Make certain your metal is clean clean clean! Make certain you have a very good ground. I use .021" solid wire and bump up the shielding gas. Don't get into a hurry, fast = warped metal. Even grinding too aggressively can warp sheet metal. Like others have said it's a bunch of spot welds.jeep89.jpgjeep90.jpgjeep91.jpg
You got a lot of welding done there Cat! I'm using my brother's harbor freight Flux core with .030 wire. I'm going to try to spot weld as much as possible.
I should get better and better at welding the more I do it. All the experience I have is just tacking one thing together about once a year. This is the first real fabrication job I've done. I'll probably get the hang of it just in time for this jeep to be done. Then the next willys I buy, I'll be a pro!!
Pay attention, in a couple months this will be a jeep!!!
Picked up the square tubing from a friend. I'll use that for supports all through the tub. Then I'll cover everything with that 16 guage 4x10 sheet I bought today.
When you master the flux core, you'll have it made in the shade. Flux core is the most challenging in my opinion. I like .035 solid with 75 percent argon, because I like a good amount of filler to fill gaps to help prevent warpage. I purchased a multi process TIG welder, and have yet to sit down and set it up for use. Not enough time in the week, even for new toys.
Thinner wire with shielding gas will offer the best conditions for success when compared to flux core wire. I really like the 024 wire however again want to stress regardless of which wire size you decide on, it's extremely important to have clean metal and good ground. Research seems to indicate original Jeep sheet metal started life as 18ga, however after 50 or 60+ years of atmospheric exposure and corrosion the metal degrades. Which is nothing more than a fancy way of saying what's remaining of your Jeep is something thinner than the 18ga starting point. Also realize, welding thin sheet metal is challenging for anyone regardless of skill level. Distortion and blowing holes thru the steel is just part of the game, don't get frustrated. Remember, you're basically holding a metal caulking gun in your hand, so don't get upset when you melt holes because you can fix it! When the welding and grinding is complete, I covered both sides (when possible) with epoxy paint and then short hair fiberglass bondo to create a waterproof repair. Normal plastic fillers & body work can be applied on top of this. Plastic fillers applied directly over unprotected welds will have a dramatically shortened service life and they're not waterproof.
I also like the .024 wire with an Argon mix. I have a small Lincoln 110v Power MIG. It doesn't work well with anything but .024 wire. It is great for thin gauge steel.
Thank you so much for sharing your tricks! I greatly appreciate it. I've never tried welding with gas before. And don't have a machine compatible. So I'll just stick with the flux. I'll run the tubing across wherever there's solid steel on the factory body. Then any new metal I put on can go directly to the tube. Avoiding as much welding on thin original metal as possible.
The good thing is I'm not to worried about looks, and don't care about concourse correct. I just need a strong jeep that can cruise down the road, and through some trails.
Well I didn't feel like getting into serious work on the tub today. So i worked on little things, I made new plates to cover the drain holes on the floor. Just cut some 16g and bent tabs. Thay turned out pretty nice. Then I made this license plate frame. As you probably know plates hang below the rear bumper on a willys. And I didn't want it to get bent when I come of rocks. Especially running a vintage plate. So I made this surround that the plate bolts onto and can hinge away. I'll attach the hinge to the bumber. So it just swings away from any rocks or brush. I tapped some threads to run 10 32 machine screws for easy assembly.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote