• Welcome to the Land Rover UK Forums

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to register then please Register Now
Welding: The Experience’s Of A Complete Beginner

Stories Welding: The Experience’s Of A Complete Beginner

Overview Reviews (5) Discussion
Guitar Mick

Guitar Mick

Moderator
Staff member
Site Donor
Guitar Mick submitted a new resource:

Welding: The Experience’s Of A Complete Beginner - The learning experience from the view point of a complete novice

I have recently decided to learn how to weld. For whatever reason it’s a skill I have never got round to trying. But now I am a Land Rover owner I reckon the time has come!

This is not intended to be a 'How to' thread. I know there are a lot of the Forum members are already masters of this skill, there are some lovely examples of the art on several current threads, but I thought it would be interesting to make a record of the learning experience from the view point of a complete novice……
Click to expand...

Read more about this resource...
 
Cleanliness is paramount... One of those flap sanding discs that fits in your grinder to polish the metal clean is ideal. It makes for a better weld, less contaminants.

It's handy to have more than one angle grinder too. One with grinding disc, one cutting disc and one for the flap discs. Like you need an excuse for more tools, huh? Much better than constantly swapping discs out.

A big hint... Don't tell folk you have a welder. The things folk pester for when they find out.... :rolleyes:

Looking forward to seeing how you progress :) (minus the burns, please. Don't want you to be doing that!)
 
For what its worth ...
buy yourself a bright directable work light (easier to see what you are welding through the mask lens) ....
AND if you wear glasses for reading ...wear them behind the mask ...
and as above ...shiny steel welds far better than rusty stuff
 
I find it handy to have a board on the wall with the settings I have used on any particular project, thickness of steel, wire speed, what switch settings etc. Info is then right there ready for use.

After getting a weld spatter in the ear, I wear an anti flash hood if I'm lying underneath welding. Gets a bit warm, but not had a burn since. (anti flash... . Like what naval gunners wear.)

Good practice on sheet steel is to write your initials. Not as easy as it sounds! Forces you to keep the bead steady whilst moving in different directions.
 
Suggestions are coming in about the additional equipment you will need. So far I have used a small angle grinder with a thin blade to cut out with, a thicker grinding disc to smooth edges and a 40 & 80 grit flapwheel to do the final smoothing an clean up metal before welding.
IMG_0368.jpg

Something else I got was this stand that turns my small angle grinder into a chop saw. Got it from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DPSP3PY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is great for making straight cuts and can be set to make angle cuts too. It was £33.00

IMG_0370.jpg IMG_0371.jpg
It will take several different sizes of angle grinder
What are your ‘go-to’ tools?
 
One of these with my compressor ....be warned though,once youve used one ...spannering will ever be the same
s-l500 (4).jpg


Used as a standard ratchet at first to losen the nut/bolt (its not an impact wrench)then wizz the nut/bolt off in seconds ...especially in tight spots .
 
The suggestion I would make is that you use Argon/Co2 gas rather than plain CO2. You'll struggle to get decent welds on thin steel using CO2 and you get a lot of spatter that you don't get with the Argon. You can get a 9ltr bottle of Argon with 5% CO2 from Hobbygas (there are other suppliers); you pay £50 refundable deposit for the bottle.
 
Agree with moving to Argon mix. I still struggle to see and weld in a straight line. Sandy will possibly tell me off for suggesting another site but the Mig welding forum is a good resource and like this site the members have a lot of knowledge and a willingness to give advice.

MIG Welding Forum

www.mig-welding.co.uk
 
Now for the real stuff
So, practice over and time to get to grips with the real thing. I’ve used a thin disc in the small angle grinder and cut out the rotten area around the bump stop.
IMG_0351.jpg IMG_0330.jpg

Then trial fit of the new plate
IMG_0352.jpg

I found those welding magnets very handy in this application, holding the plate flush with the surrounding metal and keeping it in place while I make a few tack welds. Then it’s a seam weld to join the new plate to the chassis….
IMG_0353.jpg

Still have a couple of gaps to catch !

Is it better to leave a gap between the edge of the new plate and the existing steel, or make the new plate a tight fit?

I've cleaned up the welds and weld on the reinforcing plate for the bump stop, now for the other side !

IMG_0358.jpg
(I will be going into this in more detail on my thread 'complete-suspension-overhaul-1983-swb-station-wagon' in the Restorations section)
 
Yeah @Kernite, you naughty, naughty boy suggesting a forum....:D Before I did :) Very valuable resource, and as you say, very helpful members.

@Guitar Mick are you going to run a bead on the exhaust where you caught it with the grinder?

I try to get about a half mm of a gap maximum. Not easy to be exact sometimes...
 
Least you didn't cut right through the pipe... I did when replacing the bracket the centre pipe hangs off. Would have been better to take the pipe off, but I was in a rush... Frack up in haste, repent at leisure.
 
A slight gap is best as the wire can then get right through the gap giving good penetration at a lower temperature (voltage setting). This helps combat distortion on the thin panel repairs. Clean your surfaces before cutting out so that you avoid thinning the steel.
The thing I've been learning is how important it is to control the heat you put into the steel and how to avoid distortion and warping as it cools.
 
As above.... Controlling heat input can be king.... Not such a problem on thicker chassis sections BUT when it comes to thin body panels.

When I did the sills on the Transit camper... I basically stitched my way around... To keep the panels from distorting.

20170622_204157.jpg

20170630_103701.jpg

20170630_103720.jpg

20170624_122616.jpg

20170624_122858.jpg

20170630_103704.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom