Welding ( heat source)

[emery1990]

I saw some thread about a boy ( never done any welding before and he done loads of it to an ok standard) and makes me think it must only take practice to get good at it, Ive done lead welding at college before. this boy wasnt using a mig machine but he said something about bronze? and just used a blowtorch to heat the area and weld, this would suit me more as it sounds much cheaper than buying a mig welder. What was he using?

I only want to fix a sill, then probably get the other two bits done properly.

[topher]

i believe you're talking about brazing, google it

[emery1990]

Is this method easier and cheaper than mig welding, or should I just hire a mig welder for a day, practice for a bit then do it?

Sounds different to what this boy was doing, ie brazing, I thought was for pipes (refrigeration) but read its for flat metals too, but is invisible, this boy was definitely welding. Grinding down his welds etc.

[danny_p]

if he was just useing a blow torch it wasent welding. on refigeration pipework it sounds like soldering to be honest,  brazeing is possible with just a blowtorch but it's a right pain in the arse as the flame your useing is relativly cold so by the time you have put enough heat into the area you want to work the whole damb lot is bloody hot and nicely distorting due to the heat,  you need oxy propane at least really need oxy acetalyne.

but non of that matters as it isn't legal to do structural repairs to cars with brazeing.

you can  mig, tig ark or gas weld it if you wish ( and have the skills ) tho if you don't have experiance i wouldn't reccomend trying to tig ark or gas weld it  for bodywork repairs on car's for diy and pro MIG really is king ( unless your good with a tig and wish to do some cock waveing )

for what they sell for you may as well buy an OLD baby clarke EN 90 or EN 100   (  there hopelessly gutless but all mini migs are but at least they seem to work right unlike most of the mini migs on the market and have enough power to do body work and the torches are useable as is the wire feed )
the 130 - 150  amp mini migs are sh!tE  if you ask them for the power they just over heat in no time and the tips are allways overheating   

i've got a pice of sh!t 130A SIP minimig in the garage if your intrested, don't know if it still works as not used it in years   

[emery1990]

Cheers Danny,

At the likes of speedy hire they do a days rent for a 180a for £30 or a week for £50,.I will only just use it once to do my a sill as my dads mate is cheap to do the fabrication of on the actual body then spray it etc.

Could I say get it for a week and learn to weld, I learnt to lead weld ( not neat) in a day, but looking at videos of mig welding it doesnt look hard to do, just practice at getting the right penetration. We have got an ark welder though. Could I maybe buy some steel sheet i'd use and practice for ages with an arc welder?

If it does work, only needs to do one bit ! Then how much would you sell it for ?

[danny_p]

it's "possible" (possible used in loosest possible terms) to weld car body with ark but waste of time,  you may as well train a pigion to sh!t on demand and use that. 

be far better off hireing a mig for the week for £50 and practiceing for an evening or two.  results will be 100x better

as for the 130A mig  if it works and your willing to come and fetch it £20 will take it, if you want an argon/co2  regulator to use it with proper size gas bottels and adaptor for co2 bottels with it it'll be £50

[emery1990]

Ahh ok cheers. Think im like 4 hours drive away from you so be best if I was too hire it out for a week and practice, may be a natural and do my whole car 

I was looking at this http://www.vwh2o.com/vw.cfm?act=shop.product&pID=45358514&lang=EN&country=GB

Ive got a big hole just by the jacking point, well about 50mm away, and when I take the plastic bit off in my door I can see the ground. Is this the inner sill. Or would I just get sheet metal, what thickness is the floorpan?

jacking point in left bottom corner.

[danny_p]

notheing that scary there but it has been welded ( badly ) before

[emery1990]

Has it lol it passed its last Mot so i won't touch it! Is that the inner sill where the hole is, or outer ( if it exists.