Are there a 'must have' or 'standard' hammer and dolly? Been looking around, and there are a lot of options. I would assume a spatula-shaped dolly and a double flat hammer, but I know little-to-nothing here. Thanks in advance- great thread!
For a good "universal" dolly, I'd go with the 'track' shape (called a track dolly, obviously). That's a good all around shape, but before too long, you'll be ready for a couple of other shapes as well. There are dozens if not hundreds of them to choose from. For your first hammers, I'd find one with a dead flat face and a cross peen, and one with a crowned face and a rounded pick. The crowned face ought to be round, but the flat one can be round or square. Just be aware, that you gotta be real careful with the corners of that square face, or you'll leave tracks all over the place (the round one will do it too, but they won't be as bad or as easy to make).
Also known as a universal dolly......oddly enough. There are lots of shapes out there! A universal, a heel, a toe, a comma and an egg will go a long way. Good dollies are indispensible, but I have picked up a few cheap ones (avoid the cast iron dollies!) that I don't feel a bit guilty about "customizing" with a grinder when the need arises. I mostly agree on those hammer choices. Martin hammers are among the best commonly available in the states. Dagger Tools has some good ones too. The Daggers are imports, but they have a better finish and the edges are already "killed". The square faced hammers can be handy, but you can usually get away without one for a while. Even with a low crown hammer, I like to radius (kill) the sharp edges so you don't end up leaving pecker tracks across the panel. Unless you don't intend to use the pick end, avoid pick hammers! They have their place, but they have been responsible for more damage than most folks care to admit. I have a couple of inexpensive pick hammers that I use for "dirty work", and I almost never use the pick end. Even at that, my picks have flat ends and no points. Tim D.
Thanks Tim. Sunday education with no religious undertones- and to that, I crack a beer and toast you metal educators- Slainte!
How about a 'Vixen' file. I've been kinda looking for one of them and they seem to be elusive. Whats' the story on them, have they been outdated or replaced or am i just not looking where i should? Are there more than one type? Size? Shape? I don't think this as a hyjack as much as a continuation. Another thing John is how about showing us how to create a 'stump' and have some pics. Thanks, oj
Guys not to jump on this guy's post but I want to say thanks. I'm in the process of rebuilding a 50 ford convertible.And the welding tips I got from reading this post are great thank you all for info. Mark
I should have spelled out that you want a pick with as big a radiused end as you can find, or one with a fairly large dia flat. Sharp points are useless (or have been to me), but a pick end with a big radius can be pretty damned handy sometimes. Anyone who uses a bullseye pick can attest to that (which is just a pick hammer and a flat dolly tied together so you can't miss).
Look for a "flexible body file" from Nicholson. Made in the USA, and not real expensive. Have a look at McMaster Carr Part #'s 4283A14, 4283A15, & 4283A16 for the files, and Part # 4316A12 for the holder.
At least one of my "Vixen" files is actually a Heller file. Farriers use them still - you know, the folks who shoe horses. They come in flat and half round with either fixed or adjustable handles. McMaster has them, as Coolhand pointed out. Eastwood carries them too. I bought one at a local farm store. Personally, I haven't found a whole lot of use for the pick end of the hammer, but it can come in handy. I have also seen way too many cases of someone going nuts with a sharp pick - real bad news. Tim D.
great info from some masters of the trade. I'm getting back into gas welding, I haven't done it in years. i have a new Meco Midget for a torch. Any experience from any of you guys with this little torch? I know some swear by it, but just like any tool, everyone has thier opinion. Thanks, Hans
I've got one, and I like it, especially for thin stuff. Don't expect to weld anything over 18 ga with it though. So long as you don't ask it to do things it's not made to do, you'll like it a lot. Do yourself a favor and get at least one length of that small OD slinky black hose to attach to the torch. If you try to use the bigger tandem hoses, they're so stiff and the torch is so light that they tend to kind of drive the torch around. It just seemed like I was always fighting that damned tandem hose, so I switched to the smaller and more flexible stuff.
I use both the mig and the tig for pannels. One small trick I use is a damp cloth to cool the areas around the weld it helps with the distortion. I start in three inch incremants and bring my filled rod to a subtle crest. I like silcon bronze rod for filler work it is easy to smooth.
So is welding alu sheet out of the question? Not just body panels but fabbed intakes etc? I haven't even put gas through it yet so have no idea of it's capabilities. thanks, Hans
Thanks CoolHand & Tdoty, i just ordered a couple 14" from McM, salty little shits. Now for the stump, thanks guys.
I haven't welded any aluminum with it. I've got a bowl of flux setting here, but I've not done it yet. I know it's possible, 'cause I've seen Kent White do it, but I can't remember what gage material he was welding. The only aluminum welding I've done thus far (which isn't a huge amount) has been with my TIG. I don't do a lot of aluminum work, though I'm hoping to change that in the future. Judging by how much heat it takes to weld alum with the TIG, I'd suspect you'll be limited to ~0.040 or 0.050 sheet. Do you build intakes from stuff that thin? If you're looking at like 0.120 stuff, you'd better step up to a bigger torch. Victor's J40 is very similarly shaped, but larger. But like I said, I don't have any hands on with the alum to say for certain.
