first weld job for myself

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ive been browsing this site for a couple months now looking at all the great things that people have built. i must say that alot of you guys have inspired me. i am in the process of taking welding courses at my local comm college. when i started the course i decided i would construct my own cowl hood for my mustang. i used my teachers esab mig to tck the sides in. currently i am using my neighbors flux core 80 to do the rest now that im on summer break. its still looking rough but its strong and im definitely gonna grind it all down before im finished. let me know what you all think.  be gentle on me this is my first official post other than and noob intro a while ago.
Reply:You dont want to use fluxcore for body work.  The chemicals from the flux will cause damage to the paint that is applied over the weld.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:even if i use a filler over the welds? i was gonna use an all metal filler before i painted
Reply:flux-core is for outside......by using a gas you can use lower voltages and get better penetration, as well as a better looking weld and easier to clean up...and your in for a boat load of grinding.....ive never done body work but ive done a bit of comsetic - i would weld on the bottom side of the hood and lay a good bead, then lay a bead on the top and grind down the top bead to make it smooth. if you only lay a bead on the top thats bad and grind it down there's a very good chance you will reveal the seam and it will crack in half.also it looks like your throttle body is exposed on the intake of your mustang. if your doing any sort of grinding/metalwork make sure its taped up and you dont get any dust in the motor.Last edited by smokin_dodge; 05-22-2010 at 03:16 AM.I break things for a living...
Reply:I agree and disagree...I agree with both members that Flux Core really ISN'T the best wire for this project.I disagree with Smokin' Dodge suggesting to "Lay a bead" of weld ANYWHERE on a sheetmetal project, for the simple fact that you will warp the ever loving crap out of that hood, and you will not be able to let anyone see it in the daylight.Using a wire feed welder to do bodywork is a slow process... It is almost like "Tack Welding" the entire seam.... Weld here, move several inches away, weld here, move to the otther side, weld here, move several inches away, weld here...The whole idea is to control the heat input in a given area in attempts to control distortion... What you will end up with is HUNDREDS of little "Tacks" that eventually join and overlap to form a welded seam.After that, you have to dress the welds with a grinder - again, having to watch heat of the panel in attempts to not cause distortion.Then comes dollying out highs and lows, stretching and shrinking as much as you can, THEN comes any form of body filler to correct minor imperfections.No disrespect intended towards Smokin' Dodge, but I do not believe he was correct in his description, and I would not wish for you to have a Catasrophic Failure on this project, or for that hood to go to waste.Have a Good Day.Later,Jason
Reply:thank you all for the info. it is all wonderful knowledge.  i suppose that if flux core is for outside than im on the right track, since i have been welding it on work horses in the driveway cause my house doesnt have good lighting for me to see what the hell im doing.  as for the actual welding part, my neighbor told me the same thing before i started." tack it here, then there, then there, and then go back to the start and tack again, so on and so forth," and that what ive been doing. i have even thouh about tacking on the inside to the hood also. Also since i am in school for a cert, i knew i was in for a lot of grinding.  i appreciate all the info, and if anyone else would like to chime in feel free. even if this doesnt pan out i have a spare fiberglasss hood i can revert back to if ness. i have been shopping this thread on 2 other forums, 1 being an autobody forum and everyone who comments says it looks awesome and you gays have to. thank you for the time
Reply:Its coming along real nice. Just wanted to mention that when you do the grinding you also need to keep in mind the amount of heat that you generate when grinding. Just keep moving and work it down slowly and it will come out fine. The newer sheet metal that they make cars out of is very thin and warps easily so take your time. You mentioned using All Metal to fill it in after welding, not sure if you have used it before but it is a bear to sand even with 36 grit. I would use duraglass or similar product, I have used U-POL's version and its very easy to spread and sand. After you ruff the whole weld out with the duraglass then finish with a good lightweight bondo, prime and block and paint. the more time you spend blocking the straighter it will comne out, for the resto stuff I do I prime and block at least 3 time with a good high fill Urathene primer.Hope this helps and keep up the good work.My 2 CentsAnthonyTo many hobbies not enough Cash!!1951 Chevy 1 Ton 9' Pickup resto-mod V8 4x4 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT 3800 V6 ConversionESAB MIgmaster 250www.anthonysautoservice.com
Reply:thanks. i like all the info
Reply:I can't weld thin metal well with flux core myself, it burns through to easy.Cool project though, can't wait to see the finished product.HH187Hobart 500i plasma cutterClark 4.5" GrinderDewalt 14" chop saw30 gallom 1.6 hp compressor10 gallon pressure pot sand blasterlots of hand tools
Reply:since you cant run a bead on sheet metal due to warpage - could u tig it to help with heat control? just set it low and run short beads or would oxyfuel be better?I break things for a living...
Reply:Sorry, didn't mean to come across as "short" in my previous post...  Total heat input is always a concern with automotive sheet metal, but yes, I believe that Tig welding is a much better option if it is available....  Depending on thickness, I have heard of some individuals running fairly long beads, while others run stitch welds an inch or two long, and still bounce around to control the total heat input to a given area in attempts to control distortion and warpage.I am by NO means any sort of expert on this topic, I just know how to weld up automotive sheet metal with a Wire Feed Welder, and Solid Wire.Never done it with Oxy-Acetylene either... I would personally stick with Arc Welding myself.Have a Good Day.Later,Jason
Reply:well unfortunately i only have access to a flux core right now. i dont go back to school till august, and we're trying to get the car painted this summer so i can drive it to school.  so i suppose we'll see what happens.  my neighbor comes over and checks it out and gives any advice ness. he likes seeing the progress take its course also. hes seen the hood go from stock to what it is now and he likes. i am pleased with your guys' knowledge and help, and i hope i can someday be in the position as you olks as giving advice. i plan on welding the world. lol now if i could only get on the massive gas line project thats going to start here in my state real soon.
