Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: aaronjb on 07 October 2011, 23:57:18
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Someone posted this on another website I frequent - I found the videos fascinating (aside from the one that's just an advert).. There's something enjoyable about watching something be created from essentially nothing - and his welding skills (to me) seem pretty damned good, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9knDsi-td8&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
What I wouldn't give to have skills like that :)
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Damn lack of edit - there are 6 instructional videos in the series btw, the most interesting arguably are the last two or three.
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Like the PVC mock up. Interesting welding techniques. Which is the most diy friendly welder?
Bending the tubes, how do they do that without kinking the inner radius?
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I suspect TIG is most friendly, but it's also the most expensive to buy the gear for (naturally!).. MIG is fairly inexpensive - I've not tried either yet, though might have a go at MIG on Sunday when a mate comes over to weld the hole in the Nissan up (I won't be experimenting on the Nissan, though! ;D)
As for the tubes - mandrel bending; an insert just less than the ID of the tube to be bent is pushed inside the tube as the machine bends the tube around a former, which stops the tube from crushing up on the inside (and, instead, 'stretches' the outside of the bend). You can see it right at the very end of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16PDASeQA-M
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Mig is probably the most universal when it comes to car work as its a one handed process.
TIG is very good but does require two hands as you need to add a filler, you can weld without the filler but the joint is not as good. TIG would be my choice for stainless though.
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Mmm. Shiny. :-*
A fascinating set of videos. :y Tempted to get my welder out now. Got to be more fun than decorating. :(
I had a quick go at TIG welding when I did my course. Very nice. I found it not dissimilar to soldering and made my MIG seem a bit agricultural. Welded a couple of bits of thin ali together and the welds looked very presentable. Would have made a mess using any other process, I'm sure. ;D
These guys made the can on the Westfield. The pipe bending kit they have is very impressive. They know how to charge, though. ;) http://www.simpsonraceexhausts.com (http://www.simpsonraceexhausts.com)
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Yes, mandrel bends are very nice but ow so pricey! :y
My new TIG has the pulse feature, not tried that yet though!
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As for the tubes - mandrel bending; an insert just less than the ID of the tube to be bent is pushed inside the tube as the machine bends the tube around a former, which stops the tube from crushing up on the inside (and, instead, 'stretches' the outside of the bend). You can see it right at the very end of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16PDASeQA-M
And no sight of the usual over kill PPE to be seen. ::) ::)
Good video, I wonder what he was making :-\
Another way of bending thin walled pipe is to pack the inside with sand. I wanted slight bends in 2" stainless dairy pipe when making an exhaust for my Senator, in absence of sand I filled the pipe with boiled suger ie Halls Mentholyptus. It worked great without collapsing the tube and then I washed the pipe out with hot water! :y :y :y
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Andy - I suspect he was just making 90º bends to be cut & sold.. either that or there is a strange stair shaped car out there ;D
These guys made the can on the Westfield. The pipe bending kit they have is very impressive. They know how to charge, though. ;) http://www.simpsonraceexhausts.com (http://www.simpsonraceexhausts.com)
Just down the road, too (relatively speaking) - handy to know! Although I can imagine their prices are eye watering :)
One of these days I'll find a course on welding and actually go & learn..
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Andy - I suspect he was just making 90º bends to be cut & sold..
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Never thought about that :-[
One of these days I'll find a course on welding and actually go & learn..
The training video showing the filler rod being dipped into the molten pool demonstrates the technique pretty well, it's just down to practice and current settings etc on the set.
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I'm strangely itching to buy a welder now.. ;D Though I'm always hesitant buying stuff like that on eBay (where it seems cheapest) because a lot of it is knock-off Chinese stuff, especially after what we found in a friends cheap eBay plasma cutter :-\
A nice AC/DC TIG set would be good, though..
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A nice AC/DC TIG set would be good, though..
I keep thinking the same. :-\
AC for ally :y :y
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Ally is why I was looking at AC/DC sets too :) Shame they're all in the £400 range (or more, for brands I've actually heard of ;D)
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Just down the road, too (relatively speaking) - handy to know! Although I can imagine their prices are eye watering :)
They do cater for cheque book racers most of the time but are receptive to bulk buys from car clubs, which is how they came to be in my price range. They did a few bespoke systems on Westfields while I was there. A joy to watch (but not to pay for).
One of these days I'll find a course on welding and actually go & learn..
Basingstoke college is where I went. Just a quick dash up the M3. :y
http://www.bcot.ac.uk/everyone/courses/course.asp?course=547 (http://www.bcot.ac.uk/everyone/courses/course.asp?course=547)
Probably depends on the instructor (I had a guy called Frank, IIRC) but we just got to cut up bits of sheet metal and weld them for 2 hours solid a week. Frank was floating around offering advice where required but basically just let us practice, which is ideal IMHO. Cost about £70-80 and I know for a fact that I got through much more than that in consumables. ;D
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I was really struggling with oxy-acetylene welding(cutting wasn't a problem) until I did the evening car restoration course at the local college. Most of the class had done no metalwork at all, and Doug started them with MIG welding("Turn it on, point the gun at the metal and pull the trigger. I'll come round and talk to you"!) He sorted my problems in 5 mins(too much oxygen, too close to the metal), and I was doing presentable welds about 10 minutes after that. Those 3 terms were the best money I've spent in over 20 years of working on cars.
Even with MIG, which is the simplest and what you want for car bodywork, it's MUCH easier with someone to point you in the right direction.
As for £400 AC TIGs, are you sure? Mine was £1500, and it was the cheapest I'd seen. Surely those are DC machines, and therefore no use for aluminium.
Personally, I don't find much use for TIG on car bodywork, unless you're doing metal finish on exterior panels. In which case, you already know what you're doing, and can advise us! And even then, oxy-acetylene will do the job.
If you're only going to buy one welding rig, it HAS to be oxy-acetylene. It will do anything you want on a car, plus cut, and heat up rusty bolts etc. And you'll be able to use it anywhere, anytime. Exhaust manifold nuts or flanges are rarely a problem once you've got them red hot a couple of times.
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As for £400 AC TIGs, are you sure? Mine was £1500, and it was the cheapest I'd seen. Surely those are DC machines, and therefore no use for aluminium.
Positive ;) e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WSE200amp-AC-DC-Tig-Welder-new-unused-purchase-/280749748927?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3338775852512928489#ht_500wt_1170
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Bah, edit button!
Anyway - I just realised that's an auction so could end up much more than that. However, here's a BIN one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AC-DC-TIG-WELDER-ALI-S-TEEL-UK-SELLER-last-few-329-/160661839190
Like I say, though, I'd be very hesitant buying a make I've never heard off from eBay.. but yes, they're more like £1500 from Machinemart, etc.
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Had a go at MIG today after a mate of mine had welded up the (giant!) hole in the Nissan .. actually not as hard as I thought it'd be at all, made a reasonably good job of welding some plate together well enough to stand up to beating it with a hammer on my fifth or sixth go at it.. good fun, too! :D