Metal Working tips and tricks.

"Hammerwelding" is a blacksmithing term, and its allure has gotten lost in time. I never hammer weld a seam, I weld it, grind any protruding extra from adding filler material, and work out the subsequent distortion that was shrunk when being welded. I use a torch often (Henrob), sometimes just because its cool. I have done enough fenders, quarter panels and seams to know that if there was little to no filler (lead or plastic) used, then it wasn't straight by today's show standards. If I spend another 20 hours I can get it to a point where you only need primer, but no customer wants to pay that. There are a few, yes, but I have yet to meet one. If anybody wants to learn these techniques of torch welding, torch shrinking, leading, feel free to come to our shop, we have a meet every summer the week before Syracuse Nationals where we open our doors to anybody who wants to learn. For free.
 
Marty, I love my henrob. I can fusion weld with no filler rod but I just have not mastered controlling the heat. Thats pretty awesome you open your shop and invite everyone for free training. Im in Montana........lol, how about a road show?
 
On tig or gas welding aluminum, part of the main trick is learning to watch the change in shine of the metal at the puddle. It starts getting shiny as it gets to it's sweet spot, a hint too long before dabbing in filler rod & poof, you got a hole. Other big thing with aluminum is how fast it forms an oxidation layer, which takes approx. 2,000 degrees to burn through, as opposed to the approx. 700 degrees to weld it. Extra cleaning just before welding & playing with the tig's balance settings helps this issue. Also the aluminum itself kinda acts like a heat sink & takes longer to heat up . I tend to hit the tig pedal hotter as it starts to heat up & back down just before it gets much of a shine.

In the damp south here, it's hard just to find a piece of raw 20gauge sheetmetal in stock anywhere because of the rust issue. That's why I need something for temporary protection before breaking out the epoxy.
 
Chris_Hamilton I never saw Winfield do any metalwork except for louver punching. He hired guys that knew how, though. His big thing was fiberglass and paint. Not to say the guy isn't a genius, but that's what I observed.
 
Just thought I'd mention on having a clamp collection that I've got a few recently that tractor supply is now carrying. Yea , they are made in china, but seem to be pretty decent as opposed to harbor freight & other cheap ones. They also just started carrying a triple compound action vice grip with an extention handle for 15 bucks. Worth a look.
 
Mostly completed 1 of 2 custom fender vents I'm making. This fender will be spliced into part of my existing fender. Cutout the area up to 1/4" from the fender end where I will be splicing it to mine. Then bent the 2 angles onto a donor scrap of sheetmetal with the same curvature. Welded it to the outside perimeter . Then made a 1/8" x 1/8" rounded corner section & welded it to the front portion to stiffen & give it the look of thickness. Made a sample grille insert, which I need to come up with an attaching method. Fashioned after the Ferrari 599 .

Used a combination of mig tacking, since I couldn't clamp, & tigged the rest. Not perfection but nothing a skimcoat after epoxy won't fix.

Got a question for ya Chad. Do you use standard tig collets or the gas lens? Started to buy a set today & the Airgas salesman didn't seem to think they helped much. Also got some e3 ewg 1/16 tungsten to try in place of my old red 2%
20160329_232540.jpg
 
^jlcustomz, I just did some door skins with .040 tungsten and standard collet/nozzle. Nice tight weld, narrow HAZ. However, I just ordered a gas lens kit. I doubt it really matters which cup for sheetmetal. The advantage of gas lens is for areas where you may need more electrode stick out and better gas coverage.

Good basic TIG sheetmetal video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ_S-7ZSvHk&feature=youtu.be
 
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