Fix Them Holes

[MDJEEPER]

At the risk of sparking a major debate...What does everybody think is the best type of welder in a BASIC workshop for making simple body and frame repairs??

Some say wire welders (with or without gas) because they are fast and easy to learn...

Some say TIG welders because they produce the nicest looking welds...

And, some say the old style stick style welders are best because of their versatility (can weld think to thin metals, dirty metal, can cut metal, etc.) if you are only going to own one machine...

 

[IOPort51]

Lincoln 225 AC DC stick. is what I recomend.

Miller 250 High freequency TIG is what I own.

 

[IOPort51]

Opinions are like ex wives, seems everybody has at least one.

 

[Cheepjeep85]

i have a little lincoln weldpack 125 i think is what it is it may be the 145 i can't remember but it does mig and flux core wire i paid $500 brand new and it has paid for itself several times over and does everything i ever ask of it. i believe it is perfect for just about anyones home garage

 

[BajaEdition]

well now
I like tig for specialty work, no need to own it at home unless you are doing custom work there like specialty metals, most home shops can be worked with a MIG.
Arc is good for thick metals, But I notice more and more welders showing up with big Mig machines to weld metals in construction, so I think the revolution is catching on. The best thing I can say about stick arc is you have a lot of choices in stick size and shields that change in seconds. Besides that unless you just like it, or weld thick metals, Mig is by passing it.
Everyone who welds needs a gas setup, it is the way to do light metals and gives you the ability to cut. Until Plasma cutters get affordable, then Gas will rule.
I use mig a lot at the house and the more I do it the more I find I can do more and more work with it.
Now as said earlier, that is an opinion and opinions are like $#*&#@$).
So take it at surface value
and that value is you can set up good dual polarity mig setup and a small gas setup for around a grand including bottle lease and consumables. spend a few weekends building a few carts and be good enough for good work, after a few years you will be good enough to get fancy.

 

[MDJEEPER]

Lincoln 225 AC DC stick. is what I recomend.

Miller 250 High freequency TIG is what I own.

Talking with old timers, they seem to love their stick welders...but then maybe they just like old technology!

Has anybody actually welded Jeep sheet metal body parts with a stick??

 

[BrockGrimes]

IMO the mig is the best all around welder.
It's better for thicker metal and for filling holes and gaps.

A TIG is for fine detail work.

An ARC is what U stuff under the hood of your offroader,
for trail use LOL.

 

[IOPort51]

Talking with old timers, they seem to love their stick welders...but then maybe they just like old technology!

Has anybody actually welded Jeep sheet metal body parts with a stick??

Now why does he quote me when he talks about "old timers"??

Perhaps the new technology has short comings that the salesman didn't mention.

 

[MDJEEPER]

I was actually thinking of my father-in-law as the old timer in question.

Until I can get a welder to make permanent repairs, what do folks recommend to temporarily seal small rust holes/cracks in the body and prevent them from getting worse?

 

[IOPort51]

Pictures of these issues would be helpful.

I was actually thinking of my father-in-law as the old timer in question.

Until I can get a welder to make permanent repairs, what do folks recommend to temporarily seal small rust holes/cracks in the body and prevent them from getting worse?

 

[BrockGrimes]

Clean off the rust and spray a good rust preventative primer on the holes.
Stop drill the cracks to prevent them from getting bigger until a repair can
be made. Again clean rust and paint.

 

[BajaEdition]

Talking with old timers, they seem to love their stick welders...but then maybe they just like old technology!

Has anybody actually welded Jeep sheet metal body parts with a stick??

to powerful for the thin metal, warps it
I take a grinder and v the crack and then make spot welds with the mig. letting it cool between welds, grind it down and fill any holes, grind it close to flat and use a sanding wheel to get it flat, do a few fine sanding, heat some lead and apply, then sand down and finish sand, then prime.

 

[MDJEEPER]

Pictures of these issues would be helpful.

Here are a couple pictures of my immediate problem. This is located inside the tub, along the base of the rear seat area.

How can I fix this for now without a welder?

 

[IOPort51]

Here are a couple pictures of my immediate problem. This is located inside the tub, along the base of the rear seat area.

How can I fix this for now without a welder?

like the man said, brush it and paint it. are those your only issues?

 

[Old Dog]

are those your only issues?

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[Cheepjeep85]

i don't know if id help him anymore IO he called you old :laugh:. baja you still use lead as body filler? i know they use to do that before bondo came along, but i believe i'd make the switch before you have a set of balls growin off your forehead or cancer or somethin.:laugh:

 

[IOPort51]

i don't know if id help him anymore IO he called you old :laugh:. baja you still use lead as body filler? i know they use to do that before bondo came along, but i believe i'd make the switch before you have a set of balls growin off your forehead or cancer or somethin.:laugh:

believe it or not you can buy lead free body lead. The problem with lead is it is almost impossible to get rid of the acid under the lead. The acid eventually attacks the paint at the edge of the repair. I have heard of this taking 5 or 6 years to happen.

 

[73CJ]

well now

Arc is good for thick metals, But I notice more and more welders showing up with big Mig machines to weld metals in construction, so I think the revolution is catching on. The best thing I can say about stick arc is you have a lot of choices in stick size and shields that change in seconds. Besides that unless you just like it, or weld thick metals, Mig is by passing it.

We use Mig for 4" thick door jambs on Wind towers - multiple passes. Every inch gets Ultrasonic tested. 240 Amps and 1/16" wire at 12" per minute. Minimal starts and stops. A start or stop can have porosity. Lets see that would be 500 sticks with an Arc welder . . .

I like my Mig! Throw on a tank of Argon and you're doing aluminum.

 

[BajaEdition]

i don't know if id help him anymore IO he called you old :laugh:. baja you still use lead as body filler? i know they use to do that before bondo came along, but i believe i'd make the switch before you have a set of balls growin off your forehead or cancer or somethin.:laugh:

Just a term, I use bondo mostly or I just fill with a weld and grind and sand till even with the surface, depend on what I am doing.

 

[BajaEdition]

We use Mig for 4" thick door jambs on Wind towers - multiple passes. Every inch gets Ultrasonic tested. 240 Amps and 1/16" wire at 12" per minute. Minimal starts and stops. A start or stop can have porosity. Lets see that would be 500 sticks with an Arc welder . . .

I like my Mig! Throw on a tank of Argon and you're doing aluminum.

Only time I use a ARC anymore is for trail repairs where I am ganging 2 batteries together and going for it. I like the sheild of Arc rods but do not need it most the time I weld and use a gas true MIG not reverse polarity flux core. My first attempt was with a gas rig, but that was because a friend had that available. I had another friend who was a welder teach me how to Mig but I think that was because he was to lazy to weld up all my projects I kept coming over with. He was kind of a critical teacher and really taught me a lot about metallurgy because he was a certified welder. I see from your work you are too. Anyway I think sometimes I have a big advantage over the normal home shop welder because of that. I have tried Tig, but never really saw the need for most of my stuff is mild steel. I feel Arc has it's place, but notice more and more heavy mig rigs taking the place of it. I encourage most guys restoring a CJ to learn to weld to save money and to have more pride in their machine. I was making a new front bumper for the 67 today, when finished you bet I will be proud of it. will look great and be my work.