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First attempt at Rust repair (Pics)


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#26 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 16 February 2011 - 08:47 PM

Great thread, good to see the OP getting stuck into that XB door. Practice is the only way to learn.

I did a bit of welding back in the day at trade school. I really enjoyed it and would like to get some gear to practice with and eventually fix things on the Torry without throwing kilos of bog at it.

Needing a gas bottle has put me off MIG. If i could own a bottle and not rent one it wouldn't be so bad. I have never used one gasless so i don't know what they're like.

I remember MIG being really easy, as long as i didn't have to setup the machine's settings.

ARC was good fun, but we didn't have auto-helmets so the first bit was always a pain in the arse, especially when the thing decided to get stuck. Wouldn't want to do it in shorts either, i had proper overalls and the spatter crap was constantly flying off and burning heaps of little holes through them.

I enjoyed Oxy the most i think. Once i had a few runs with i got used to it and it made very nice, smooth welds.

I have no idea about which way to go and no spare funds yet anyway, but after being under the impression that a good MIG could cost 2 grand, it's nice to see people recommend something under 1 k.

Does anyone have one of those multi machines that can be ARC, MIG or TIG in the one unit?

Anyone use Oxy for car panels and know if you can buy the bottles in VIC ?

Edited by BAILLIE, 16 February 2011 - 08:59 PM.


#27 _Liam_

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Posted 24 February 2011 - 07:35 PM

You can buy an Argon/CO2 mini cannister at Repco for $185, which is good for approximately 5-6 hours as someone already stated. Very expensive though. Comparing to renting which is $12 per month plus filling costs... Mmm.

#28 _Liam_

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Posted 24 February 2011 - 07:40 PM

Does anyone have one of those multi machines that can be ARC, MIG or TIG in the one unit?

Anyone use Oxy for car panels and know if you can buy the bottles in VIC ?


Yes you can but you will be looking anything over $1500+. TIG is really only the goods with Alloy welding. A decent mig is worth anywhere upwards of $1000 for a 180 AMP beauty with great spectrum of use. You can get away with alot from a MIG.

Oxy is the best for panels only for the single fact it is malleable. But it can put too much carbon into the steel... You will also have problems with warping... I would recommend just a decent MIG with 0.6 mm wire and gas.

Just my opinion though others might disagree.

#29 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 04 March 2011 - 11:24 PM

Thanks guys.

I didn't hang around and did a whole lot of reading up already.

I quickly decided that a MIG running with gas is the way to go for auto work. 0.6 or 0.8 mm wire. The gas rental is really not too expensive compared with tiny canisters you can buy, and the results and ease of use are worth it.

Read heaps of good reports about the Lincoln/Liquid Arc 170 amps, cost about $1500 AFAIK so would be happy with that for car only work i think.

Then i came to the whole 15 amp power circuit deal and spent a long time reading about that.

I live in an ancient rental property and i suspect that the wiring is already quite dodgy, and i don't think that there is a 15 amp point anywhere.

I had a look at the breakers and there is an unmarked, large, old looking one that i think is the main before 2 others - a 20 amp and a 10 amp which each do one half of the house.

I'm not sure about risking it with either, but if i identify the 20 amp circuit and run off that only during the day when nobody is home and using appliances i might get away with it.

It is a long terrace house and I am unwillling to run a new circuit the whole length to the back yard as I hope to move out as soon as i can afford to anyway. It's all a matter of priorites i guess, and I think that the best thing i can do for the car is to find a better home with a shed and space to work.

Square one is so frustrating, but at least i'm learning lessons of value that one day i will be able to put into practice.

#30 _Kush_

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Posted 05 March 2011 - 09:10 AM

At my old house, I changed the 10 amp fascia to a 15 amp because it was running from a 30 amp fuse.
At my new place, I made a small power lead with a 10 amp male end and a 15 amp female end. I haven't had any problems with doing this. The machine dosent get cranked right up.

#31 _uctorry_

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Posted 05 March 2011 - 05:00 PM

you didnt hear it from me but just file down the 15 amp prong to fit the 10 amp outlet
and if you have a 20 amp circuit breaker you wont have any problems
better to plug straight into the socket than use a lead
but you didnt hear it fom me

#32 _Kush_

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Posted 05 March 2011 - 07:57 PM

The only problem with (hush hush) filing/grinding down the earth pin, is that if you ever want to really crank up the welder, there may be problems.
You know that burning plastic smell?

#33 TerrA LX

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Posted 05 March 2011 - 09:44 PM

Yeah and you let the smoke out of the wires then.

#34 _Liam_

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Posted 06 March 2011 - 03:31 PM

Thanks guys.

I didn't hang around and did a whole lot of reading up already.

I quickly decided that a MIG running with gas is the way to go for auto work. 0.6 or 0.8 mm wire. The gas rental is really not too expensive compared with tiny canisters you can buy, and the results and ease of use are worth it.

Read heaps of good reports about the Lincoln/Liquid Arc 170 amps, cost about $1500 AFAIK so would be happy with that for car only work i think.

Then i came to the whole 15 amp power circuit deal and spent a long time reading about that.

I live in an ancient rental property and i suspect that the wiring is already quite dodgy, and i don't think that there is a 15 amp point anywhere.

I had a look at the breakers and there is an unmarked, large, old looking one that i think is the main before 2 others - a 20 amp and a 10 amp which each do one half of the house.

I'm not sure about risking it with either, but if i identify the 20 amp circuit and run off that only during the day when nobody is home and using appliances i might get away with it.

