Not being gifted with three arms and always having difficulty striking
the arc in the right place, I have been thinking of getting one of
those auto- darkening welding masks since they first appeared on the
market.

I saw a new unused one in its box for £10 at a car boot sale, so
grabbed it. For those also considering.....

It makes it so much easier. You can see through the lens with mask
down, right up to the instant when the arc is struck. My version uses
solar charged lithium cell(s) - no batteries to replace. Three
adjusters for sensitivity, how dark it goes and how long it should
remain dark at the end of welding.

I just need to source some of, what is suggested to be - splatter proof
clear outer lens material. Anyone know of a cheap source?

It looks like thin plastic or acrylic, which could likely be cut down
to the size needed. All I have come across before have been glass.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't seem
to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking to the
steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

I've no problem making a decent job of thicker stuff.

--
*Beware - animal lover - brakes for pussy*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't seem
to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking to the
steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

A gas welder?
I tried it (on a Hillman avenger) with a stick welder once and then used
gas.
Its been 35 years since and I have never tried to weld sheet that thin
since.
I suspect its practice and more practice.

dennis@home
wibbled on Saturday 10 July 2010 11:19



"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't
seem to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking
to the steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

A gas welder?
I tried it (on a Hillman avenger) with a stick welder once and then used
gas.
Its been 35 years since and I have never tried to weld sheet that thin
since.
I suspect its practice and more practice.

Practice, decent MIG and clean metal.

I've done 1mm steel with a Cebora MIG and CO2. Best practice on some scrap
first and adjust wire feed and current until it works. Plenty of gas too.

On the car, clean the metal along the weld line as well as practical - makes
a huge difference not trying to weld through rust and crap.

If possible, cut back to or weld over a bit that isn't corroded so extreme
thinness.

I agree, it does take some pratting around setting up, but once there, even
a relative novice like me can pull a decent weld on car bodywork.

This assumes the welder is decent as in smooth wire feed and repeatable
settings.

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.

"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
dennis@home
wibbled on Saturday 10 July 2010 11:19



"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't
seem to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking
to the steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

A gas welder?
I tried it (on a Hillman avenger) with a stick welder once and then used
gas.
Its been 35 years since and I have never tried to weld sheet that thin
since.
I suspect its practice and more practice.

Practice, decent MIG and clean metal.

I've done 1mm steel with a Cebora MIG and CO2. Best practice on some scrap
first and adjust wire feed and current until it works. Plenty of gas too.

On the car, clean the metal along the weld line as well as practical -
makes
a huge difference not trying to weld through rust and crap.

If possible, cut back to or weld over a bit that isn't corroded so extreme
thinness.

I agree, it does take some pratting around setting up, but once there,
even
a relative novice like me can pull a decent weld on car bodywork.

This assumes the welder is decent as in smooth wire feed and repeatable
settings.

--
Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.



It must be a bit scary when you first use this type of mask. Fear of what
would happen if it didn't work.

John expressed precisely :
"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
dennis@home
wibbled on Saturday 10 July 2010 11:19



"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't
seem to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking
to the steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

A gas welder?
I tried it (on a Hillman avenger) with a stick welder once and then used
gas.
Its been 35 years since and I have never tried to weld sheet that thin
since.
I suspect its practice and more practice.

Practice, decent MIG and clean metal.

I've done 1mm steel with a Cebora MIG and CO2. Best practice on some scrap
first and adjust wire feed and current until it works. Plenty of gas too.

On the car, clean the metal along the weld line as well as practical -
makes
a huge difference not trying to weld through rust and crap.

If possible, cut back to or weld over a bit that isn't corroded so extreme
thinness.

I agree, it does take some pratting around setting up, but once there, even
a relative novice like me can pull a decent weld on car bodywork.

This assumes the welder is decent as in smooth wire feed and repeatable
settings.

-- Tim Watts

Managers, politicians and environmentalists: Nature's carbon buffer.



It must be a bit scary when you first use this type of mask. Fear of what
would happen if it didn't work.

It was but I have suffered arc eye before, trying to hold things with
one hand, the rod holder with the other and closing my eyes to tack
weld in place.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Plowman (News)"
saying something like:

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car.

Practice with the use of a pro-grade welder then transfer your new skill
back to your lower-grade set.
It's how I learned to do it - at work there were numerous quality
welders and I found migging thin sheet a piece of ****.

In article ,
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car.

Practice with the use of a pro-grade welder then transfer your new skill
back to your lower-grade set.
It's how I learned to do it - at work there were numerous quality
welders and I found migging thin sheet a piece of ****.

I was getting quite good results in the workshop on the bench with scrap -
but it's a different matter working on the awkward bits of the car. I
can't really see what I'm doing.

