welder and welding sheet metal

[backfocus]

For those that have done welding on the engine bay or any part of their mustang I have some questions and need some advice.

1. What welder did you use. Please don't tell me I have heard this is good or that I want actual hands on knowledge. Know the common answer will be a Hobart or Miller or Lincoln, but what model.

Thanks to Riceslayer, as he has already told me they used a Miller 130.

2. Can someone confirm the metal thickness of the engine bay, I am getting 22 gauge, is this correct?

3. If you have smooth the bay did you just keep tacking the small holes to fill them in or did you make small patches?

I am in a process of smoothing the bay and was having problems with my welder, and am now the process of getting a different one and my looking for more tips.

Thanks in advance:SNSign:

 

[88mouse]

I used a miller. Not sure witch size it was it plugs in to 110 outlet.

Yes the factory sheet metal is 22.

I keep tacking the holes on the strut tower. From there forward I had to cut off because the car was wreaked. So i just made new inner fender aprons.

 

[Trbofox]

I use a lincoln 255 probably over kill , I use it for my manufacturing bussiness. Running .023 wire, 80 argon 20 co2. Yes the sheet metal is 22 gauge. Use a brass or copper hammer to back up the small holes. Large holes will require cutting patches to fit, make sure you wire brush needs to be very clean before you weld. Good luck, you need anything else just ask.

 

[ttop88]

Its just 22 ga steel. ANY mig welder will work fine. You will have less trouble with a 110 unit if you are not a welder. A NON flux core welder will make it even easier. (one that uses a shielding gas) If you have the fenders off dolly the hole closed first. That will make the hole much easier to weld closed.

 

[Mustang928]

Been thinkng about doing this myself... I already have a Hobart 140 welder, now after you finished grinding the welds, what type of body filler did you guys use?

And what grit paper did start sanding the body filler with?

 

[backfocus]

Thanks for all the help and comments guys.

I use a lincoln 255 probably over kill

That's way over kill Trbofox, but if you already have one, might as well use it. An I might hit you up on some more ideas.

If you have the fenders off dolly the hole closed first.

I hadn't thought of that for some reason, it has been 10 years since doing any kind of body work, so it is all slowly coming back to me

My basic problem was my welder. After talking to the company it welds too hot for what I am trying to do. I have an old Clarke 130EN with gas that was given to me about 5 years ago, and I had only welded some 1/8" stuff with it and it worked great. The company (Clarke) told me today it's thin sheet size is a 18 minimum and 22 is just to thin.

Basically it was burning through as soon as you started the spark. I have been on several welding forums and while a few people have used it on thin sheet it is not recommended. It didn't a have manual when it was give to me, so I didn't know, and after talking to the Clarke people I would never buy one, they know very little, and I was passed off to many different people.

So tomorrow I am buying a Millermatic 140 which I am told will do the job. I owned a Miller 10 years ago and sold it, should of never done that. So I am glad I stopped after just a few welds on the car, so nothing too bad came of it.

An Mustang928 I would use All Metal or Metal 2 Metal filler on top, it has metal particles in the filler and makes it stronger. I used it many years ago and am using it this time as well, but a regular light skim of bond will work too. Riceslayer has a great post on smoothing his engine bay over in the tech side.

Any more tips keep them coming, or if you have welder advice.

 

[riceslayer302]

Been thinkng about doing this myself... I already have a Hobart 140 welder, now after you finished grinding the welds, what type of body filler did you guys use?

And what grit paper did start sanding the body filler with?

i used dyna delite, i forget which type, its in a yellow can. worked great for me, i see alot of guys using the glass hair stuff too. after i got a base coat down and sanded VERY smooth, any kind of pits or ridges i filled in with the bondo body filler stuff that comes in the little black tube. for sandpaper, i used 40 to get it at least flat, but you can use 80 if you know how to use a putty knife, the go to 120, 180, 220, and i went all the way to 600 but i think you can get away with using less paper than i did.

lots of this

thats how mine went. you can see my whole project thread in the link on my signature. good luck, have fun, its a fun project and i think it looks awesome.