Came down with a cold after my last video, so I was out of the shop for a couple days. Back at it today and made the promised 'real time' video of welding and grinding.
Ask any questions you have about the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5YEjjqgF_k
This is fantastic and I see a couple areas to improve my technique as I head out to the shop today. I wasn't appreciating how much adjustment is needed for edge matching AFTER the piece is fully tacked in place. Also, after the gap shrunk closed, I have been only reopening them if they interfered with the edge match and I think explains most of the little googes that have been left behind on my welds.
One thing I can't see well in the video is when you are using a dolly on the backside of the panel.
Thanks for posting this! I'll be trying to apply these lessons shortly.
Thanks for posting, Mark. Very helpful.
The sparks on the wheel go round and round, round and round, round and round...
Thanks for the additional detail this video provides. It really makes one appreciate the effort and time that goes into good metal work.
Been hoping to become inspired to replace the FG flares on my car with the metal ones on the shelf. This video helps to demystify the process, but also highlights that its not a project to be taken lightly.
What? The shop owner cannot call in sick!
Thanks for making the video.
Definitely all spot welds. Each new spot weld is targeted on the edge of the last one. Basically 50% overlap from one weld to the next. I do it really quickly because I have 10+ years of muscle memory-- so my fingers and hands know exactly how far to move the gun/nozzle after each weld, and as I go along my subconscious is evaluating how the last tach weld went and what adjustments I need to make. For example, if I run into a bit of thin metal, it can blow through, so I instantaneously change from the normal stacking of tack welds to make a few smaller tacks to build up material in the 'weak' area and then a slightly larger tack to close everything up -- larger because the added material increases the thermal mass and it takes a bit more 'dwell' to heat up the thicker material. But all that is happening in less than a second. If you're starting out, your pace will/should NOT be as fast as mine.
Also, I run my welder at full heat and mid feed speed. I like my tack welds to go in hot and fast. Adjust the feed speed to minimize grinding as much as possible, while throwing enough material at it to build a nice tack weld. This will differ depending on your welder. The one I use most is an old Lincoln WeldPak 100, so full power on that is no where near full power on a 220v MIG.
Yeah, sounds familiar. It's just that you are much better at it. I have at times blown through and ended up tacking weld in a circle around the thin spot to make enough metal to build on. That often leads to cutting up the cardboard around a case of coke. They make great patch patterns. I used to have an old box where I tossed the old patterns in as souvenirs. Of course what beverage leads to the patch pattern depends on the user.
starting to snow here.
Great video Mark! What grit paper are you using to grind and what wire do you recommend. Nice work for sure!!
That's a 36g wheel. I thought it was 80g, but I just checked. In the spirit of 'do as I say, not as I do' -- I would recommend using a 36g to get most of the height removed, then switch to 80g for the more careful smoothing. Easy to make big grooves/gouges with 36g if you don't have a feather-touch.
Random thoughts that occur to me as watch the video--
No audio, huh?
Interesting how that first section you welded popped upward as soon as you stopped.
How do you know how much of a gap needs to be left between the pieces of metal you are joining?
Sometimes when you pull the trigger, you don't get the same light-show that you do most of the time. Why is that? Did the wire not make proper contact or some such?
Damn, I could never do this kind of work!!!
--DD
It's like therapy from,a stressful day.
I got a hot splatter burn on my big toe today.
I was wearing tennis shoes.
Bob B
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