paime Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 22 hours ago, MikeD said: good luck with that, I have just "rescued" a foot from a corroded pillar and there are quite a few spot welds to remove, luckily for me I need to replace the pillar anyway have you had a good look at the rest of the chassis? that is fairly heavy corrosion and you may be close to being better off replacing the chassis I haven't had time to tackle the pillar foot yet but it's on the list! The chassis isn't too bad, it's just taking me a while as i've never welded on this scale before. Thought i'd done some of my best welds last night then 50% of them broke free so i'm clearly not getting enough penetration. Trouble is, i'm always paranoid i just burn through the chassis so i'm trying to find the sweet spot in the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo-fi Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Welds sitting on the top is usually that what you're welding is not clean enough. If it's not bright and shiny, you're in for a bad weld. A quick rub over to get the loose stuff off really won't cut it. Flap discs are best for cleaning but not being too aggressive on the good metal. Secondly: power. Don't confuse power with heat. Heat is controlled by travel speed far more than it is power on any machine a hobbyist will be using - the lower settings of which are pretty useless. You need enough power for a decent puddle to form and enough travel speed to move it along before the area around collapses. On thin stuff, if you're not up to accurately running a bead quick enough to avoid blowing holes, try pulsing ~2 second intervals. That's just enough for a puddle to form, wet and penetrate, but not enough to blow dirty great holes. Give you time to aim, think and learn too. The weld.com videos will help you out far more than I can, though. Top quality, excellent instruction and superb arc shots. Keep it up; it's an essential skill as a landy owner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe1 Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 Tbh I'd suggest starting your welding OFF the vehicle first on bits of scrap - that way you can fine tune your wire speed / ampage and you don't have the hassle of going back and re-doing what you think you've already done. Although mig is, as others have said, relatively straightforward once you factor in difficult positions and access together with older metal that **may not** be of consistent thickness, jobs can suddenly become a whole lot more difficult. For that reason you've got to be confident in your basic approach being right - and you can probably achieve that in a few hours with odd bits of scrap that you can 'bend test' and look for penetration marks - and also you'll then be attuned to that sweet sound that mig makes when its welding right, so you get instant auditory feedback on your weld quality even before you look at the weld. Stick with it though - results will be worth it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 Just a wee update on this. I've now got not 1 but 2 new outriggers welded on. It's not pretty welding but i'm going by the mantra of "there can't be enough weld" and things are sticking well. Jumped up and down on the offside outrigger this afternoon and it didn't budge. I've decided i'm going to leave the A pillar feet as well as they're not too bad on further inspection and some Jenolite then red oxide then underseal should keep them alive for a few more years. Next up is the bulkhead corners (the part i originally started to fix 2 weeks ago before i followed the rust!) and i've got a couple of options. Has anyone fitted the repair panels that go right along the top to form a complete new top section? Seems like a good idea to replace as much metal as possible but i'm also conscious that i don't want to give myself more work than is strictly necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo-fi Posted July 14, 2019 Share Posted July 14, 2019 As you're new to welding, I'd suggest doing the bare minimum on the bulkhead. The metal is half the thickness of the chassis, so double the chance of blowing holes and great potential for heat distortion on long runs on thin panels. Distortion on corners is pretty easy to control by comparison. As mentioned above: mock it up with some scrap plate first and practice the weld types and positions you'll have to do for real. Well done getting the chassis glued together effectively. Do post some pics of the welds if you'd like some constructive critique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted July 15, 2019 Author Share Posted July 15, 2019 9 hours ago, lo-fi said: As you're new to welding, I'd suggest doing the bare minimum on the bulkhead. The metal is half the thickness of the chassis, so double the chance of blowing holes and great potential for heat distortion on long runs on thin panels. Distortion on corners is pretty easy to control by comparison. As mentioned above: mock it up with some scrap plate first and practice the weld types and positions you'll have to do for real. Well done getting the chassis glued together effectively. Do post some pics of the welds if you'd like some constructive critique. Good point, i think i might be getting a little carried away. I've clarted everything in underseal now so no pics available but i'll post some of the corner repairs when i get to them. My biggest problem with welding seems to be getting the puddle where i want it. My hand will move perfectly straight with the torch (or so i think) but when i stop and have a look the puddle has wandered all over the place. I'm trying not to do too many runs, it's more of a continual spot welding approach starting on opposite ends of the panel then working inwards to try and prevent warping. Daft question perhaps but how should i be angling the torch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lo-fi Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 I could waffle on for ages, but your absolute best bet is watch some of the YouTubes that weld.com produce. That one I posted above goes through all the basics (including torch angle) and common beginner mistakes, so you'll probably have a few "ah ha" moments. What welding mask are you using - most importantly what shade? Sounds like you're having trouble seeing the weld pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaghost Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 Keep an eye open at Lidl I bought a cracking welding screen from them a wee while back adjustable shade and reaction time £24 regards Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR-HIPPO Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, paime said: My biggest problem with welding seems to be getting the puddle where i want it. My hand will move perfectly straight with the torch (or so i think) but when i stop and have a look