Jmo If you are working on a piece that requires a good, pretty weld and requires little dressing, oxy-acetelyne is the way to go. However, since most body work is going to require totalling smoothing the welds, shaping the patch to match contour, and take quite some time, save yourself some time and use a mig to weld in the panels. The time you save will best be used in dressing your patch for paint.
Since the advent of TIG welding, I cant imagine ever welding with oxy/acel ever again. TIG is just like it only much better and much more precise.
again,never said it was the only choice...just mentioned it for ****s and giggles.....i`m only 22 and would love to learn how to do it though just to say i can
I was not criticizing, just presented my opinion. Welding with a set of tourches and stick welders was all that was available back in shop class for me. I think all forms of welding are fun, but it definately takes practice to be good at it. Not that I would use it, but I wish I was good enough to be able to weld sheet metal with a torch. If your good with a torch, then TIG would probably come real easy for you. MIG is about the easiest in my opinion.
MIG is difinately the easiest,TIG is great too,but pricey.........I bough a MIG welder,Stick welder,and an oxy/acetylene outfit for less than a good TIG setup alone would cost,well,maybe not that cheap,but you get the idea.Friend is putting together a TIG setup though,a real nice one,with a huge Lincoln welder,the kind that you need a crane/hoist to lift.Should be real nice when its done.
If someone's on a tight budget and only has a stick welder, Eastwood sells what they call a Stitch Welder. It attaches to the welder's electrode holder, cuts the current in half and vibrates the electrode in and out of the puddle. Don't have to scratch to start the arc, just lay it on the metal. I've used mine a lot over the years, had good results welding quarter panels, fenders, small brackets, etc.
the trick to welding in holes is to pull the trigger in short blast at a time giving to metal time to cool inbetween each one.
Or you could just build your own TIG if you cant afford one http://turbomustangs.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8872 AC
Just a little update, I finally got some unimix and .023 wire. Man what a difference over flux core!!! Ill post some pics up in the next day or so. My first little project was to cover the nasty torched out holes in the shock tower. I hope I can find some before pics to compare. One thing is for sure though, if the surface is not CLEAN the damn thing spits and sputs and is just an all around PITA. I am pretty much a n00b at welding, but once I got going on this thing, its BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ as pretty as you please. AC
