952door4x4

Hi, I am happy to say that I just bought myself a little welder for Christmas and I have a few questions about the right way to use it. I should start by saying that I have never welded before in my life, but I've got some pretty good common sense and I also have about 4 years of glassblowing experience (I'm hoping that will help) so I'm comfortable working with fire and I take pretty good safety precautions (no major burns yet). I'm trying to fix/patch/replace/anything my floorboards. I'm planning on working the cargo area first, I have plenty of holes to choose from and fix, and slowly make my way up to the front. I'm planning on buying some 1/8th steel? aluminum? to use as the patching material, cut out the flimsy rotted metal and weld the new metal to the supports in the rear. The welder I bought is a small 90amp clarke arc welder and I believe this should take care of the thin metal needed for my project with some 3/32 rod. Welding is something that I've always been interested in and I think this should be a good introductory welder. I bought it from craigslist for $50 so I'm not worried about outgrowing it and having to buy a new one. I guess my main concern here is welding over the gas tank. I am planning on laying some metal on top of it to keep any stray sparks/molten metal away from it but are there any other precautions I should take? Taking out the gas tank seems a little extreme, but if it keeps me from blowing myself up I guess it worth it. I'm planning on taking out the carpet and welding it from the top so I would only be worried if I were to rip through the metal i'm trying to weld and having it fall below. I'm not going to jump right into welding on the car, I'm going to make sure that I have a pretty good grasp and feel comfortable before I start tearing up the car but any help/insight/aged wisdom would be greatly apprechiated. Sorry for the long post, but I could see getting some interesting replies to this thread without explaning myself. Thanks!

mike mike

If your new to welding read this.
http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

If you go to the Lincoln and miller welder sites they both have tutorials for beginners

Tankerblade

well congrats on the purchase. it looks like a ok welder. Make sure you get some good practice before you touch the vehicle with the welder. get lots and lots of practice and try different settings. as for the metal thickness. I think 1/8 is a little excessive. the body is only 16guage if im correct. but im sure someone can give you a better answer on that. as for the welding with the tank...im not sure. in my opinion i'd just drop the tank so i could get underneath and paint the metal so i dont have to worry about anything. But thats my opionon. I think thats the safest way. but good luck and enjoy. welding is fun

arsxj

The one thing I see that caught my eye is you said "aluminum" I would'nt buy aluminum unless you got a killer deal on a TIG welder . Other than that practice makes perfect.

00xj-classic

wow arc welder!!! thats going to be tricky for a beginer and really tricky on 14-16 gauge material that is on your jeep.. If you sat down and practiced for 100 hours you MIGHT get the hang of it..I am currently helping one of my old highschool teaches with his metal and fab class.. we have 10 mpri "parole" students and they have been stick "arc" welding for 2 weeks now.. None of them are even close to passing the certifacation..I could say with a lot of practice and time you could become a good stick welder.. I didnt mention arc welding is going to be A LOT harder on thinner materials than MIG or wire welding.. If you are planning on redoing your floors and some body work it is going to be VERy hard for a beginer to acomplish.. I would suggest A LOt of practice and if that dosnt work pick your self up a mig welder.. It cant get much simpler than mig welding. point and shoot..

carfleet mntc

When welding thick to thin or vice versa it is difficult to obtain good results.Also removing the tank is a GREAT IDEA. Hot sparks and gasoline make BAD THINGS happen. (Plus it will give you better access for spray galvanize paint.) If it is against your religion to be real safe the get a fire blanket from a welding supply store. Welding takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.( By which time your eyes start to go .) Good Luck

t_bird83

I have a question about welding on a vehicle. Besides being careful with all the fluids and volatile vapors, should the battery or any electrical systems be disconnected? I would hate to tack weld something only to find out by doing so the electrical system took a hit.

4.3L XJ

When you weld that sheep metal in, first of all you cannot weld aluminum to steel. You can get rod to weld aluminum to aluminum if it is thick enough. The rule is you need to weld like materials. Second, make your patch a little larger than the area you are welding. Drill holes through the patch where it over laps the parent steel. Weld through the holes to the flat steel. But first you will need to practice and be able to strike and hold an arc.

Troth

yes!!! disconnect your battery because you have to ground the welder to the frame (unibody)

barnesjeff99

I dont recommend welding any sheet metal using a shielded metal arc welder. On a little 90 amp "buzz box" you cant adjust the rheostat (if it has one) to a low enough amperage to be able to weld thin materials without burning through. A gas shielded MIG welder with .035 carbon steel filler metal would be ideal.