the puddle has wandered all over the place. Don't you just hate that. Nice weld, wrong place. I have been sticking stuff together for upwards of 30 years, and that still happens to me. I find adding lots of light on the workpiece helps (especially when working underneath), you can get some pretty decent LED floodlights from the likes of Screwfix for around a tenner. I have a couple of 10w LEDs that I use here and they help lots. Great work getting your outriggers done by the way. Edited July 15, 2019 by MR-HIPPO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 You have to look at the puddle, seems obvious but it's true, concentrate on looking for the puddle not the big bright light 😉. You'll never weld straight or good unless you can see what you are doing. HTH Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 As above, sounds like you are using too dark a shield, either get a new, better one that is automatic, (shade 9 I use for much of the thinner stuff like chassis and bodywork) and get some background light under there so you can see what you are doing before you strike up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR-HIPPO Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 1 hour ago, Bowie69 said: shade 9 I use for much of the thinner stuff like chassis and bodywork 9 seems to be the sweet spot on my (cheap) auto helmet as well. My welding quickly deteriorates if the knob on my mask accidentally gets turned above 9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 Just a quick progress update on this one. My welding is now complete (thank god) and i've hit everything with a hammer and jumped up and down on the outriggers without anything moving. A huge thanks to those who persuaded me doing it myself was the best course of action. Definitely not the prettiest of jobs but i've learnt a huge amount (waxoyl is quite flammable, eh??) and i'm really quite proud of the outcome. Next up is painting everything. Because it's just the outer exposed area of the bulkhead i'm painting, i'm using one of the spray cans. Everything is primed and good to go so hopefully the next pics will be a completed project! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaghost Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Great stuff I'm sure you will go from strength to strength on your welding in the future regards Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 Right then chaps, bit of an embarrassing problem this one....after successfully removing my dash i kept all screws etc in their old locations (just put them in finger tight) so i would know where each on came from. I also labelled the electrical gubbins so they should go back nicely. I have, however, completely forgotten how the dash came apart and therefore have no idea how it goes back together. I started from the top down so i know i've got to start from the bottom up but other than that i'm scuppered. Does anyone have any walk-throughs they can point me in the direction of? I remember 2 supporting plates falling out from behind the lower dash panel and i have no idea where they were or what they were doing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR-HIPPO Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 I worked down from the top the last time I put mine in. Metal vent flap panel first, then dash top. Then the lower dash. There should not really be anything falling out from the lower dash apart from the "Bezel" that sits around the heater hole. part 24 in this diagram This simply pushes into the inside of the hole to the heater unit, I think it is there to give the outer seal on the heater bos a good seal. I had to remove my lower dash after fitting and add some self adhesive closed cell foam tape to the hole in the bulkhead behind the bezel, and to the back of the lower dash where the bezel sits to get the heater to seal properly. While the dash is out, it may pay to check the condition of the seals on the vent flaps in the lower dash, you may well find that the original foam seals have disintegrated as was the case on mine. If so you can unscrew the upper tray from the lower dash to access the innards, I simply removed the two flaps, and riveted a piece of neoprene to each one before refitting, this has greatly improved the heaters ability to demist the screen when the lower flaps are closed (and now properly sealed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 Some success at last! All painted and lacquered up and managed to get the dash back in last night. Those metal plates that fell out were the retaining plates for the rubber floor lining and all parts are present and correct, thankfully. I now need to fit the windscreen which is my next problem. Does anyone have any tips for how to get the top seal into place and keep it there? Tried a bit last night but it was rather fiddly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Very Nice ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I'd recommend you change the top/front roof rubber seal, as the old one will have formed to the windscreen top, there is usually a groove that the thing sits in, older models put another self adhesive secondary strip further back too, and finish the front off with some sealant to stop any wind noises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 10 minutes ago, Maverik said: I'd recommend you change the top/front roof rubber seal, as the old one will have formed to the windscreen top, there is usually a groove that the thing sits in, older models put another self adhesive secondary strip further back too, and finish the front off with some sealant to stop any wind noises. It looks like the seal has been replaced recently as it's quite supple and doesn't look to be deformed. Do you still get dum dum anywhere? There are a few areas that could do with a bit of extra protection i think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I recently found this stuff on ebay, not purchased yet, but I reckon it could be useful. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GLAZING-SEALANT-12M-ROLL-REAR-DOOR-FRONT-DOOR-TOP-ARBO-SEAL-GLASS-FOR-LAND-ROVER/254085241193 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paime Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 31 minutes ago, Maverik said: I recently found this stuff on ebay, not purchased yet, but I reckon it could be useful. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GLAZING-SEALANT-12M-ROLL-REAR-DOOR-FRONT-DOOR-TOP-ARBO-SEAL-GLASS-FOR-LAND-ROVER/254085241193 That does look quite good. This was the other stuff i've found but not sure if it's up to the job: https://www.frost.co.uk/eastwood-flexible-strip-caulk-dum-dum-replacement/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh5z2kbSR5AIV0OR3Ch1buw4gEAkYAiABEgJ3bPD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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