--
*The closest I ever got to a 4.0 in school was my blood alcohol content*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:19:30 +0100, dennis@home wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't seem
to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking to the
steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

A gas welder?
I tried it (on a Hillman avenger) with a stick welder once and then used
gas.
Its been 35 years since and I have never tried to weld sheet that thin
since.
I suspect its practice and more practice.

I agree that stick welding thin steel is extremely difficult, but I'm sure
I heard that the steels used on modern cars are high strength types
(allowing thinner metal) and that they should not be welded with gas as
that applies heat to too large an area and weakens it.

Mig's the way to go.

A friend of mine is a professional welder and although he normally works on
heavy gauge stuff, I've seen him work on cars with Mig and it's a joy to
behold: replacing the top of the A-post and the corner of the roof on a
Mini pickup so neatly that you wouldn't notice from a distance - and that's
before any prep and painting!

SteveW

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone other
than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't seem
to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire sticking to the
steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

I've no problem making a decent job of thicker stuff.


You should be able to weld 1mm steel quite easily, but not if 50% of it's
thickness is rust ;(*
\0

Dave Plowman (News) explained :
I was getting quite good results in the workshop on the bench with scrap -
but it's a different matter working on the awkward bits of the car. I
can't really see what I'm doing.

The gas MIG welders don't work very well in a draft - it blows the gas
away.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

In article f0r_n.154431$NM4.17612@hurricane,
Mark wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone
other than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't
seem to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire
sticking to the steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

I've no problem making a decent job of thicker stuff.


You should be able to weld 1mm steel quite easily, but not if 50% of
it's thickness is rust ;(

Not much point in trying to fix new metal to rust?
It's been cut back to good.

Oh - it's not easy. Or rather most say it's not. Like many skills.

--
*I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article f0r_n.154431$NM4.17612@hurricane,
Mark wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Got one of these some time ago and I'd say it essential for anyone
other than the most skilled.

All I need now is some tips on welding 1mm steel on the car. I can't
seem to find that sweet spot between burning holes and the wire
sticking to the steel. I've got a SIP Migmate Turbo 130. Using argon.

I've no problem making a decent job of thicker stuff.


You should be able to weld 1mm steel quite easily, but not if 50% of
it's thickness is rust ;(

Not much point in trying to fix new metal to rust?
It's been cut back to good.

Oh - it's not easy. Or rather most say it's not. Like many skills.


I*started with a Clark 100e on Co2 and replaced the sills and floorpan on an
MGB without any problem, then similar on a midget and Mk1 Escort.*
I did learn to use an ark welder first, after that Mig, even with a bottom of
the range model IS easy.**
\0

In article 4bs_n.134667$vB5.117422@hurricane,
Mark wrote:
You should be able to weld 1mm steel quite easily, but not if 50% of
it's thickness is rust ;(

Not much point in trying to fix new metal to rust?
It's been cut back to good.

Oh - it's not easy. Or rather most say it's not. Like many skills.


I started with a Clark 100e on Co2 and replaced the sills and floorpan
on an MGB without any problem, then similar on a midget and Mk1
Escort. I did learn to use an ark welder first, after that Mig, even
with a bottom of the range model IS easy.

I'd love to have seen your first attempts. Most skilled work looks easy
once you have the skills.

--
*To be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated, but not be able to say it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article 4bs_n.134667$vB5.117422@hurricane,
Mark wrote:

I did learn to use an ark welder first

I'm intrigued. Are you suggesting Brunel plagiarised the SS Great
Britain's design from Noah?

(Sorry, DP - Mark's post doesn't seem to have got to my server)

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article 4bs_n.134667$vB5.117422@hurricane,
Mark wrote:
You should be able to weld 1mm steel quite easily, but not if 50% of
it's thickness is rust ;(

Not much point in trying to fix new metal to rust?
It's been cut back to good.

Oh - it's not easy. Or rather most say it's not. Like many skills.


I started with a Clark 100e on Co2 and replaced the sills and floorpan
on an MGB without any problem, then similar on a midget and Mk1
Escort. I did learn to use an ark welder first, after that Mig, even
with a bottom of the range model IS easy.

I'd love to have seen your first attempts. Most skilled work looks easy
once you have the skills.


The problem with Hobby Mig welders is that the wire speed control is crap,
and getting that correct is probably the most important part in learning to
use a mig welder, once you have cracked that the rest is easy.
A good video is here
*http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/wire-speed.htm
practise*on the bench getting the noise the weld is making just right and
ignore what the weld looks like to begin with, once you can
instantly*recognise that sound then you can concentrate on what the weld
looks like, and only then start on a real life car.
FWIW on my Clark the difference between too slow ok and too*fast is only
about a 3deg movement on the speed control dial for thin sheet.***
\0