WELDING 101

[Dorio86]

http://www.hobartwelders.com/techtips.html#mig

Pretty much everything you need to know about welding your chassie.

[mc68]

chassis*

and i know i suck at welding, but no matter how much i read practice will only make me better http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/dcimages/7/5/4/536981.jpg

[driftae86]

make me a half cage andy...that will help you practice http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/tongue.gif

[OBE353]

i just finished a welding module at tafe as part of my mechanics apprenticeship and got 90 percent for it yay http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/biggrin.gif *buys self beer*

[mc68]

yeah ive done that, i also got 90 http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/tongue.gif

but hardly taught me anything, im signing up for a night coure to actually learn how to weld things, not just run a bead along a straight edge...and to use a tig...fun fun

[rxbenny]

where are you doing said night course?

[parkerlewis]

night course can apparently be very good. My friend Doc did one, he is already a trained boilermaker been in the field for 20 years, but hadn't done much thin steel welding (ie body rust), but rather mostely thick steel welding.
He said you just bring along your own job, and use all of their tools/supplies etc...for $300! 6 weeks, 4 hours a night, once per week. He also did a painting/bogging/prepping course. I might do one when I get back from JPN! http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/wink.gif

[parrot]

Just started at Box Hill Tafe night course. Great fun laying down pads with a 400 mig. Shouls see the 720amp industrial jobby they have in there

[parkerlewis]

cool, I live in box hill south, so that would be handy if I didn't get evicted! didn't do anything wrong, but home owners want to move back in when they come back from China. Damn! Maybe they have something closer to Williamstown? http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/sad.gif

[parkerlewis]

ps what do you mean by 'laying down pads'?

[Bustin_86]

I am the suck at welding lol... so bad... but i can get panels to hold together so im happy http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[parrot]

Pads is welding lines really close to each other so you get something that looks like melted cheese on top of your plate of steel. Though mine looks a bit lumpy. First night fun http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/smile.gif

[butterz]

hay fellas if your welding up thin panel sections look into sheet metal side of things as boilermakers only deal with 3mm plate and up on the other hand sheetys deal with thin stuff .6 n up 2 3mm and shit loads of tig welding which is wicked 2 wip up some intercooler piping custom plemumns exhaust systems ect. we get people bringing in there radiators all the time 2 get them welded up.

just my 2c worth http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/2thumbs.gif

[Andor]

I've been doing a night course one night a week since the begining of the year at NMIT Heidelberg. I've learnt heaps. But i've got to say unless you are welding very regularly (like daily), I don't think you can ever be a great welder. I'd be confident now doing basic things on my car like radiator mounts or for example im making up a bracket to fit my bucket seat. But for anything serious like exhausts i wouldnt go near it. I know that a profesional can do a much better job than me. But then im a perfectionist. Of course it's not impossible, take a look at Sam Qs car. Also I found the course quite boring and repetitious at times. I don't want to turn anyone off the course but just be realistic.

[butterz]

i would have 2 agree with andor its a pain in the arse of a skill pick up but once uve got it ure set weld all day n night but there r a few people who just cant do it ive got a 4th year appc at work n he still cant weld 4 shit but if your dead set on learning dont fucking give up http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/2thumbs.gif

ps make sure the teachers that r taking the course can actually weld 2 it always helps http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[parrot]

The course I am doing is 8 weeks, 4 hrs a night. That will be more than enough for me. Don't want to be an expert, just want to be fairly proficient for home jobs. $400 well spent especially when I picked up my welder cheap.

[rallystanza]

hay fellas if your welding up thin panel sections look into sheet metal side of things as boilermakers only deal with 3mm plate and up on the other hand sheetys deal with thin stuff .6 n up 2 3mm and shit loads of tig welding which is wicked 2 wip up some intercooler piping custom plemumns exhaust systems ect. we get people bringing in there radiators all the time 2 get them welded up.

just my 2c worth http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/2thumbs.gif[/b]

I Have been doing this course at NMIT in heidleberg since july, its the night course on monday nights, you must be on thursday nights.

Its been a great course, and i would weld exhaust and shit like that now, I also have a MIG at home now which helps keep the practice going.

[rthy]

I have found recently I have become much better at welding thin materials. I use a three phase welder and I am able to weld plates under 1mm, so just to let people know a tig isnt always the only option.

I highly recomend the following to people:

- get an electronic welding helmet, even if its a $70 one, it paves the way for the next step

- when holding the gun try using your other free hand to lean or hold the tip as you go along

- keep your elbow against your body for your arm thats doing the weld

I mention these because this is what I did to improve a lot, and I highly recomend it. I previously had problems with my hand being very unsteady. Also I highly recomend welding training, I have been welding since I was 15 or so but it still helped heaps. To adjust wire speed in proportion to the heat is something that is quite inportant.

[parrot]

I was struck by the difference in weld quality by getting the voltage right. From lumpy welds that need lots of grinding to beautiful flat ones just by upping the volts. The course I did certainly gave me the confidence to have a go at things and understand it a bit better. Plus got to have a bit of a go at stick welding too. Only problem was, when we first tried stick welding, I couldn't work out where the trigger was to push. Looked like a real dick that night http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Overall, $400 well spent.

[rthy]

what did you get exactly for that $400?

[parrot]

8 four hour sessions which started with 30min of video and talk then get stuck in with the Migs, all materials, gas etc included. Instructor guy basically wandered around and helped as required. One day we ran out of gas so he got us all to have a go on the stick welders out of interest. There were some other guys there doing stick and TIG.

It was pretty much do what you want and you could bring stuff in from home if you wanted. Every now and then he would come around and show some other technique to try out.

[rthy]

that sounds like an awesome deal parrot, had I not done a welding course recently I would of looked into it.

[Bustin_86]

A tip i have picked up from recent rust fixing adventures is to invest in a good set of gloves, though welding doesnt cause much heat along the nozzle of the gun i found that it increased my confidence in being able to hold the gun closer to the tip.

[riceburner]

A tip i have picked up from recent rust fixing adventures is to invest in a good set of gloves, though welding doesnt cause much heat along the nozzle of the gun i found that it increased my confidence in being able to hold the gun closer to the tip.[/b]

Not to mention that the light will burn your skin. protective shit needs to be worn at all time, especially the helmut with appropiate glass, welding flash hurt, it hurts alot.

[Bustin_86]

Sorry, i just assumed that a good helmet was a given http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/tongue.gif

[mc68]

you guys even got ray burns on ur balls and legs and shit? dont laugh as its happened to me often...when ur welding something close in the car sitting cross legged and you wore boxers that day...it will hurt the next day!

[Bustin_86]

Had ray burns on my eyelids from tack welding... i think glasses focus the ray or something...hurt pretty bad

Never on my sexy body though

[butterz]

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you guys even got ray burns on ur balls and legs and shit? dont laugh as its happened to me often...when ur welding something close in the car sitting cross legged and you wore boxers that day...it will hurt the next day![/b]


Sorry but i did laugh my ass of when i read this
Legs maybe, but balls? hahaha
Youch
[/b]


dont laugh it hurts wait till u do it http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/tongue.gif not recommended at all lay suming across ure old fella if u value him at all!!!!!!!!