Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Thin bits of metal and bright blue light. Including glass & trim.

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orangebooboobearcrew
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Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by orangebooboobearcrew »

Hi,
After months of putting it off as I was bricking it, I finally started tackling the tin worm issues on the top half of the van.
So on the o/s/r quarter, under the track cover, there was a fair bit of crud which I was hoping I might get away with but after grinding back it was holed in quite a few places and I could also from inside that the window had obviously leaked and was rotting the double skinned panel from the inside out.
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I first hacked some dirty big holes in the side of my van - yikes, that's scary!!! :shock: :? :cry:
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I then spent a lot of time head scratching and trying to work out how I was going tackle this and more importantly rebuild it again afterwards. I am a complete novice to welding and this sort of bodywork so please don't laugh - I have been practising MIG welding and done loads of reading / Youtube and advice from friends so decided to give it a go.
As where the rot was is double skinned and spot welded together, I decided to try and build the inner back up first, then the outer, then puddle weld the two back together at the end.
So as my grinder cutting was not hugely accurate, i made two pieces for the first section of the inner. I put a bit of a curve on these by bending in a vice to try and match the original (no fancy pants tools available here I'm afraid)! :oops:
Then I thought I would try and tack them in but then ran out of gas. So I tacked them in anyway (without gas)!...
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So reasonably happy with what I achieved today for novice...another update next weekend hopefully :ok

Goldfeesh
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by Goldfeesh »

I'm in the same position as you (although the holes are in different areas). It is terrifying cutting things isn't it haha.

Good luck and keep the pics coming!

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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by CovKid »

Very!

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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by New Kentish Campers »

orangebooboobearcrew wrote:Hi,
After months of putting it off as I was bricking it, I finally started tackling the tin worm issues on the top half of the van.
So on the o/s/r quarter, under the track cover, there was a fair bit of crud which I was hoping I might get away with but after grinding back it was holed in quite a few places and I could also from inside that the window had obviously leaked and was rotting the double skinned panel from the inside out.
Image

I first hacked some dirty big holes in the side of my van - yikes, that's scary!!! :shock: :? :cry:
Image
Image
Image

I then spent a lot of time head scratching and trying to work out how I was going tackle this and more importantly rebuild it again afterwards. I am a complete novice to welding and this sort of bodywork so please don't laugh - I have been practising MIG welding and done loads of reading / Youtube and advice from friends so decided to give it a go.
As where the rot was is double skinned and spot welded together, I decided to try and build the inner back up first, then the outer, then puddle weld the two back together at the end.
So as my grinder cutting was not hugely accurate, i made two pieces for the first section of the inner. I put a bit of a curve on these by bending in a vice to try and match the original (no fancy pants tools available here I'm afraid)! :oops:
Then I thought I would try and tack them in but then ran out of gas. So I tacked them in anyway (without gas)!...
Image
Image
Image
Image
So reasonably happy with what I achieved today for novice...another update next weekend hopefully :ok

Dont worry too much, just take your time and dont rush it. You might want to think about carefully removing the retaining strip which holds the runner plate, so that you can get to the rust underneath. Plus, once its off, its far easier to tackle the rust and give a better chance to eradicate it more effectively.

My last project had severe rusing around the window apertures so I needed to replace all the metal. As this part was in the way, I carefully drilled mine off, using an 1/8" drill then a 1/4" ( I didnt have a decent spot weld cutter and this works well, with care in not going right through the panel :roll: and you can then puddle weld it back on again :)

Here's an image of the part drilled off:

Image

Then I cut and replaced with new steel, ground it off, etc. Trial fit the cover before you weld the retaining strip on or it will look terrible :roll:

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All done ( I cant find a better image, sorry)

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rowlesy
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by rowlesy »

sit tight and get some gas. makes for a better job. if you've got a bit to do see if you can get a bottle of co2 (same as pub gas) the little gas bottles from motor factors get used up quick so becomes a false economy. once thats sorted try not to do long welds you'll blow the plate away and make more holes try to tack weld all the way round and join them up. so for want of another war to describe this process ... buzzz ... buzzz ... buzzz ... buzzz ... buzzz if you catch my drift? say it out loud and thats pretty much the pace you want :ok
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orangebooboobearcrew
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by orangebooboobearcrew »

Hi all,
Thanks for your posts and kind words of encouragement.
You are right - it is about taking your time, thinking about how you are going to tackle it then having a go. My concern is more about how to fabricate bits to fit but getting the hang of that now - basic and not neccessarily pretty but does the job!
I have got gas - Hobbyweld 5, brand new bottle but when I was up my unit yesterday, I forgot to take a spanner with me to tighten the valve on with and couldn't get it tight enough by hand. :oops:
Yes, I know I need to pulse weld here as the metal is thin and don't want to heat up and blow through. This is the same as when I recently did the sliding door window bottom replacement so I think I know what I'm up against... :ok That came out really good.

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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by Ant-t »

I'm about to start on my bodywork, I'm also new to mig so watching with interest 8)
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by boatbuilder »

Use cereal packet cardboard to make templates then trace around onto new metal

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orangebooboobearcrew
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by orangebooboobearcrew »

Hi,

I have been using a trick I saw on Wheeler Dealers - put masking tape across the hole and use a dirty thumb to smear and mark the edge. Then transfer this masking tape stuck directly onto the sheet to be cut and you should then get an exact fit. Took me a couple of times to get this right, then used the grinder to take any excess material off in places to get a good fit. Each bit I make gets a bit better!

Good old Ed China! :lol:

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orangebooboobearcrew
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by orangebooboobearcrew »

Hi,
Quick update from last weekend...
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by mshaw1980 »

This is a great thread. I am in exactly the same position as you in terms of where I need to repair my van. Mechanical stuff easy, bodywork, hmm dark art. Although I am encouraged in one respect that I read somewhere as long as you are good with a grinder then your welding can look decent. Thats the theory anyway. Keep it up. Encourages me to get the cutting disc on my van :-)
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by itchyfeet »

Interesting thread, thanks

Just bought a mig myself, ( thanks to what2do for finding it) might be a while before I'm good enough to ty welding the van.

In particular I'm interested in where you get your sheet metal, I assume plated is no use, what thickness is it and how you hold it, looks like you are using magnets, are they special for welding?
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by Ant-t »

Excellent thread, I'm learning mig now as well, soon to be working on my van :D
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by RogerT »

Seems there's plenty of us learning and planning, and enjoying these novice posts as much as metalmickeys posts. I did a mig evening course at the college in the autumn, and the plan is empty the garage of stuff after the summer, buy a banger for a daily driver, whip off the hitop and squeeze the van into the garage and try to deal with the hidden awfulness. Really encouraged by threads like this, and the questions from itchyfeet that I hadn't got round to asking...
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Re: Fisher Price - My first welding and fabrication

Post by itchyfeet »

Something I gleaned from what2do is you need 0.6mm mig wire not 0.8mm for bodywork, migs often have reversible wire feed rollers that do 0.6 and 0.8mm, mine does.
I have got the 5%co hobby gas bottle too, 60 quid deposit £10 quid a year reduced and 40 quid a refil

Clarke 0.6mm 5kg wire from machine mart was 20 quid, probably last me years :lol:

borrowed an auto dimming welding mask, they are 50 quid too

All the gear no f***in idea :lol:

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Last edited by itchyfeet on 31 Jan 2017, 08:27, edited 1 time in total.
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