I see one problem with 'mini' torches and that is the build up of heat, this can cause an unstable flame, the tips can get hot and this causes the orifice to close and the flame to get smaller. I would go for a mid size torch and you will be able to weld just about anything. As coolhand said the small torches are OK if used as intended.
I've got a question for the more experienced welders. I've been tacking with mig, then grinding down the weld to just proud, then filling with TIG. I'm a newbie with TIG but have gotten some good and bad results that are all part of learning. Some perfect areas with very little filler, some blow throughs. Most of it depends on my hand speed, for reference i'm using a Hobart TigMate set on 10 with a 100% Argon set at 13-15CFH and 0.030 mig wire for filler. The torch sometimes has a hard time starting the arc, but when i do it directly over the joint it will burn through, but if i start it over the panel then go to the joint with the filler it works great. I have been getting some distortion with sections any longer than 1/2" but luckily nothing that cant be fixed with some hammer/dolly work. Someone else mentioned before about using a wet rag to control the heat affected zone. Please forgive my ignorance here but, could i use 2 sections of wet rags rolled up into a log then placed on either side of the joint to dissipate the heat?
You cannot avoid warpage when welding. It is part of the process. Heat shrinks, so you have to stretch the area after welding. Wet rags are not a very good way to go unless you are protecting something nearby. They do absorb heat, but this is not helpful. It will not stop warpage. There is nothing wrong with a little heat in the panel. John www.ghiaspecialties.com
Thanks john, i've been watching your vids on youtube, great stuff. Any advise for getting into tight panels to stretch? Specifically, i've sectioned my doors, towards the bottom where the inner structure and outer skin meet?
Yeah, honestly, I bought the Midget because: 1) I was afraid that a bigger torch would force me to weld at a pace I couldn't keep up with ('cause I'd never welded with a torch before when I bought it). In hind sight, it was never a problem, but I had no base of experience, and no old hands to pester about it, so I went with my gut and was conservative. That was unnecessary. 2) It was a lot cheaper than a J40 or even a 100 series torch, to say nothing of the Henrob (or whatever it's being called now). I didn't know if I was gonna be able to pull this off, or if I was gonna hate the process, so I went for minimum investment up front. If I had it to do over, I'd buy a J40 right off the bat and be done with it. The 100 series is cheaper than the J40, but I don't like the feel of a big long torch handle (personal preference thing, not a problem with the torch itself). If you work in very thin stuff a lot, a Midget would be quite useful. Mine welds very well, and it doesn't heat up any more than any of my other torches do, but I use a gas saver, so while I'm not actively welding, it's not burning.
I MIG weld everything these days. Make sure the panel fits up well. I like to leave the width of the welding wire between the panels. I tack the panel at one end and then work towards the other end of the weld joint. Tacking the panel about 3/4" apart. So it's weld, align the panel, weld, align the panel, weld, align the panel, Etc. You get the Idea. I learnt this from John Crossley's Fabricating class. He does it with a torch, but if you weld in the panel this way the weld will be straight and level. It will take very little work to metal finish the weld zone. P.S. Sometimes you have to drop the front of the panel down about 1/8" or more to compensate for the cooling of the weld and the drawing action from it. Try it you'll like it. The Old Tinbasher These panels were done this way. JP
Maybe a body spoon, or something made from some flat bar that you can lever into position? Anything that will make good contact with the inner surface, allowing you to press out on the area needing stretching. Sometimes you have to cut out inner structures to access an area better and weld them back in when you are done. John www.ghiaspecialties.com
A really great thread! I see some great metal working skills here. But let me offer some comments as a metallurgical engineer (and glorified welder). Actually both answers are correct. To "anneal" steel, it must be heated to a temperature high enough to relax the residual stresses and allowed to cool at a controlled rate, usually in a furnace or still air. In heavy steel that has been cold bent or welded and residual stresses are near the yield point, this may mean taking it to 1100-1650 degrees F. In thin sheet steel that has been strain hardened from cold finishing, the relaxation may only need a few hundred degrees.
Love the thread and appreciate everyones time taken to participate. I have two questions. 1. I've never gas welded. What's the best set up for body work? 2. How do you planish a panel when there is no access to the back? Thanks.
well this is how ive been doing it for years and found best results for my self ,i do this for a living and if i can get behind the panal , i have my gap as tight as possible ,without overlapining , i tig everything , i tack every inch , then start at one side of the panal and weld continously to the other if i stop its because i ran out of filler material just pick up some more and keep on going , i use .030 mig wire as filler material (I know a lot of you will say this is insane ) i said the same thing when i went to fay buttler class , i usto jump around like a lot of u guys , and thats ok , but after i tryed it out it actually works verry well , i know a lot of u guy say what about warpage what warpage , its shrinkage, yah aney time your weld or apply that much heat to something its going to shrink , to get rid of it you just stretch it back out or planish , it with a planishing hammer or by hand with a hammer and dolly , but thats only if i can get behind the area and work it , if i cant get behind the area , i still tig everything , i still get my panal gaps as tight as possible , i tack every inch and weld about 3/4 of and inch and grind it right away I still start at one side and go to the other but i dont jump around , all this stuff as been probly said befor but i didnt feel like going through all these posts,just my thoughts and opinion
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