Kain
3/4 ton status
Is it better for tig to use 100% argon or 75% argon 25% co2?
going to try tig and see how I like it.
going to try tig and see how I like it.
CK5
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welding in patch panels
- Thread starter Kain
- Start date
100% Argon
Bondo Billy says .030 flux core with 1.5” stick out. No gas needed. Runs it hot 80-90A. Tac, tac, tac
No I have not tried this and have never welded body panel thin steel. Just recently saw a few of his videos. I think he’s a hoot. I admit I am easily amused.
No I have not tried this and have never welded body panel thin steel. Just recently saw a few of his videos. I think he’s a hoot. I admit I am easily amused.
100% Argon. It is a tedious process with tig. If you fave to push a panel to align the seam, you need a 3rd hand.
Kain
3/4 ton status
watched a guy on Youtube use magnets from harbor freight to hold the panels in place,
also want to see if I can do it.
was told I could not pull it off.....
also want to see if I can do it.
was told I could not pull it off.....
The welding isn't the hard part, it's dealing with the distortion after.
Kain
3/4 ton status
I have a YESWELDER YWM-160 multiprocess welder, got the tig torch for it and the yeswelder gauges. got filler rods from harbor freight, tungsten's will be here Friday almost everything I need to try my hand. will get the gas bottle in a week or so and see what I can do, or if I mess it up.
welder I have had for a while
link to gauges below
welder I have had for a while
link to gauges below
Mig user here. I use 023 solid wire and 25/75 gas. Wondering also about tig. Have you tried mig?
Kain
3/4 ton status
I never had gas before for the welder so I was going to practice a little on both but we shall see
just stay with mig then. mig is easy to learn.
@AgDieseler check out his build threads
What I picked up when I was getting ready to start my burb, was that, mig you need a small gap, so if butt lines aren't exact and all that, it's ok.
Tig has to be tight.
It's easier to not warp it with mig. So maybe in places you can't get to the back side for planishing with a block am such, mig would be better.
But if you can get to it, and know how to planish and straighten, tig is faster.
That's about all could see as differences
Tig has to be tight.
It's easier to not warp it with mig. So maybe in places you can't get to the back side for planishing with a block am such, mig would be better.
But if you can get to it, and know how to planish and straighten, tig is faster.
That's about all could see as differences
Any welding or brazing will create a shrink effect in the material and require working the panel afterward. Generally, the more filler and heat that are input through this process, the more distortion you'll have to work and smooth out afterward. The panel will shrink on the face of the worked surface and in the direction of travel. Thus, by the nature of how these processes work, MIG will tend to require more of that panel work than TIG.
MIG is accessible and easy to learn, and you can get acceptable sheetmetal patch results, especially using .023 wire and a similarly sized gap in the panel fitup. 75/25 argon CO2 is the go to for that process. TIG has a steeper learning curve, and once you have some facility with the machine and technique, it can deliver very high quality results that require less work to the panel after welding. For steel, always go with 100% argon.
Because filler deposition is optional with TIG - a tight panel gap might only need a tiny bit of filler or can be welded autogenously - a good TIG welder and operator can create a panel with less shrink in it compared to MIG. It will still require bumping and less surface finishing (grinding of the weld), but my experience has been that it's way less work than MIG. Even old school gas or TIG brazing create shrink, but usually a lot less than even an autogenous TIG weld.
If you're new to this process. MIG it, bump from the back side with a high crown, slowly blend the weld flat, and filler will help you make it pretty for paint.
Then, learn TIG. You'll appreciate the benefits.
David
MIG is accessible and easy to learn, and you can get acceptable sheetmetal patch results, especially using .023 wire and a similarly sized gap in the panel fitup. 75/25 argon CO2 is the go to for that process. TIG has a steeper learning curve, and once you have some facility with the machine and technique, it can deliver very high quality results that require less work to the panel after welding. For steel, always go with 100% argon.
Because filler deposition is optional with TIG - a tight panel gap might only need a tiny bit of filler or can be welded autogenously - a good TIG welder and operator can create a panel with less shrink in it compared to MIG. It will still require bumping and less surface finishing (grinding of the weld), but my experience has been that it's way less work than MIG. Even old school gas or TIG brazing create shrink, but usually a lot less than even an autogenous TIG weld.
If you're new to this process. MIG it, bump from the back side with a high crown, slowly blend the weld flat, and filler will help you make it pretty for paint.
Then, learn TIG. You'll appreciate the benefits.
David
Kain
3/4 ton status
So I will not be tigging any sheet metal with the machine I have. you can't turn the amps down, it is on or off.
I have the outer rockers and lower rear quarter patch panels from LMC.
I have switched the machine over to mig with gas and have my settings pretty close. I will start in the morning with the driver front fender patch I made out of sheet metal I got from home depot. then go from there.
I have the outer rockers and lower rear quarter patch panels from LMC.
I have switched the machine over to mig with gas and have my settings pretty close. I will start in the morning with the driver front fender patch I made out of sheet metal I got from home depot. then go from there.
Lots of spots with time to cool between rounds.
I started with 1' spot gap.
Then halved it, then, halved that, etc.
Letting each round cool to the touch before the next.
When it got down to they were mere inches away for each other, I d skip to every third one or something. To keep the heat spots from getting too close.
I started with 1' spot gap.
Then halved it, then, halved that, etc.
Letting each round cool to the touch before the next.
When it got down to they were mere inches away for each other, I d skip to every third one or something. To keep the heat spots from getting too close.
Well that is stupid.
Kain
3/4 ton status
ktmoutfront: I AGREE 1000%
Shady : I watched a guy in a hot rod shop in cali use shop air to help cool the spot weld down said it helps but yes lots of tack welds.
Shady : I watched a guy in a hot rod shop in cali use shop air to help cool the spot weld down said it helps but yes lots of tack welds.
I've done it that way, and the other way, letting it air cool on its own
Which doesn't actually take long.
The air cooled panels looked straighter.
With less minute wobble.
Neither were bad, just the compressed air way did seem to warp slightly more.
Which doesn't actually take long.
The air cooled panels looked straighter.
With less minute wobble.
Neither were bad, just the compressed air way did seem to warp slightly more.
