackpoint, and sheet metal patched (re-made, actually) the corner under the dog leg behind the tire.
3. welded in a sheet metal patch on "Conny" (my '94 Lincoln) around the wheel wells where it was rusted, as well as welded on both new mufflers and tail pipes on it,
4. reattached the rattling catalytic heat shields on both Conny and my wifes daily driver.
5. built (not finished yet) a "roo bar" out of 1 1/4" nominal, schedule 40 steel pipe,
6. welded the galvanized sheet metal floor framing members of the garden shed kit I built (for more permanance than the factory snap together system)
7. repaired the handle on my charcoal smoker...

...Don't know how I did without it.

Lincoln makes a MIG kit for gas shielded welding for my model if I ever need to upgrade...but I've just used the flux cored .035" wire.

Yes, it's a little hot for butt welding sheet metal, but by backing the seams with 1/8" x 1/2" flat bar or a temporary copper heat sink I have been very successful with it. You do have to brush off the flux smoke trail between passes, but, on the up side, it works better outdoors on a windy day than
gas shielding.

I used to have a heluva time MIGing on rooftops with the Hobarts we used to use where I worked when the Stargon kept blowing away.

Rob

Wish I could get one tomorrow and start playing with it. Note to self, save for welder and learn to use it.

Sylvester wrote:Wish I could get one tomorrow and start playing with it. Note to self, save for welder and learn to use it.

It's fun, actually.
Save a little extra for a self-dimming welding mask, gloves, and miscellaneous. (extra tips, etc.)
I wouldn't cheap out and get an old fashioned flip down mask. (It's too hard to learn when you can't see until you start the arc.)
Got mine for $60 or so at Northern Tool and equipment.

Rob

I found that if you have little to no welding experience a MIG is the way to go. The .035 flux core wire is definitely gonna burn through on you when welding body panels. Save the .035 wire for the heavier welding, say on the frame rails or the tunnel on a beetle. the ket to a good weld is bright shiny steel for your weld, grind your weld area to bare shiny steel. Rust will burn and pop. Paint, oil or other contaminants will make a messy weld as well. Buy your welder from a welding supply co. not sears or a box store. You will have follow up questions after the sale and a Sears or box store will just look at you funny when you have questions.

Hippie used to weld for a living, so he would know the techniques for welding that a beginner at home without a teacher, wouldn't even know what question to ask.

No offense intended Hippie. I love having a welder. I can go a year without breaking it out, but like my oxy acetyline torch I love having it when I need it. A welder,torch and air compressor are probably a once in a lifetime purchase for a home hobby mechanic, choose wisely.

Bill