Arc Wedling...

[Arthurdaily]

Now, I know that mig welding is the way forward, but was offered a free arc welder and gear and thought I might give arc welding a go on my minor! Now I know general bodywork might be an issue, the metal is 1.4mm yes? But generally speaking one simply swaps panels on the body yes? So would arc welding be okay for the rest of the car- i.e the structural parts like the floor panels etc?

Also where on earth do you get scrap steel to practice on

[ASL642]

Get hold of some rusty old doors that someone has scrapped or go down to the local scrapyard and get something from there. Practice on them before letting yourself loose on your car!

[Arthurdaily]

Scrap yeard! Of course, how stupid not to think of that first

[bmcecosse]

And no - arc welding (or wedling) really has v few uses on the bodyshell. May be good for fitting new 'perches' on the rear axle - that sort of thing.

[Arthurdaily]

ha ha... wedling lol - I have a horrible flu like thing at the moment... I notice many odd spelling mistakes lol. That is a shame since I have the 'hang' of arc (as a novice) and free equipment. Oh well!

[dp]

Arc welders are great for thicker metal but really difficult if not impossible for body panels. Why not sell it on Ebay and put the money towards a Mig if you're planning on welding a lot of bodywork. If you feel guilty about the profit, share it with the person giving you the welder.

[Arthurdaily]

That is a good idea - could anbody tell me the cheapest (yet acceptable for all Minor related welding, only occasional use) gasless welder to get? I have seen 'mighty migs' for around 130, but they seem to have only two amp settings... would this be okay?

[Quendil]

You can use an arc welder for bodywork but you need to use decent rods and have plenty of practice. Also know ho to use body solder helps.

[ASL642]

Try Machine Mart for welders.

[chickenjohn]

That is a good idea - could anbody tell me the cheapest (yet acceptable for all Minor related welding, only occasional use) gasless welder to get? I have seen 'mighty migs' for around 130, but they seem to have only two amp settings... would this be okay?

Get a gas Mig welder- gives a much nicer weld and more forgiving on car bodywork. A good choice is a Clarke 150TE or similar.

Gassless Mig welders and Arc welders are better used on thicker metal, such as 3/4 mm plates or above.

[Arthurdaily]

Thanks CJ. I'll take your advice