Bodywork - Which welder?

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Hello all,First and foremost, I have no prior welding experience but I'd like to give some in-house bodywork a shot. I know bodywork is not easy, but I was quoted $1500 and I think I could do it at a fraction of the price (and learn something at the same time).Fortunately, I have a spare driverside door I can practice on before working on the area needing repair.Here's my area needing repair:This colossal dent is roughly 6" by 10", give or take: My plan is to cut a cross using a diamond blade and bend each flap back so it's as flush as possible.. Given the metal has stretched a bit, I think the cut should allow the flaps to come back. Spot welds / welding would be used to close these gaps.Similar to this video:Body filler and sanding would soon follow - I'll leave paint to the experts I'm assuming the rocker panel material is aluminium - What type of welder would you use and why? Mig or Tig?What wire size & type would you use for bodywork applications?In an ideal world, I would pickup a portable welder for under $300 - What are your thoughts on my master plan?Any thoughts, suggestions, constructive criticism would be welcomed - thanks! Last edited by TylerTS2K; 09-29-2015 at 12:15 PM.
Reply:You aren't going to weld aluminum for $300.Verify whether or not it's aluminum first.If so I would suggest letting someone else do it.If it is steel just go to the junk yard and cut that piece out. Bring it back and trace it. Cut it out if your car. Get it as close as you can to perfect then let someone else weld it into place. That will be your cheapest route.Whoever welds it can just weld tabs to the inside. All you would need to do is cut a rectangle out.Last edited by travr6; 09-29-2015 at 12:27 PM.
Reply:Thanks for the reply,I agree - verifying what material would be a good first step. (Every source I've seen says my car has aluminum panels)There's no getting around that welding aluminum is tough (especially for novices). The way I see it, I have a large body panel to practice on so really I don't have a lot to lose here. For starters & novices, how would this thing fair?http://www.amazon.com/Pro--MMIG125-F...luminum+welder
Reply:Just stick a magnet to it. If it's aluminum it won't stick.You are not going to weld anything well with flux core.
Reply:Verified that the rocker panel is indeed steel.
Reply:Originally Posted by TylerTS2KVerified that the rocker panel is indeed steel.
Reply:before you destroy the rocker panel and then cost $3000 to fix, research body work...best method is to use a slap hammer and pull it out, thin layer of bondo , prime and paint..Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbbefore you destroy the rocker panel and then cost $3000 to fix, research body work...best method is to use a slap hammer and pull it out, thin layer of bondo , prime and paint..
Reply:Originally Posted by roadkillbobbbefore you destroy the rocker panel and then cost $3000 to fix, research body work...best method is to use a slap hammer and pull it out, thin layer of bondo , prime and paint..
Reply:I would highly suggest you pull the dent and do no welding at all
Reply:Thanks for the advice gentlemen.I'll swing by Harbor Freight and see if I can pickup a cheap spot welder, studs, and a beefy slide hammer and give it a shot.Based on the research I've done, stud pulling is pretty ineffective when attached to panels like door jams, rocker panels, etc.
Reply:Auto zone or somewhere similar might rent a tool like this.
Reply:don't bother, your noy gonna get anywhere with harbor freight,even experienced guys can't use that garbage, bondo!!!!!!!!!!!face all times with a positive mental attitude,then and only then will you have done your best.
Reply:Is worse than you think, that is structural and edge is bent in also requiring a substantial pull by a dozer, cram puller etc or cut much Sent from my SM-N915W8 using Tapatalk
Reply:You can cut a larger piece out, straighten it then weld it back in sometimes like with A pillars for doors. This is thick metal because your rockers give support to your pancake like flat floor, no structure in flat sheet! So you need box sections. Also this is a convertible right, convertables have additional box sections added when coups are customized at the factory to be convertables in the case with domestics that are made into convertables, like camaro s, mustangs, you car may have additional box section added to rockers, so you may be dealing with 2 layers + foam sound deadner, hard to tell how bad it is without the door hanging, and a look at the door gaps. All dents create offset in this offset their is the lowspot, which is stretched and high spots that most people don't see, unless your a bodyman. Do  yourself a favor take it to a body shop. Sent from my SM-N915W8 using Tapatalk
Reply:I vote pull + bondo.My "collection":Homemade Stick WelderVictor O/A TorchAC 225Ideal Arc 250HF 90 Amp Flux CoreHF Mig 170Solar 2020 Plasma CutterPower i-Mig 140EHarris O/A torchHF Dual Mig 131140STAlpha Tig 200x
Reply:most likely theres a reason for the price of that repair.like others said that is a structural part of the car.obviously you have no clue what you are doing.by the time you get done experimenting your bodywork skills on it and spending money on stuff you'll probably won't be able to use again it gonna end up costing you more money on wasted tools and what not and getting a bodyshop to fix what you tried to do than if you just spent the 1500 bucks and had it done the right way the first time.unless you can find a bodyshop to bang it out a little and slap two inches of bondo on it like in that video probably cost a lot less.
Reply:take it to a pro and he will pull then dent out requiring very little filler. btw bondo is not a good filler the generic stuff you buy get a good filler and dont use more than 3mm. usually using more just makes the paint look like **** or it might even abort the color a bit and make it look off,. Might not matter too much white is hard to see anywaysonly honda that I know uses alum panels is the nsx
Reply:From a professional perspective, Pistolnoon's response is on the money. Judging from the damage seen in the photo, speculating the outsourced repair costs would be in the $2-2.5k range.  However, the repairs/finish will be professional and lasting.  These repairs are best funded with car insurance. YMMV.Do yourself a favor a have the repairs completed by a pro.  On the side, experiment on your spare door by deskinning, denting/undenting, welding, and bondo activities.  Obtain a "feel" for mechanically and thermally altering/repairing car doors and you will be one step ahead for {undesired} future occurences."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Thanks for the advice everybody, I bought a stud welder kit from Harbor Freight.Worked perfectly:
Reply:Not bad. I am no body repair man but pulling that dent was far better than cutting it. If you can live with a little bondo....
Reply:Your top edge still has a roll , when you go to fill it you will see it better, when pulling out a dent like this you should try to hammer the upset down  at front, back and bottom. Their is alot of stretched metal , use the uni spotter shrinking tip to shrink these down, so you can fill. A stainless shrinking disc works well here to get it straight. Best Sent from my SM-N915W8 using Tapatalk