Reply:I think you're doing great. I've just begun to use a 90Amp on body metal. I find I can run close to 2 seconds, that about 1/2" bead,  move ahead run a bead, return to the first spot and so forth almost continous welding. After grinding it seem, in this application, not to miss the fact I didn't chip the flux.I was a pro auto painter for years, never had flux core then, but we used flux coated braze even stick in some cases. Never bothered the paint after grinding, plastic, and prep. I won't worry and I plan to use the flux core on the 66 Buick Riviera and 30 Ford coup. It would be nice and I'm hoping to find a way, to lower Amps to the tip.But I can see this little welder has the application we are talking about.Glad to see what you've done. Thanks for posting. RichardAnthony, I have a truck like the one you show, except 2 1/2 ton, same color.Last edited by valley ranch; 05-23-2010 at 10:29 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by valley ranchI think you're doing great. I've just begun to use a 90Amp on body metal. I find I can run close to 2 seconds, that about 1/2" bead,  move ahead run a bead, return to the first spot and so forth almost continous welding. After grinding it seem, in this application, not to miss the fact I didn't chip the flux.I was a pro auto painter for years, never had flux core then, but we used flux coated braze even stick in some cases. Never bothered the paint after grinding, plastic, and prep. I won't worry and I plan to use the flux core on the 66 Buick Riviera and 30 Ford coup. It would be nice and I'm hoping to find a way, to lower Amps to the tip.But I can see this little welder has the application we are talking about.Glad to see what you've done. Thanks for posting. RichardAnthony, I have a truck like the one you show, except 2 1/2 ton, same color.
Reply:I played with the wire feed today. Looks rough but with practice, lots of it, you can see it will get better. I'll get closer, I just wanted to show you what this is. The panel was cut out of a 83 chevy van to install windows and years later became a chimney cap. Attached Images
Reply:I'll get closer. I did a second pass, there are guys who weld for a living watching. Daughterneeds the computer for a bit. Attached Images
Reply:I turned up the heat and wire speed to experiment. More penetration than needed. When the bead that is to the weather is ground I don't think there will be holes but body plastic will cover a lot of sins. Have a look at the back. Anthony, The reason for that canopy on the chevy is we can get 20 ft of snow in a season, got tired of shoveling.Richard Attached ImagesLast edited by valley ranch; 05-24-2010 at 03:00 PM.
Reply:We plan to do it up for Hot Augusts Nights time permitting.As to the welding of body metal: Doing this on a beer can Toyota will be a little more difficult but we could get it done. Attached Images
Reply:ill be looking for it this august. i might be drivin my pops 66 impala. he wanted to give up his number but i told him not to do it and let me drive it. well he didnt give up his number so we'll see if i actually get to drive it
Reply:Sounds great! What state are you coming from? We're on the California side.
Reply:i hail from the good home of hot august nights....  well actually fernley but i speny 20 yrs of my life in reno. lol
Reply:The old joke was: "Reno is so close to Hell you can see Sparks" LolFor thoes not familiar the area: Sparks is city adjacent to Reno.Hope you weren't involved in the flood when the levy washed out?Last edited by valley ranch; 05-25-2010 at 12:28 PM.
Reply:nope. actually my wife and i just moved out to fernly last january, we did look at a home however that was involved in the flood. we still lived in reno at the time, and were actually on christmas vacation in maryland when that happpened, it was funny to see such a small rural town on national news. i even was part of both the reno floods.
Reply:Have you had a chance to play with that welder yet? If you can pick up an old fender from the junk pile at a body shop to practice on.We just picked up a Horse trailer that can use a few strips of metal welded in where  is has rusted through at the bottom of the doors and such. This will be a good place for this 90Amp to pay for itself. Just have to take my time, little by little.  One time years ago I took a welding test having never arc welded before. My cousin coached me over the phone saying: " They'll probably have a Lincoln welder and give you 1/4" stock to weld. Set it in the black and on about 100. Brush the stick then,keep it going just like you would the flame on a gas torch. I passed the test. I used to pull the curtain closed in the welding area and run bead after bead until I could weld anything. Before I left there to move up north I was leadman.That is about what we'll have to do with these little wirefeeds to get the best out of them and ourself. Hope you car is coming along.Richard
Reply:yeah i been chuggin along slowly with the welder. i dont like that i cant turn the amperage down other than flippin a switch between high and low. my buddy borrowed a small lincoln fluxcore wirefeed  from a friend and i liked that you could turn the amps down on that one. too bad he returned it. the metal on my car is thin enough that sometimes i blow holes in the hole im tryin to fill.  lol but i take my time and build on the small bead and eventually i get the hoel filled. my neighbor is a welder by profession and he shwed me how to build on a piece of copper. so i use that when i can get my hand behind the work.  i did however use the wire feed to patch a hole in my grout mixer that is on the back of my lanscape curbing trailer last night, and there are places that look good and places that look ugly. it was nice to be able to weld on thicker metal and not worry about blow through.  as for class, i did the same as you. i sat in my both for about a month and just ran stringers until i managed to keep the arc going. then everything after that was a breeze. i started with stringer, moved to overlapping stringers, then on to T joint with root pass and 5 covers 6010 and 7018, v-goove with backing plate 6010 root and 7018 covers, then pipe to plate 6010 and 7018, then i finished the semester doing open root horizontal with 6010 root and 7018 covers.Been away on other projects. Re: turning down the amperage. There is a way to cut down the amps we just haven't found it yet. Just got a horse trailer with some body rot. When I get the other works done and get back to weld a bit, I'll see what can be done with the 90amp. I haven't been on the forum for a while, I was hoping to see what you have done. If you get a chance to post some shots, that would be interesting to see.