Man oh man...
 

Do I suck at welding!!! Tonight was my first real try and it takes a special rythym to get it. I didn't start "getting it" until after about 45 min of thick, clumpy madness!!! I was trying to stitch weld some relief cuts in the firewall and kept burning through. So for all of you that make rows of nickels.... :hail: Good thing you'll never see my welds after grinding them down and covering them under my smooth firewall kit! I need lots and lots of practice....but i'll get it. Thanks for letting me borrow your welder Andy!

No worries, you get better as you go.

These mig welders have gotten so affordable anymore. You can get a really nice home shop unit from Lowes, Homedepot, Tractor Supply, and even Walmart for under $400.

I finally broke down and bought one after always being on the string trying to borrow them from my friends. Man...and I glad I did. One you have one in your shop you will find a use for it almost every weekend.

I am constantly tacking brackets to things, fixing things, customizing things, and even making tools to help with other things.

It is easier for me to put flux core wire in my MIG so I don't have to keep up with the gas bottle. You get the better looking cleaner weld with the gas though.

Practice does make perfect. I know Radrambler was first struggling to plate his firewall. However, now that he has been playing around with it more his welds look pro all the way. Just takes some time. The best thing to remember on light finish type work like the firewall is that LESS IS MORE, in terms of heat and speed so you don't blow through. Also, watch the thickness of your wire. You want the .024 wire on the light sheet metal and the cleaner the surface the less problems.

Sounds like you are having fun!

I don't know about fun...fun is when the welds looked clean! Even at a power level of 3 (scale 1-10) it just wanted to burn right through the firewall a few times. It started to finally look good by the end. My tacks were excellent as well as my short runs but when it got to the pieces that had an 1/8" gap in them, it just turned into a molten, globby mess... :D You know what, though, it really is fun. Oh, except the part where some bounced off the firewall, landed on my sleeve, burned through onto my arm and then rolled down to my elbow burning the flesh there. :willy: I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly here...

I feel for you Keith. When in the trunk installing the deep tubs on my car it happened more than once. If you can, try to imagine a guy that is 6'4" stuffed in the trunk of a '68 camaro up side down trying to get out as fast as he can. Not a pretty sight I tell ya! :D

:eek: I can totally understand that Bill; I am 6'4" also. It's actually comfy once you wiggle in there, but not too much fun getting back out! :thumbsup:

Jody

Yeah I hate being 6'7 :cool:

keith
 

the importance to mig welding is fitment, overlap weld when you can, and keep the gaps at 1/16th to tight, even though welder is set for the proper gauge metal, the edges are thin and will burn quick, as you are seeing, mig welding is like bodywork, all prep, the better prep, the better weld
jake

67" maybe. ;)

Thanks....I must be throwing off the height average here at only 5'10". It was the damn coffee I drank when I was going through puberty. People are suing McDonalds for being fat...maybe I can sue Folgers for not making 6' :D
I'll post pictures for you guys in a little bit so you can get a good laugh and then I'll grind them down and we'll never speak of them ever again. I'll be famous one day and one of you guys are going to bring the pictures back up...I know it! :_paranoid

Keith I am the one throwing the average down lol.67" is much more accurate. :yes: