My first time welding and patching...

[gregski]

it looks like you need to do a little more surface prep before you start welding. just sand/grind/wire brush the area to bare metal.

+1 can't weld dirt, rust, or dust, but paint lights on fire pretty easily you're doing great, just keep at it, look at it this way, those parts are shot, junk, rusted, you can't make them any worse bad, but with some effort you can make them better, it's not like you're cutting out a hole in a perfectly good hood to add a hood scoop or something (or at least not just yet)

 

[gregski]

And I don`t use flux core anymore, a buddy of mine came over and showed me how to hook up the gas that same day I started.

What machine do you got? I have one of them blue cheapo jobbies from Harbor Freight and want to upgrade to a true MIG, so a picture would be appreciated.

 

[gregski]

...use only CO2, the weld will be solid metal free of srut...

Can you really do that if the manufacturer recommends a mixture of Argon and CO2? I'm not questioning, just asking, since I am new to welding myself and am trying to learn also. This is a good thread.

 

[gregski]

I`m using thicker steel to patch with its prob 18 guage and its real stiff and hard to work with as far as bending goes.

Gentlemen could this be part of his burn through problem. Since you are welding two different thickness pieces together, you may be using too much heat on one side and or not enough on the other. A skilled welder can pull it off, but for a newb this may be making your life more difficult, I would suggest getting some matching thickness sheet metal for your patches and seeing how that goes, just trying to help.

 

[gregski]

This was hiding under rocker panel trim piece, the entire area forward of the wheelflare was bondo, theres also a small dent in the mouth of the "gill" where the shelby side scoop was. Not to mention the rust holes...

I`m a little disheartened by this turn of events, but maybe we can get er done.

Man that sucks, at this point I say time to media blast the entire vehicle and see what lurks beneath. Or take it all down to bare metal with some 60 grit sand paper on a random orbital sander.

 

[67rcks]

Can you really do that if the manufacturer recommends a mixture of Argon and CO2? I'm not questioning, just asking, since I am new to welding myself and am trying to learn also. This is a good thread.

oh yes
don't forget to use CO2 tip too, because all these crappy machines are set for flux core.

 

[65fastbackresto]

Already did the hood thing...

+1 can't weld dirt, rust, or dust, but paint lights on fire pretty easily you're doing great, just keep at it, look at it this way, those parts are shot, junk, rusted, you can't make them any worse bad, but with some effort you can make them better, it's not like you're cutting out a hole in a perfectly good hood to add a hood scoop or something (or at least not just yet)

My hood scoop wasn`t functional till I cut out under it....hehehe

 

[65fastbackresto]

CO@

Can you really do that if the manufacturer recommends a mixture of Argon and CO2? I'm not questioning, just asking, since I am new to welding myself and am trying to learn also. This is a good thread.

I read up on that after 67rcks posted that, you`d have to be a pretty good welder first to be able to use that stuff, more spatter and less forgiving then agron.

 

[oz]

When I fixed my front frame where it had rusted out inside the torque boxes, I cut all the bad metal out and all that was left was the inner and upper sides of the box. To make sure it was reinforced properly, I got a 1-1/2" angle iron and fitted it inside the frame and welded it on. It was welded to the existing inside panel and the new bottom panel. I think the frame should be rock hard for a long time in this area.
I then used 12 or 14 gauge sheet stock to make the other two sides. They were generally butt welded but I did tack on a small backing plate behind the flat part on the outside of the frame to get more of a lap joint.
You can weld different thickness together pretty easy by setting the welder for the thicker piece and then concentrating the heat of the arc on the thicker metal. You just change the angle of the nozzle. Basically point the nozzle at the edge of the thicker piece and watch to make sure the puddle is 'picking up' the thinner piece. If not, move slightly closer to the thin piece. You can avoid blow through this way and get a nice hot weld at the same time.
I don't have my memory stick with me that has the pictures on it but I'll try to remember to post a couple tomorrow.

 

[65fastbackresto]

Gregski

Welder info you asked for. My dad gave me this about 3 years ago, but I just started using recently as you know. 2 people have told me so far that this is a really nice one, and it seems to work real nice when every now and then I get it set up just right.

Oz, yea I`ve been having to use some reinforcement plates here and there to get good welds on burnthrus and stuff, even in the wheelhouse where the trunk floor was rusted too far back away from the wheelhouse patch. Keep the advice coming though please.

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[67rcks]

IMO you woud not have to be pretty good welder to use 100% CO2 as opposed to CO2+argonne mix. There is much more spatter and weaker weld with fluxcore compared to CO2+0.6mm solid wire. Even now I have the 1lb wheel fluxcore that came with my 230v lincoln, found it totally unusable. Argonne cannot compete with price of CO2. Thus I have never used it.

 

[65fastbackresto]

This was hiding under rocker panel trim piece, the entire area forward of the wheelflare was bondo, theres also a small dent in the mouth of the "gill" where the shelby side scoop was. Not to mention the rust holes...

I`m a little disheartened by this turn of events, but maybe we can get er done.

Well does anyone have any sugestions on how to proceed with this? Gut the rocker? Entire quarterpanel? Partial quarter panel with wheel flare and the forward section?

The rocker panel skin is only $36, but I don`t know what I`m getting into here...