I have a Hobart Handler MIG rig and I want to fill in the SS side trim strip holes on the car. I have a bottle of mixed gas and I need to just pick up some .024 wire to do it. But I have to say that I'm not sure of the settings I should use, plus I've never done sheet metal before. I've welded a frame with it beautifully with flux core .035 wire, but that was too much for the scrap sheet metal that I did try, either it would not stick or it blew right through. I'm not going to try that on the Poncho. Anyway, with .024 and gas, what should the settings really be? I'd like to hear from those that have done it. Thanks guys, I appreciate it. . . . . . . For those of you who just have to bitch, I tried searching but our firewall interferes with that, so save it.
Probably the biggest thing that helps me is this. Become the master of the tack, tack tack away. Keeps me from warping the panel, it's hot enough to stick well, and it's easier to not burn thru.
Yeah, I thought I'd just pimple it in, leave a wire's width all around the filler steel and zap zap zap. Thing is I'd hate to make the holes any bigger than they are so I'm wondering what settings work best in the real world.
Is it a 130/135/145 Handler? If so, heat at 1, speed at 10. There should be a settings chart inside the lid. If filling small holes, rather than trying to "fill" it with weld and potentialy making the hole larger, use a small machine screw that fits in the hole tight. Insert in hole, tack and cut the head off.
Depending on the size of the holes, I've used common nails, put the head in the hole , you can hold by the shank, mig and cut off when done
get some brass or aluminum, and a magnet. bolt the magnet to the brass so it holds it in place on the back side, covering the hole, but keeps the magnet an inch or two away from the heat. the weld won't stick, and you won't be left with stringers on the back side.
i got a hobart 140 mig with gas and ushualy set it at 2 and 20-25(wire speeed) for filling holes it really depends on how thin the steel is as well as how big the holes are i also use a piece of copper pipe i flattend out as a backer that way the weld dont stick to it works good and cheap.
<HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --> Yeah, I thought I'd just pimple it in" I'll assume you mean dimple. well... don't dimple. not sure why you would want to do that. depending on the size of the hole and how many there are as well as how the planets are aligned I like to use little metal plugs. sometimes you need to use a step drill to resize the holes for better fit. as for settings.... I've welded up 100's of holes and couldn't tell you what I set the machine at. practice on some scrap and see what works
Yes, this works really well. But make sure that you use plain nails, not galvanized. Welding on that will make you sick if you breath the fumes. Make sure that the edge of the hole is clean of paint to avoid contamination. I start by tacking in the nail and then moving to the next hole. Keep coming back to add more a little more filler (wire from the mig). Don't do too much...keep moving to the next hole and it will be pretty unlikely you will get a lot of warpage. I have a Hobart 175. I do mine on #1 with about 30 for speed. I would use a 110v on sheet metal if I had one!
The holes are rather large, about 3/8" x 1/4" and they had a plastic plug that went in them with a clip for the trim. A great idea, if you love trim. I like the nail idea. It's a 130 if memory serves.
I don't have a Hobart welder, but when I use my Lincoln, I generally use the A (lowest) setting for power with the wire speed on about 3-3.5. If the holes are big, it may be beneficial to take little pieces of metal to fill the hole and weld them in place, instead of filling the hole with melted wire. This will aid in controlling heat and keep warping (shrinkage) to a minimum. Another good method is to take a flattened piece of copper pipe and use it as a backer to the hole while you weld. This will serve 2 functions; allow you to start an arc and get a pool going without plowing into the sheet metal with impunity, and copper's excellent heat absorption characteristics will help absorb some heat and control warping. Most importantly, take your time. Tack, then let it cool. Repeat. It is tedious, but such is life with the MIG. Use a flap disc instead of a stone to flatten the welds after you're done.
Some crazy answers on here......... That wire you mentioned will be like pushing a wet noodle up a cats ...... so, you need to use .030 or .035 Also, them machines have 1-4 settings, and I just sold a nice one......but the deal is, nothing good out of settings 1,2..sometimes 3. it'll just land a b.b. on the sheet metal and not actually melt anything. Just use setting 3 or 4, with the bigger wire and practice spot welds a little first. Just a quick zap. Get you a piece of copper & either hold it on the backside or have someone do it for ya. Magnets SCREW UP ANY WELD PROCESS.....use them to jig up what you need, like the right angle magnets....then get rid of them before doing any final welding.......(that in general....not about your spot weld post) Carl Hagan
By pimple I meant little tack welds, they look like zits to me. So Carl, you like a bigger wire? With gas I assume?
