Have a few questions here

1) What is the best way to remove spot welds on a car fender? So that I can
remove the fender and affix a new skin? Canadian Sources?

2) Once the spot welds are remove can I get a "spot welder" to put them back
on? Is this a stand alone machine or something that would attach to me
Miller 175 Mig?

There are special drill bits for spot welds and Eastwood sells them in their
catalogue. For reattachment you can rosette weld the panel back on with
your existing equipment.
lg
no neat sig line

"HotRod" wrote in message
...
Have a few questions here

1) What is the best way to remove spot welds on a car fender? So that I
can remove the fender and affix a new skin? Canadian Sources?

2) Once the spot welds are remove can I get a "spot welder" to put them
back on? Is this a stand alone machine or something that would attach to
me Miller 175 Mig?

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 07:27:34 -0700, "larry g"
wrote:

There are special drill bits for spot welds and Eastwood sells them in their
catalogue. For reattachment you can rosette weld the panel back on with
your existing equipment.
lg

Like the other posters said. In case it isn't obvious, you can make
a "spot weld" with MIG if you have a hole in the top panel and metal
from the other panel behind it. Just fill the hole with weld metal.
After a little practice you don't even need to bother with a mask.
Just point the gun at the hole, shut your eyes and pull the trigger
for the length of time you've found to work well with your equipment.

The weld will be a bit proud of the surface, so it's easy to grind it
flush. With spotwelds an inch apart, you can stick a whole fender on
in about 10 minutes, once you get it in place with klecos or
sheetmetal screws.

Another very useful tool is a pneumatic punch 'n flange. They're
about $50. One side of the tool makes a dropped flange about 1/2"
wide. When you place the panel, the flange goes behind the part
that's already on the car, which has holes in it. The surfaces are
then coplanar. Do the spotwelds. You can then fill in the crack with
bondo. A gob about the size of a walnut will do a whole fender seam.

Not exactly competition-class "restoration", but it works, it's
quick, doesn't take much skill, looks perfect after painting, and
I've had repairs like that last a decade.

When possible, it's a good idea to smear some 3M body sealer on the
back side to seal the overlap.

"HotRod" wrote in message
...
Have a few questions here

1) What is the best way to remove spot welds on a car fender? So that I
can remove the fender and affix a new skin? Canadian Sources?

2) Once the spot welds are remove can I get a "spot welder" to put them
back on? Is this a stand alone machine or something that would attach to
me Miller 175 Mig?



I use a spot weld hole saw made for this purpose. Most auto parts stores
have or can order this tool. Use this hole saw to cut thru the upper layer
of steel around spot weld and grind the spot weld off when you get the two
panels seperated. I use my MIG welder to do the spot welds. Mark your new
panel and drill 5/16" holes to weld thru to the old panel. Use weldable
primer before assembly.
Steve

Seems to be getting the same answer I'm getting from everyone, "FORGET SPOT
WELDING"

IS a rosette weld stronger than a spot weld? How far apart should I make
them? Or just the same distance as the original?


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
Have a few questions here

1) What is the best way to remove spot welds on a car fender? So that I
can remove the fender and affix a new skin? Canadian Sources?

2) Once the spot welds are remove can I get a "spot welder" to put them
back on? Is this a stand alone machine or something that would attach to
me Miller 175 Mig?

Well I certainly like my spot welder for doing car panels. Quick,
cleaner than MIG and I can use weld through sealer between the panels
which I can't do with MIG. My spot welder is a Spotmatic M1 .

HotRod wrote:

Seems to be getting the same answer I'm getting from everyone, "FORGET SPOT
WELDING"

IS a rosette weld stronger than a spot weld? How far apart should I make
them? Or just the same distance as the original?


"HotRod" wrote in message
...

Have a few questions here

1) What is the best way to remove spot welds on a car fender? So that I
can remove the fender and affix a new skin? Canadian Sources?

2) Once the spot welds are remove can I get a "spot welder" to put them
back on? Is this a stand alone machine or something that would attach to
me Miller 175 Mig?

This car is a 1995 PORSCHE 993, not a cheap car. BUT I want to do the work
myself, otherwise I have a big shop and hoist for nothing. I think I may
invest in a Spot welder.

Another question, can I use a spot welder on aluminum and stainless?

In my experience SS is not a problem for the normal spot welders you
would use for car body work but aluminium is not an option. As I
understand it aluminium can be spotwelded but the equipment required
needs to have a much higher current capacity to produce the same sized
spot weld due to the conductivity of the aluminium being much higher
than steel. I believe the same holds for US aluminum also . Also the
spot welder you require can depend on the steel you are welding. For
more modern cars with HSLA (high strength low alloy) steel you require a
suitable welder which pulses IIRC to produce a suitable post weld
cooling, older cars made from mild steel don't require this. I was told
by a local welding supplier that they got a lot of ex body shop spot
welders in recently as the body shops had to uprate their spot welders
to cope with the new materials, maybe similar in the US so you could get
a good 2nd hand unit.

HotRod wrote:

This car is a 1995 PORSCHE 993, not a cheap car. BUT I want to do the work
myself, otherwise I have a big shop and hoist for nothing. I think I may
invest in a Spot welder.

Another question, can I use a spot welder on aluminum and stainless?

Best method is using a 'spot weld bit'. This is a circular hole saw, in
several small diameters (1/8"-3/8") with a small center point
spring-loaded spike. You drill or punch the center of the spot weld
(drilling works better), then cut it out from the discard-piece side to
separate the panels.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

HotRod wrote:
Have a few questions here

1) What is the best way to remove spot welds on a car fender? So that I can
remove the fender and affix a new skin? Canadian Sources?

2) Once the spot welds are remove can I get a "spot welder" to put them back
on? Is this a stand alone machine or something that would attach to me
Miller 175 Mig?





--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."