Technical Spot weld remover

What is the best spot weld remover. Brand and type.

 

I've always used a spot weld drill from local bolt business. Only cut through outside panel and NOT into under laying panel.

 

If you are not saving the panel, 4-1/2" angle grinder.

Or a good die grinder. With a 3M weld grinding disk, works too.

If you're saving the panel. The above pictured spot weld type cutter. All **** about the same, regardless of who makes them ; )

 

File belts sanders are what everyone uses at shops these days.

 

A mini belt sander or cut off wheel when I’m not saving the part I’m removing.
This chisel is awesome for separating panels

I prefer this style tool when I’m reusing the part I’m removing

and these bits

 

But a good sharp drill bit and that thin chisel I posted is what I do most.
Just only drill as far as the part being removed

 

For less than $20 bucks this worked excellent for me

https://a.co/d/0cyeMp0R

 

These can be found at harbor freight. Works for me. Be sure to use a center punch.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003LY4E0Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20
These are the best I've found. Fast and last a long time.

 

I use this tool you will never go back to air again.

 

I've used those spot weld cutters and I've used the dynafile style belt sanders too and they both work, but usually I just drill a hole straight through with a drill bit. The belt sander works great if you really, really don't want to damage the underside panel, but it takes a while, and the spot weld cutters work OK too but they don't leave a perfectly clean panel underneath, usually they leave a little pilot hole and a little stuck-on disk you have to grind off anyway. Sure, drilling straight through leaves a hole, but it seems like I only take spot welds apart when I intend to weld a new panel to it in the same way anyway, so I just weld the holes back shut to re-create the spot weld when putting it back together.

 

I used the drill bit cutter style from local auto parts store. Century brand. Worked every bit as good as I hoped it would.

I went through both sheets a few times, but that was me. I think 55-ish spots on this Falcon trunk panel.


-rick

 

Blair Rotabroach works better than the HF cutter, which is cheap but short lived. Rotabroach is more expensive and last I checked, still made in Michigan rather than China like the HF.

Steck weld buster chisel, and a pneumatic belt sander. I think mine is a 3M or Astro.

3M belts last the longest, but I’ve been using generics from the zJungle.

 

Yep. Used the Blair bits. Last a long time. Just got to make sure you have a good centre hole to start, otherwise thd bit will wander all over the place.
I’ve only ever used generic belts on my mini-pneumatic belt sander and they barely last a few minutes. I can’t imagine grinding away spot welds using one even with 3M belts.

 

I've used the spot weld cutters and some cobalt solid bits made in Germany from ebay and they all work until I get overzealous on the rpm. Slow speed is your friend. Center punch helps. Tried the belt sander, but it eats belts like crazy. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Went back to the spot weld cutters.

 

I have been using the same rotabroach cutter for years. Use their lube stick too, cuts like a hot knife through ****er.

 

Don’t waste your money on the HF spot weld cutters unless you want to use it once or twice. Step up to the Blair if you’re going to keep it in your toolbox. I’ve had mine for years and used it a bunch, and it’s still a fine tool.

 

I use the two-drill method; one electric drill set up with a #30 to make a pilot hole, the other electric drill set up with a drill bit slightly larger that the spot weld. When cutting out the spot weld I "wobble" the electric drill in a big circle so the flutes will be flat to the metal. After most of the spot weld is gone I separate the parts with a masonry chisel.

 

If replacing a panel i just grab the plasma cutter..

2 seconds and the old weld is gone and the new hole for the new spot weld is made....

...

 

Yep, the plasma cutter, low amps, a quick fast cut of a circle around each of the spot welds and separate the two panels. Once the top panel is removed, grind off the spot welds with a thicker cutoff wheel on a die grinder. Everything is clean, and one could reuse the removed panel if he wants, the plug weld would just be a larger diameter.
Once you get the hang of it, you can have the two panels with a dozen spot welds separated in less time then it takes to cut 4 spot welds with a spot weld cutter. The clean up is quick and easy.

 

huh!-wow

 

If you have never experienced how a plasma cutter works, you have no idea what you are missing. It will cut through sheet metal as fast as you can move. Once you get acquainted with how to set it up to do what you want to do, you can peal the sheet metal off layer at a time, as fast as you can move, if the nozzle is good, the metal is clean, and you have a good ground onto the metal you are cutting!

 

Yeah a plasma cutter is a fun tool once you get the hang of it.

I've used it to remove welds on everything from core supports, rocker panels etc. Works really good on multiple layer panel replacement.

I remember the first time I tried it. My boss was working on one car and I was working on another. He was drilling welds and I stood there for a minute scratching my head and looked at the plasma cutter and thought why not ?

I grabbed it and started cutting the first weld when he asked me what I was doing, I told him my plan, he smiled and told me to let him know how it goes, in 10 minutes I had the old mustang core support sitting on the floor. He turns around and asks me "seriously you have it out already?" I grinned and said yep and smiled.

That was late 80's, when ever possible we did everything that way from then on...

Saved a lot of time and we ended up with the welds in the exact location of the original welds..

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