Another lurker!

[Gert-Jan]

Hi everyone,

I've been sucking information from this site for a while now. I don't have much experience in the metal department. My daily job is software engineer... I live in the Netherlands, Europe.

I've watched the David's DVD over and over again, I like the way the explains and he follows british traditions. Right now I am trying to metalfinish a weld. I thought I would learn that trick in a afternoon, but I fount out I should have a [I]lot[I] more patience. (First actually learn welding ) I only have a MIG welder, but it is a Kemppi, very very nice machine. I'm getter better, but learning it is a slow process.

I bought a front wing (fender) of a Citroën DS for 10 euros. It is in bad nick, but that is the point! I want to learn from it. So, first step, learn to metal finish a weld seam. I also own a Citroën DS, which was build in 1969.

I also have 250x150x8mm square tubing (together with 4x9 upper and 3,5 inch lowers from Hoosiers) in stock, that will make a nice e-wheel frame Unfortunately spare time is limited, so the e-wheel is a long term project. I will build when I need it.

I really enjoy reading metalshaping (especially by hand) stuff, keeps me motivated.

cheers,

Gert-Jan

[Mark Fox]

Hi Gert-Jan,
Welcome aboard. Davids dvd is a great start, and as David shows you don't need lots of tools.Its fantastic, your having a go. Its the way to learn.
Please post photo's, we love them here.
Mark

[jhnarial]

I will be welding in some panels today. I will be tig welding them but the process of re-stretching the weld is basically the same.

I MIG welded panels for along time and it is possible to have very good results. The down fall is that a MIG weld is very brittle and will stress crack if you are not careful.

It is easier to show and I will try to remember to take some pictures today.

Welcome aboard

[HEATNBEAT]

Welcome Gert-Jan!
like Jonny said a mig weld is hard and brittle. Did you grind the weld down first?

[Joe Hartson]

Gert-Jan, Welcome to the site, thanks for the introduction.

[Gert-Jan]

Originally Posted by HEATNBEAT

Welcome Gert-Jan!
like Jonny said a mig weld is hard and brittle. Did you grind the weld down first?

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

I follow the procedure posted on MM by Randy Ferguson, who learned the procedure from Wray Schelin. So that is a yes, I grind the proud of the weld down before hammering with a slapper. Johny you also posted this same procedure here, that surely helped.

I haven't seen the weld crack after hammering ...yet. I'm putting my hopes on "cracking welds myth busted"!

--GJ

[Gert-Jan]

First I tried to produce a constant stitch weld bead, with enough burn through. I ended up setting the voltage and wire speed a bit higher. A more consistent spot weld was the result.




Good lighting is essential I found out, I used my engine hoist and attached a fluorescent light.


I still have some difficulties with shrinkage adjacent to the weld. I guess I should just treat that as a low spot and file the weld a bit more.


My spots have a hole in the middle, maybe the wirespeed is too low.


--GJ

[Gert-Jan]

These are the tools I used. I think I need to build a heavier slapper. I don't have a oxygen-acetheleen torch, so I MIG welded it.



The sandbag is home made, needs some more sand in it. But for now, it acts as a holder for my dollies, in absence of a post dolly.

[David Gardiner]

Welcome to the site Gert-Jan, I have nothing against mig and tig welding, I show the uses for these on the DVD. Tig welding as I show is more or less the same as gas welding when it comes to dressing the weld out.
I am amazed at the way that Johnny finishes mig welds and as you say he learned from Randy, I would never have thought it possible to finish a mig weld in this way. It just seems a lot of work to me. ( I hate grinding welds!) It would not be possible to carry out some of the other techniques I show if you mig weld. If you are trying to metal finish steel you will get on better with a flipper file like I show.

David

[Gert-Jan]

Thanks for your reply and welcome David.

The slapper made of a car leaf spring, a MG roadster to be more precise.

I know you avoid MIG welding when possible of sensible and you're keen on gas welding for good reasons. The thing is, I already bought a MIG welder some time ago and I didn't discover it downsides at the time.

If you totally new to this, like I am, you ask around, see some stuff on Discovery, read some books about restoring. Guess what, every resource mention MIG welding as the way to go. (and then talk about filler of course) Later I discovered metalmeet.com and later this forum came up. I don't hear or read stuff like slappers (flippers), shrinking discs outside metalmeet and allmatalshaping so much! I discovered your DVD through this forum also.

Finishing MIG welding IS a lot of work and grinding weld is a precise job, I see why you don't prefer it. I'm just having a go and see what I can do. I don't want to spend a lot of money when I just barely know how to hold a MIG welder. I was raised to making do with what you have. If I'm getting better at all this I will think about upgrading to gas or tig weld unit.