Icehouse Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 Indy, I just picked up a super nice Miller welding helmet off ebay brand new for 240 shipped to my door. I think it has like 9 square inches of viewing area. I've used a flip down for years and finally stepped up to the plate. You should as well. keep a bucket with water and a rag, you can cool the metal in between welds. This technique will take some practice but it works great in those kinda situations. The trick is to add enough water to cool but evaporate before you do the next weld. Trying to weld something wet sucks ass! Heat control is very important. Massive warping can occur very easily. There are some very skilled welders at my work who I have learned tons from. There is a lot to learn and practice and trying things will help. Like Redeye said your are getting good penetration but you may be able to achieve the same amount with a lower heat setting but weld for longer before it blows through. just keep practicing get a helmet dude! I have a goon in the back yard. Seeing this thread make me want to body drop it :) Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 u guys gotta admit though...welding walled tubing to old ass sheetmetal....one of the harder things to do .....let alone make look puss......practice and the auto darkeneing will make the learning curve shorter... Link to comment
fo0manchu Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 Start the heat on the tubing, and work your way up to the thinner sheet. Good luck trying to tack the thin sheet to the walled tubing. You'll burn through the sheet as you have found out already. And if you think it looked good on the sheet, then it probably didn't penetrate the tubing. The welds will crack with your car flexing due to poor penetration. Keep the heat on the thicker metal and then you can push the puddle up to the thin sheet metal. You won't be able to see any of this without a helmet though. hah. Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 good advice.. and yes with eyes closed methofd this would be hard on the muscle memory Link to comment
Rhapakatui Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 Grab a copy of minitruckin and there's almost always a page of harbor freight coupons. That'll make that autodarkening hood $30. Those hoods usually only last a year or two, but at that price, you cant beat em. I've gotta get another one before I do anymore datsun welding. The pipeline hood is just too hard to spot weld with. Every time you flip it down, you lose your spot. Link to comment
INDY510 Posted September 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 I have a helmet/mask ... :lol: .... it's just a cheap flip down non-auto-darkening, and I use it for %95 of my welds,, I only use the Orange County Choppers (closed eye method) when I can't find a way to wear the mask and hold everything .. and still flip it down without moving the "frame" rails are 2"x2" 0.065 wall tubing ... basically 16ag steel welded to the thickest 510 metal I have found yet.. and there's 2 layers of metal there stock... so that was penetration through 2 layers of 20ag Datsun sandwich rust trap Link to comment
MicroMachinery Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 2eDeYe' timestamp='1348843222' post='765705']At least your getting good penetration. That's all that really matters ... 3 Link to comment
Rhapakatui Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 My eyes are fucked up already,,, I'd rather not have the cheapest auto-mask possible ..... seeing as I have thousands of welds to do, and then re-do .... debating between Harbor frieght $50 .. Lincoln $200 .. or Miller $240 100% harbor freight. Unless you are planning to become a professional welder. I do weld professionally. I use a flip down "pipeline" style hood when I'm welding all day long. However, when I'm doing a lot of tack welding, I use one of the cheap harbor freight hoods. After a year or so, the reaction time of the autodarkening lense will get slower. At that point, throw it in the trash and get another one. The two hundred dollar hood will do the same thing eventually, but it will last a lot longer. I've yet to burn my eyes using the cheap hoods. Just make sure you adjust it dark enough to not see spots. Same as any auto hood. Link to comment
Ranman72 Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 I have a helmet/mask ... :lol: .... it's just a cheap flip down non-auto-darkening, and I use it for %95 of my welds,, I only use the Orange County Choppers, closed eye method, when I can't find a way to wear the mask and hold everything .. and still flip it down without moving the "frame" rails are 2"x2" 0.065 wall tubing ... basically 16ag steel welded to the thickest 510 metal I have found yet.. and there's 2 layers of metal there stock... so that was penetration through 2 layers of 20ag Datsun sandwich rust trap My eyes are fucked up already,,, I'd rather not have the cheapest auto-mask possible ..... seeing as I have thousands of welds to do, and then re-do .... debating between Harbor frieght $50 .. Lincoln $200 .. or Miller $240 buy a good mask you wont regret it buy a cheap mask you might decide to buy a better one later its all up to you Link to comment
fo0manchu Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 my cheap mask last me a good 8 years or so. I need to get a new one though, as its not darkening quick enough now. Here's what I was looking at: 50shipped! welding mask Link to comment
VintageRice Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 How can I put this........... HARBOR FREIGHT ! ! ! 1 Link to comment
VintageRice Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 Oh Michael....... Classic. I have my iphone set to text that automaticlly when I type "twss" :D Link to comment
jinx3 Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 I use the harbor freight one also. Works fine for me - a big step up from a regular helmet. Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 yo indy ... u just bought the first set of rkr's for your two 510's ... just get the nicer helmet....it appears u like the nicer things....so your eyes deserve te same treatment your 510s do.... Link to comment
Unicornowner Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 Hey Indy!! Followed this for a while. When welding two different thicknesses of metal, point the torch at the thicker metal and let the puddle flow into the thinner metal. It'll give you good penetration on both and keep the "blowout" rate down. Good luck on getting this back on the road man!! Link to comment
erichwaslike Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 i used to build sand cars all day and i used a harbor freight 50 dollar auto dark..... works great for me but ive had it for about 4 years and its time to get another, i mlooking at the nexgen from jackson that fits in the big window helmets. its got the 3n1 grind weld and torch in it. Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 how's that sand rail building job now.. :crying: ...long travel four seater northstar powered cars for sale 15 grand everywhere...some real steals in nevada and az if u got money....pretty much true for all high dollar hobbies......shit i think half the houses in foreclosure in az are cause the owner refi'd and got a 60k rail or 100k off shore boat....plus tow rigs... indy get a old buzz box, that will teach u how to weld good...to be honest i think your welds look better than 50% on here ... including mine at times...and i been faking it for years now...u gotta fake it to make it Link to comment
erichwaslike Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 how's that sand rail building job now.. :crying: ...long travel four seater northstar powered cars for sale 15 grand everywhere...some real steals in nevada and az if u got money....pretty much true for all high dollar hobbies......shit i think half the houses in foreclosure in az are cause the owner refi'd and got a 60k rail or 100k off shore boat....plus tow rigs... indy get a old buzz box, that will teach u how to weld good...to be honest i think your welds look better than 50% on here ... including mine at times...and i been faking it for years now...u gotta fake it to make it hence why i said used to build em. i now am an engineer for one of the olest hand tool companies making special engineered tools for the medical and electrical indusrties. but i do run a fab shop after my normal 7-330 job. Link to comment
DAT510 Posted October 2, 2012 Report Share Posted October 2, 2012 Or just take a welding class... I've learned a lot at my community college about welding.. Mostly stick welding.. but same basic principles apply to MIG. I've learned to keep an eye on the puddle. the puddle can tell you lots of things. Link to comment
INDY510 Posted October 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 I added new pics to the last page of no pics ...... this is one of the most structural "boxed in" 510 pieces I've found: Link to comment
INDY510 Posted October 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Fuck this car ..... I'm done: 1 Link to comment
DaBlist Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 I think you F'd it a long time a go on this one. As much as I'd love to see it back on the road, it would take a huge amounts of time and money that most of us here don't have and those that do want a better starting point. But hey, I'd love to be wrong and see someone get it back on the road. Sorry I don't have anything more encouraging for you but that's how I see this one ending. Maybe somebody can hang it on their wall. Link to comment
INDY510 Posted October 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Maybe some body can hang it on there wall. Good idea!!! ... :cool: Link to comment
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