Arc Welding

[d_harris]

Having picked up an arc welder today as a freebie I'd like to learn how to use it!

Does anyone know of any good books to check or even better, online tutorials?

Still got some welding left to do on the trav I might try!

[bigginger]

I thought that the body work metal was to thin to arc weld? It is, however, 25 years since I was taught how to do it, so a) things may have changed on the welding machine front and b) given that I haven't done any since around that time, I'd better not offer advice

[MoggyTech]

Having picked up an arc welder today as a freebie I'd like to learn how to use it!

Does anyone know of any good books to check or even better, online tutorials?

Still got some welding left to do on the trav I might try!

Hmmm, easy does it. It is way too easy to blow holes with an arc welder. Tricky to master compaired to MIG and TIG welding. Keeping the rod at the correct distance is tricky. ARC is great for really heavy work like truck chassis, but on car panels

[Alec]

Hello Dan,

arc welding is not very useful for working on motor cars, as said earlier, but is a useful for general fabrication. I would say that it is relatively easy to master (which TIG most certainly isn't, particularly with a basic scratch start set).
Rods have their current range and polarity (if using a D.C. set) to guide you. Thr rod is held about 70 degrees to the direction of travel and you will need more current for 90 degree sections than 180 degree, i.e butt.
Practice on some scrap, striking an arc is like striking a match, and once established keep the arc as short as possible and move steadily.
Rods need to be kept dry and, ideally warm.

Alec

[paulhumphries]

I haven't used my arc welder for maybe 20 years - since I "discovered" MIG.
They are easy to use but like others say mainly for thick metal and very little use on vehicles.
I was certified as a basic industrial welder in early 1980's (12 months at night school doing the same course as required by JCB welders although for me it was just a hobby and not job related) and one type of arc welding exercise we did was 1/2" plate - not much of that on a Minor


Paul Humphries.

[d_harris]

Cheers for that guys. Looks like I'm going to continue with a mig on the trav. Have some ideas for things I'd quite like to fabricate so will have a play

[gairlochrosie]

Having picked up an arc welder today as a freebie I'd like to learn how to use it!

Does anyone know of any good books to check or even better, online tutorials?

Still got some welding left to do on the trav I might try!

Hi Dan, Try this great forum...all the help you will ever need!!

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php

[steve4063]

2 things
1 there is an attachment you can get for an arc which dramaticly reduces the amps enough to weld car panels.
it sort of vibrates really quick it used to use one years ago but i bought it from a firm in norwich and haven't found anyone else who does it.

2nd is i have an arc welder somewhere haven't used it for 18 months or since welding up my old market stall and do you think i can find it.
how on earth can you loose a welder i have searched my house/ shed/garage

baffles me how things disapear

[youngun]

ARC is not particuarly handy for Car body panels. Ive used it for heavy stuff, but it is incredibly time consuming compared to MIG.

Both pieces your welding have to be SPOTLESS and you have to have a good earth, then its just a matter of tapping the rod against the metal till you get an arc, then get moving!!

[MikeNash]

Dan,
I occasionally use my arc welder with a brazing attachment - it burns carbon arcs so you get a "torch" effect. This sticks thin sheet well (despite rude comments from north of the border!). Whatever you do or use, I strongly recommend you get one of those masks that only go dark when you're arcing. They make everything so much easier, and they seem very cheap on Ebay. Regard, MikeN.

[paulk]

If you want some offcuts of thicker steel (3mm wall) to play with, I've got loads lying around (RHS, box section and little bits of angle and flat)
Just give a shout before Thurs and i'll bring a goody bag along to Sadmog.

[d_harris]

Cheers Paul. Not sure if I will be attending yet.....

Cheers everyone else some useful advice and ideas

[gairlochrosie]

(despite rude comments from north of the border!).

What Rude Comments are they then! ?

[MikeNash]

Ah well you see The Kilted One (aka bmceccosse) said elsewhere recently that only welding will do - or something like that. Just like the MOTsters. Whereas of course we all know that you can hold it all together with just rivets and gloo. Just look up at all those airyplanes. Any bits falling off?
MikeN.

[gairlochrosie]

Ah well you see The Kilted One (aka bmceccosse) said elsewhere recently that only welding will do - or something like that. Just like the MOTsters. Whereas of course we all know that you can hold it all together with just rivets and gloo. Just look up at all those airyplanes. Any bits falling off?
MikeN.

I have not got a clue what you're talking about. I must have missed something.

[Alec]

Hello Mike,

"just rivets and gloo."

There are certainly many ways of construction and rivets are one of them
(and gloo sic) but not 'just'.
Like everything rivets need to be used correctly. In aircraft construction, riveted joints are checked with feeler gauges and any that are not closed have to be re-done.
I make this point as you refer to MOT testers, and similarly brazing is not an acceptable way of car repair for MOTs but a properly brazed joint is equal or exceeds a welded joint's strength. I think that the reason is that it is beyond the scope, and knowledge, of the tester to assess the integrity of the repair method.

Alec

[bmcecosse]

It's OK Gairloch - they are just being rude about me again -which seems to go unchallenged by Mods. For MOT purposes on a Minor only continuous welding will do as Alec has confirmed.

[Orkney]

Always wondered about that - used to know a dodgy back street MOT fixer upper type chap and all he did was braze, guess he had a deal with the MOT tester or something but thats all he did.

[bmcecosse]

Lots and lots of underseal slabbered on hides many a crime! In fact - in many places brazing will be perfectly fine - it's just frowned upon by MOT.

[gairlochrosie]

BMC, Continuous Welding IS the only way!!