i welded on nails to pull dents out of my 1956 olds rocker panels today...worked great..i had a harbor freight stud welder and it sucked..only good for easy small dent pulls on thin metal from what i learned..
cool idea! , I've just never been a slide hammer the dent fan , does look like it does have a fair application though ,
How does the slide hammer attach to the nail? sorry for stupid question, just never seen one like that. Brent
Buddy of mine showed me this technique when we served together in the Air force. Another good use is filling trim holes. Slid the nail head in the hole and weld it up. The dress and metal finish it. If you nail head was larger then the whole, slide it in from the back (if accessible) or file down the nail head. But then I learned (here on the hamb) about backing a small hole with copper and fill in the whole with welder. Great share.
Heyyyy. I have a dent in the front of the hood on my 85 Chevy I have been working on and this should work perfect. Thanks for the idea!
i have a puller that doesnt have an attachment for small diameter stuff like nails and studs. I got a handfull of bolts that fit it, larger areas I use a bolt with head on it, smaller areas i use a bolt i ground into a point. Not the best, but makes do with what I have.
I know nothing about the HF version...but stud guns work pretty good for the dents they are capable of pulling. That won't be EVERY dent you find. Various sizes and strengths of stud are available from bodyshop supply stores and you can also buy pullers and even vicegrip style pliers that will grip multiple nails at once and allow an even pull along a crease. In insurance repair I use them a lot...even on an accessible panel sometimes as it allows you to work both directions from the outside. You can also use them for shrinking high spots. Good little tool! GOTTA remember though...as with any welding, you must be sure nothing is behind the panel that might catch fire...AND you must also make sure you repaint or at least rust protect the inside of the worked panel because the paint will be burnt off.
i used my mig welder also from harbor freight to weld them..which being a begginer at welding says alot..then i used the slide hammer that came with my stud welder to pull on them..it has a roller on it that grabs the nail..heres the pics of them...i was just soo happy because i pulled big dents out of my rocker pannel that had no other way to do..and they are a beast..worked great
just to add..when i was done i used my cut off saw chopped the nail off close and my angle grinder also from harbor freight and ground down the rest..after hours of trying to use the stud welder and having them pop off after 3 or less pulls..this was a blessing
is your stud welder new or used? I have a "professional" stud welder I bought from the local auto body supply place. after a few years it quit working and I thought it was worn out. I came to the HAMB and asked about it and it was suggested that I sand down the contact tip so I did. now it works great again. all it was was a bad ground.
it was new..i even tryed 1 second welds and then full till it circut popped weld time..plus ground down the metal for super cleanest...it was never a good bond...especialy when i had to have the pull power for rocker panels..welded nails did it..next i would advise to get a good slide hammer..mine did it ok with that little grab wheel in it..but ive seen ones that twist and clamp on the nails..thats what i want..i had to keep fiddling with the one i had
You can also take a nut that fitts the thread of your slide hammer and weld it to the adjuster bolt on your vice grips. You will be surprised what all you use it for.
my dad has the same stud welder from harbor frieght. I have messed with it too and it just doesnt work . cant get the stud to stick to the metal no matter how clean. if I try to burn it longer just blows a hole in it.
good to hear i wasnt the only one going..what the hell..ive done every possible way and not any good results...im learning bit by bit what is good and what is junk... this model could go in the junk pile..should of taken the 100 bucks and upgraded to a better mig welder live and learn
stop buying cheap shit and you wont have that problem, a quality stud gun will work even better then the cheap crap from junk and freight.
my HF stud welder has been great. been using is on 56 Ford sheet metal, i hold the trigger for 2-3 seconds
thats it! Im using it on a olds and not a ford thats why it wont work...waa waaa waaaa....they must work cuz alot of people have them..but me and the stud welder gun must not get along well..must of said sompin smart assed to piss it off,,but thats just not like me
The Jalopy Journal