It is a long terrace house and I am unwillling to run a new circuit the whole length to the back yard as I hope to move out as soon as i can afford to anyway. It's all a matter of priorites i guess, and I think that the best thing i can do for the car is to find a better home with a shed and space to work.

Square one is so frustrating, but at least i'm learning lessons of value that one day i will be able to put into practice.


Yeah mate I myself bought the Cigweld Weldskill 150 AMP gas/gasless MIG welder for $465. It is a great machine. In all honesty you don't need anything more than 150 AMP for 6 mm plates.

As for the 15A circuitry. DON'T FILE THE PIN. Go and grab yourself a 20A or 32A (either is fine.) RCD/MCB and a 15A GPO from Haymans, also grab some 6mm2 cable A-N (you can get away with 4mm2) and some 6mm2 triple core A-N-E, dig a trench to the shed, 600mm deep and lay it in conduit and run it 2 m out of ground at each end. Then just get your sparky to change it over. Cost will be bugger all and it can save you a lot of money than being dodgy and filing the pin and then igniting your wires etc. Not worth it.

Cost should only be like maybe $100 plus your sparkys wage so add $100.

#35 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 07 March 2011 - 12:56 AM

Yeah mate I myself bought the Cigweld Weldskill 150 AMP gas/gasless MIG welder for $465. It is a great machine. In all honesty you don't need anything more than 150 AMP for 6 mm plates.

As for the 15A circuitry. DON'T FILE THE PIN. Go and grab yourself a 20A or 32A (either is fine.) RCD/MCB and a 15A GPO from Haymans, also grab some 6mm2 cable A-N (you can get away with 4mm2) and some 6mm2 triple core A-N-E, dig a trench to the shed, 600mm deep and lay it in conduit and run it 2 m out of ground at each end. Then just get your sparky to change it over. Cost will be bugger all and it can save you a lot of money than being dodgy and filing the pin and then igniting your wires etc. Not worth it.

Cost should only be like maybe $100 plus your sparkys wage so add $100.


Thanks again guys for the comments.

Yeh my current house is already dodgy enough, i mean it could probably be condemned if we wanted, so i don't really want to make it even slightly more unsafe than it is.

Thanks for the info, i am only used to 12v wiring so this a bit new to me. The main fuse box is right at the front of the house and my Torry is out the back, probably 30 metres away in a straight line, no shed either.

I get what you are saying i think - Buy all the parts and then run the cable from end to end, then get the sparky to finish the new connections at each end, right?

Only 2 things i could think of that may be an issue -

I have heard that some sparkies don't like to "sign off" on these kinds of things. Also, there is only one small access path down one side of the house and it has a brick / concrete section or two that i could not dig into. I would probably prefer to run the cable down the hallway anyway. It would be easier except for getting past 2 doors and doorways without being in the way.

Is it correct that i would run one end to the main fuse box and the other to the place for the 15 amp outlet?

#36 _Liam_

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Posted 07 March 2011 - 07:37 PM

Sparky is retarded if thats the case. If they meggar the mains there shouldn't be a problem. As long as don't drag the mains over rocks and cut/nick the insulation. No worries at all.

Yes for the most part, don't put it into the Main Switchboard just run it up the wall in a piece of flexible conduit but fix it to the wall with saddles. Same for the shed end. Leave a metre roll at each end. You will still have to run it from the House to the Shed underground anyway, so may as well just cut the concrete with a concrete saw from a hire joint. (About $20 for the day.) If you plan to concrete back over the top of it, you can probably get away with a shallower depth. But don't get it concreted until the sparky signs off on it.

I don't know the layout of your place, but if you are really keen on doing it different to me, just ring a spraky for a free quote and ask him for advice and then just do that and cut him out... Or just tell him what you plan to do. Ask for advice.

Sparky wouldn't sign off if you ran the connections or they couldn't test it properly. My method is perfectly accepted.

#37 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 08 March 2011 - 11:32 PM

Thanks again man.

As i said twice, i have no shed. Torry is parked on concrete section out the back door, within 2 metres of laundry so would just have an outlet in the laundry and plug into that.

See what happens hey, but this is all important to know for future reference whether i decide to go through with it or not.

Cheers



#38 _Liam_

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Posted 09 March 2011 - 07:44 PM

Oh well in that case just ask the sparky. Lol.

Edited by LX Torry Freak, 09 March 2011 - 07:45 PM.


#39 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 10 March 2011 - 12:27 AM

Will do.

:)

#40 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 11 March 2011 - 01:12 AM

Well my excuse for lack of progress was we ran out of gas... We've got gas now, so I need to pull my finger out and finish that fraud door. :nada:

Housemate also grabbed some .6 wire for me too, should make it a bit easier than the .8 thats in there at the moment. :buttrock:

Steve

#41 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 13 March 2011 - 05:33 PM

So this arvo I got stuck into the door. I started with folding the bottom of the skin over, so hard to do on the car. I used a massive shifter to start the bend and finished it with some panel beating hammers and a clamp (to try and get the sharp fold) However results were less than perfect. But for a first go I am not disapointed. Its a bit easier with the .6mm wire in the MIG.

With the next bit to fix I will make sure to prebend the edge of the skin before I weld the patch in.

Anyways heres the results.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Steve

Edited by 73LJWhiteSL, 13 March 2011 - 05:35 PM.


#42 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 14 March 2011 - 06:07 PM

Paint it and you will see how good it is. Bare (not bear) metal is deceiving.

Is easier to bend over if you bend it over 90 degrees prior to welding on the car.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 14 March 2011 - 06:08 PM.


#43 _BAILLIE_

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Posted 02 April 2011 - 09:56 PM

Looks great for a first go :)

I would be happy with that. Agreed it should come up well with paint : )




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