If your lead is anything over 2ft out from the maching, the leads liner is going to make it extremely hard to push that small of wire......no imaging if your lead is not perfectly straight from the machine to the weldment.....mine always has a half circle of lead laying on the floor & then coming up from the floor into my right hand......so with all them bends and a dirty liner (rust from old wire- daily use ect...) then it will be hard for the maching to push it out. Argon/CO2 'cause straight CO2 is for beer. Yeah....if by zit you mean you see a b.b. on top of the sheet metal and looks like it stuck there by grace of god....then yes....you see what I mean & you need to use setting 3 or 4. Just have the wire speed up enough to make the normal Bacon Sizzling sound when you pull the trigger. Carl Hagan
Wow. Lot's of Crazzy answers here. I have welded hundreds of trim holes over the years with a Mig. One thing I still do is set the machine pending the current job. One setting isn't correct for 6 different guys. We all do it a little different. Find a piece of Scrap same gauge and drill some holes. I also Never dimple a hole, it's just Wrong! You can metal finish trim holes with a little patiance and practice. Clean is the secerete on both sides and in the hole. Scotch bright is good to remove paint and rust. Pass a drill through the hole. Thick Brass or Alumn. for a backer. A buddy inside to hold it "tight" against the body and roset the Hole shut. While Hot grab your disc sander with a 36 grit and knock it flat. 1/4" holes are easy and up to 1/2" can be done that way. I never use a plug under 3/8". Like I said, we all do it different this is just my way and it seldom takes Body filler to finish off my holes. The Wizzard
I say if someones welder is not pushing small wire they need to fix something with thier welder. I always use .23 wire for sheetmetal. I've never used a copper backer. if the hole is so big I feel like I needed a backer I'd plug it. While Hot grab your disc sander with a 36 grit and knock it flat. be sure to watch your heat in the grinding process also. go lightly and grind the weld only rather than all the surrounding sheetmetal.
Just to add something, Bob Drake now sells steel hole plugs in an assortment pack for the bigger holes. Probably more for firewall and lamp hole filling. I wouldn't mind have a pack in my tool box as making your own is rather time consuming.
back it with a piece of copper or brass, the weld will not stick to it, but it will keep it from blowin thru. and youll prolly be usin the lowest heat setting
About time I heard this!!!! i love how guys will purchase a magnetic ground ! Magnets SCREW UP ANY WELD PROCESS.....use them to jig up what you need, like the right angle magnets....then get rid of them before doing any final welding.......(that in general....not about your spot weld post) Carl Hagan[/QUOTE]
Assuming you have a panel that is un-damaged, you want to keep it that way. Weld fill shrinks while cooling. The less there is to kool the less the shrinkage. You want to end up with as close as possible to the same thickness as the body panel is to start with. Knocking the top off the roset gets you there before it shrinks. Then all there is to do if anything is a few on dolly strikes to keep the panel shape as it was before the trim hole was ever drilled in it. The Wizzard
Magnets SCREW UP ANY WELD PROCESS..... This is 100 percent Correct. Only use them for set up. Then get them away from the work to be done. Sheet metal that is. The Wizzard
Yes there are........ I have 2 welders, one is for small stuff, sheetmetal, etc. .023 wire is all that machine ever gets, and usually ran on it's lowest setting. And it'll still burn a hole in sheetmetal if yer not careful....
It takes too much heat to melt the .035 wire. .024 for sheet metal and use copper backer, I have a piece of 1/4 thick 3" x 4" copper w/a handle that works awesome, heat varies, sometimes on 1 with fast wire speed, other times its 2 with a slower speed, depends on mood or whatever works for the day. It's pretty much what works for you for the day.
What he said, I have better luck with .023 or .024 so I can keep the heat on the lowest setting. Especially if you are working on the middle of a panel (where the stainless usually is) because it can warp easy. Welding a door post with all it's bends, it's stiffer and you don't have to worry about warpage. I read this on the Hamb once and I liked it when I tried it. Lay the edge your mig tip on about the 3 o'clock position of the hole, facing the across tothe 9 o'clock spot of the hole. angle the tip a little so the wire is going to hit the 9 o'clock position of the edge of the hole. Do a quick pull on the trigger and release it even sooner. You will end up with a nice bead at 9 o'clock. Then flip your gun around, lay it on the 9 o'clock position and shoot a bead across to land at the 3 o clock position. Just work your way around the hole,jumping around like when you tighten lug bolts. Watch out when grinding down your beads too, that can also produce warping from heat.
'Touching the nozzle to the weldment & pulling the trigger' too often will burn up your machine. Any built up slag in the nozzle crosses over to the tip while your touching your nozzle directly to the weldment will burn your maching up pretty immediately. If you have a 3phase machine, chances are it will blow a fuse on the machine, but anything smaller....probly burn a diode. Pretty hard to find a person to repair these machines too. "ever notice welders aren't electritions & vice versa" Carl Hagan.
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