I was going to weld up some trim holes on the rocker panels of the cuda. My plan was to use some common nails and weld the heads into the holes and then cut off the nail. Never got around to trying it though.
Very cool butt welding technique
- Thread starter Dartfreak75
- Start date
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The problem with that is the effort and time to clean the nails before welding on them.
Most nails are coated with a galvanized or blue oxide finish. All of that needs to go before welding because a good weld would not happen with those coatings in the way and welding on galvanized can produce a poison gas.
Maybe sand blasting the nails would help but it would be faster to weld fill small holes with the welder. I ran into that on the side trim holes on a 68 dart.
Scamp Rhonda
Well-Known Member
Not everybody. Glad you could prove them wrong. Flux core works pretty good when that's all you have!
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Yea I am it's coming along working on it again today I have to run some errands this afternoon I will get back at it some more later today
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Yea I have had alot of support from you guys in this site. I have learned alot. My biggest struggle starting out was my power supply. The outlet I was using was over used. So it was just lagging so much I switched and went to an circut that only has 3 outlets on it and noone ever uses those three and it's a 20amp circuit. That helped tremendously. I still have to run and extension cord for now so I am limited to what I can weld for now. I am gonna run a new wire from that outlet to outside and make another outdoor outlet I can plug straight into with no extension cord and I will be set then. I got me some wire to do it I just gotta do it. I have been so busy havent had a chance
Also, find a block of solid copper, use it to back up holes you are filling in.copper wont stick. And a steel tig rod helps to fill bigger gaps.
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
Copper backup block
Big gaps with a stick welder, take another stick and knock the flux off and clean it up. In one hand you have the stinger and rod, in the other you have the clean rod and use the stinger as you would an acetylene torch and fill away
Or carbon. Problem is you can't get behind every hole. Some trim holes in 1/4 panels are almost impossible to reach from the inside.
Even when it is accessible like in the trunk, you would need really long arms or a helper.
Or just wire bridge it from the front
Even when it is accessible like in the trunk, you would need really long arms or a helper.
Or just wire bridge it from the front
Carbon works like copper but I found out how quick it absorbs heat
Dartsun
Mopar Dude
I just picked up alittle 110v mig welder the other day. Figured might as well start learning fix my own sheet metal and rust outs.
Did it have a/c ? Or are you trying to go gas pedal and wiring harness delete?
49 model. No AC. It had a heater though. And no, I am filling all of the holes and starting from scratch so that only the needed holes will be there. There's a pile of um right now. I do have a small aftermarket AC and heater to go in it. But of course, that will not utilize any production holes.
I made a magnetic holder for mine.
gunbunny
Well-Known Member
I got a friend who's made his living welding. Notorious for not wearing a helmet.
His neck always had a flash burn and he'd get arc eye a couple times a year.
He got cancer in his neck. Damn near killed him and he had to relearn to eat and swallow.
I was at his shop the other day, he's welding something, no helmet. I got on him about it and of course, the cancer wasn't caused by the UV light, it was something else. blah,blah,blah....
You can't tell him, he won't listen.
That just makes no sense at all. I know the old non darkening helmets were a little bit of a pain, but now we have these badass auto darkening jobbies that there's zero excuse not to wear.
Any pics?
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
I guess it's what you get used to? I bought my old Jackson hood when I was an apprentice, non auto. I did add a neck flap to keep the welding boogers from going down my collar. I used an auto hood that the compnee bought for me sparingly. Always grabbed the the my old one first. The auto was handy at times with the big innershield Mig when I knew it would be an all day project. Even then with the hood down I found myself doing the head bob thing to get the filter in place
I guess it's what you get used to? I bought my old Jackson hood when I was an apprentice, non auto. I did add a neck flap to keep the welding boogers from going down my collar. I used an auto hood that the compnee bought for me sparingly. Always grabbed the the my old one first. The auto was handy at times with the big innershield Mig when I knew it would be an all day project. Even then with the hood down I found myself doing the head bob thing to get the filter in place
But you at least USE ONE.
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
Truthfully just the slight delay on the auto hood bothered me.
diymirage
HP@idle > hondaHP@redline
I thought the same thing
until I figured out he put it on the driver's side of the truck
(normal peoples driver side)
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Great point. Soaking the nails in OSPHO (phosphoric acid) or any type of acid works well at eliminating any of the plating that may be the nails an preps them for welding. Using nails works very well. It's just like anything else - pick your poison.
R4Sedan
Larry
I like that trick. I do agree he should be wearing safety gear.
I guess if he drive backwards, yeah.
gunbunny
Well-Known Member
The kicker is, he has 4 or 5 of those type helmets lying around. He's got one hanging on every welder in his shop. Probably a dozen or so of the old type on shelves. I don't get why he doesn't use them. His dad is/was the same way, though.
Hard headed.
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