dev_daddy

So i got my tubing and cut out my rockers and sat them in, ready to weld in. I've never welded to anything this thin before. Whatever the body is, (16 ga. ?) and i'm having trouble not burning right through. I'm using the smallest rod i could find and the lowest my welder goes is 30 amps. And it still just burns it away.

Any tips? I'm new to welding, but do fine with thicker stuff. Need some help from experienced guys!

s14unimog

Direct as much of the heat as you possibly can onto the tubing. You've just got a hard road ahead with that torch. I'd try striking a little ways off the body and keep pressure on the rod so that it stays close too.

Agent_Oragnge

X2

weld on the tubing and draw the heat over to the sheet metal. you're in for a wild ride with that one. good luck.

Gee oh Dee

There we go. That's better...

dev_daddy

And this is what it looks like. And i have no idea what in the hell to do about it haha. I cant even get a bead, it just frays off and melts into little *****

customzj73

Last resort you could sell the stick and buy a mig ha.

s14unimog

That looks like it could even be a porosity issue. You need to be sure and get all of the scaling off, ALL of the paint/primer/e-coat, and then remove as much of that gap between the two parts as possible. It looks like you're also trying to bridge a gap; which never makes it easier.

Dial your amperage in on some scraps. You're not getting any penetration to the base piece and he gap is cause the thinner pieces to ball melt and drip.

srobinson

First, grind all that crap out of there and clean it up. Then, hammer it to bend the sheet metal to get rid of that gap. You want the two peices as TIGHT as possible. If you have clamps, clamp together each section as you do it. This helps transfer the heat from the sheet rockers to the tube, so you don't have it burn back as easily like that.

When you're running your bead, position the edge of your stick in line with the sheet metal. This puts the heat into the rockers, you want to just catch the sheet with the edge of your puddle.

From your weld, it looks like your arc was way to long. Common mistake is to turn the welder down then make your arc longer because it can't maintain a short arc. Get a piece of scrap of the same thickness and try and pour a bead down it. Go as low as you can while still maintaing the correct arc length - this is as low as you can set it. Keep in mind at lower settings it takes longer for the metal to heat up, so it may spark and whine for the first 10-20 seconds, but when the metal heats up it may start welding properly. Pre-heating the tube will help with this to make it more constant.

One more time, keep the two pieces TIGHT. The closer they are together, the easier your job will be!

dev_daddy

This is all really good info, and just what i was lookingg for so thank you! I did have the pieces pretty clean and i hammered em down andhad em tight together. But i know the clamping would help a lot. Ima try that

99 Purple XJ

When i used my stick welder ( 225 Lincoln Arc ) i did what they said before but take a wire wheel on a grinder and clean the metal as best as possible hold it on the thicker tubing and watch it start to penetrate the thicker tubing then carefully drag it over to the sheet metal and pull away thats how i did mine till i bought a mig

The Blacksmith

borrow / rent a mig. I'm a stick welder, and I love my lincoln stick, but I have a millermatic 180 now, and even tho I reach for the stick for dirty repairs on crap like tractors, I mig everything important.