How the F^(& do you weld 16ga sheetmetal???!!!

[Samckitt]

I have been trying to patch a hole in the floor. first I tried butt welding it, that didn't work, all I managed to do was burn holes in it. So then I made a piece that overlaps it & I get the same results. What the F^(& am I doing wrong? Welder is a Lincoln Power mig 200 & I have it on the lowest setting, using .023" wire.

Thanks.

[GBodyGMachine]

Sounds like you could stand to up the wire speed Scot. You will just have to move fast when you weld. Or try a bunch of short tacs in a row. Thats what I did.

Jeff

[Samckitt]

I tried upping it a little, I will go try more. I think I had it up around 190"/min.

[hotrdblder]

200, 15.5 to 16 volts

[Samckitt]

Mine doesn't have voltage settings. It has A,B,C,D....

[rocketrod]

Sounds like you could stand to up the wire speed Scot. You will just have to move fast when you weld. Or try a bunch of short tacs in a row. Thats what I did.

Jeff
What he said and a little patience..

[Gordz32]

go to home depot or some other hrdware store and pick up some 16 ga or srounge around ur garage. Get to pieces an try and weld those together rather than blowing hole in ur car. Up ur wire speed and like I said first get ur welder dialed in on something other than ur car. U know its working correctly when it sounds like sizzleing bacon consistantly. Try that and then we'll move forward.

[DRJDVM's '69]

Stitch welding is the only way to do it..... a bunch of quick tacks about an inch apart, and then go back and do a series of quick tacks in a row for about an inch, overlapping each tack about 50%. Try and make the next tack before the last one stops glowing. Then skip around to another spot.

And like everyone else said... practice on a bunch of junk until you get the welder dialed in better.

[Samckitt]

I will get some pieces to practice on. Last night I was doing the spot welds & it was working a little better. Thanks for the input.

[Twin_Turbo]

Use a hammer or a dolly on the underside of where you are stich welding to take up some of the heat, that way you will get good penetration without blowing holes in the floor.

[Samckitt]

I was trying to use a piece of .25" plate, but couldn't get it up flat to the floor. I'll look for a dolly today at Harbour Freight. Thanks Turbo.

[hotrdblder]

16 ga should be easily welded with .023 wire, i can weld 24 ga with both my migs, either my 175plus or my 250 power mig, my 175 plus i set it at b or c heat and about 5 on wire speed dial

[J68Bird]

Scot
Another thing to try is use a copper backup piece.
If you don't have a flat piece laying around use a short piece of water pipe and hammer it flat. That, and the short tack technique will give you good results.

J.

[hotrdblder]

there is no reason to need any back up on 16 ga sheetmetal, that is almost as thick as sheet goes before it goes to plate. unless the gap is over 1/8 it should weld so easily.

[Samckitt]

I guess I just don't know what the h#ll I am doing. Talked to a guy at the AmeriGas place & he said to lower my gas flow too. Got some scrap at home to try on too.

[parsonsj]

16g steel is .060 thick. You should be able to weld it at a C setting on your welder if you want, especially with .023 wire. Are you trying to run a long bead? You should give the stitch suggestion above a try. I do all sheetmetal welding that way. Good luck.

jp

[hotrdblder]

gas flow on mild steel should be 10 to 15 cfh

[Samckitt]

JP. I was trying to do a small section at a time, maybe 1/4" long.

Hotrdbldr - I had my flow set in the 20's. I will try it lower.

Thanks

[MrQuick]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/07/001-1.jpg

[dhutton]

This is worth reading:

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showpost.php?p=66951&postcount=2

Don

[Samckitt]

Before I quit the other night I was having problems with my .023" wire breaking after the rollers. Come to find out my wire had some very small rusting spots on it & was causing a week spot. So instead of buying a new roll of .023" (hardly ever use it) I decided to try welding 16ga with .030" wire. I use some practice pieces tonight & actually did pretty good. I made a "spot weld" with it each time & then let off. I didn't have any problems with the burning through until I came to an area where the gap between the pieces was about as big as the thickness. Then it would melt through. Gonna practice more.

[hotrdblder]

just changing wire size will make you need to change heat and wire speed also,

[Mathius]

This is just my opinion, but with .023 wire, I usually try to run a bead. With .030 or .035, I'd tack it.

It just seems like tacking with .023 is a waste of time. Not a lot of strength there at all compared to the bigger wire.

Mathius

[Samckitt]

I ended up using .030" because my .023 was rusted a little & kept breaking before going into the liner. So last night I finally tried to weld the panel in the floor again after practicing on some scrap pieces. I did the tack spot method. What a pain in the rear. Got about half of it done before I quit, my back was killing me.

[hotrdblder]

welcome to fabrication, your back will thankyou

[Mathius]

welcome to fabrication, your back will thankyou

Yeah. I just did some spot repairs on a receiving line on Sat. for a company. Took me about 2.5 hours and my back was hurting for 3, not to mention the flash burns because it was too hot to wear leathers on my arms, and I think I sweat out three gallons of water. Good thing they had a drinking fountain nearby.

It's all par for the course. If you wait for perfect conditions to get any work done, you'll never accomplish anything. Trust me, I know. My '76 Malibu is still sitting in the driveway because it's been too hot or rainy to finish my wheel well repair.

Mathius

[Samckitt]

I did have my welding jacket on (I have been through the sunburn ordeal, didn't want to do that again), and I too think I lost 10 lbs in sweat. It was in the mid 90's here yesterday. And for the rest of the week. I think I lost another 10 lbs changing front brakes in the drive on the wifes car. Dang I am going to blow away before it is over with. Yeah right!

[Mathius]

I did have my welding jacket on (I have been through the sunburn ordeal, didn't want to do that again), and I too think I lost 10 lbs in sweat. It was in the mid 90's here yesterday. And for the rest of the week. I think I lost another 10 lbs changing front brakes in the drive on the wifes car. Dang I am going to blow away before it is over with. Yeah right!

9 times out of 10 unless I'm doing overhead or its cool out, I don't even bother with the sleeves anymore. I generally just tan now.

I'll probably get cancer some day, but I can live with the flash burn on my arms for now.

Mathius