So here is the deal! You have a car and it needs new metal put in. Yeah, you could go with body filler, but what about parts like the chassis? If you have a MIG welder it can help you do all metal joining repairs. Some people like to gas weld or even stick weld, but the main problem with those welding processes is distortion! MIG is clean, fast, and works great with the thin metals that are used on cars, plus it is what most body shops use! The down side is you need to buy, rent or borrow one of these machines. For a few hundred dollars you can easily find one for sale, and in the worst case you can pick up a real nice pre-owned machine!
MIG welding on cars is pretty easy. All you need is the machine and the filler wire. When it comes to filler wire there are two ways to go. Solid wire or a self shielding wire. There are pros and cons to both choices. The solid wire makes a cleaner weld, but that also means you need to get a bottle of CO2. The self shielding wire does not need any gas, but the welds need to be cleaned more after they are finished. Either way, it beats using body filler to patch up holes!
Set up of the machine depends upon the metal you are welding and it's thickness. It is recommended that you first select a piece of scrap metal that is the same thickness and type of metal as the one you will be welding and practice welding on the scrap.? Set the machine so that when it is welding it has a fast crackling sound to it. Once you've got it down, it's time to prepare your car's metal.
Prep work for metal repairs on cars requires cleaning the joint so that only clean steel is showing. This is not just for cars but MIG welding in general. You want everything fit up as tight as possible so that there are no gaps. Another thing to look out for before getting started is anything flammable in your work area. The last thing you want to do is set your garage on fire!
Now you are ready to weld. When welding thin metals, the only technique employed is that of a whipping motion.? Simply point the MIG gun and pull the trigger as you wave it back and forth until you fuse the edges of the joint together.? Once you're finished with the welds, grind down the welds until they are flush with your vehicle's surface. Those are the basics of MIG welding for your car restoration needs! Safe welding!
