What size wire do you guys use when working on honda sheet metal? I would like to tackle a few "honda rust" projects of my own.

My cousin, who is a welder, used some .035 wire in his Miller the other day just as a test and kept burning through the metal on a fender. Now he usually works with a lot thicker metal at work so maybe its just the technique he is using but he said it was the fact the wire was too big.

So what size and material wire do you use when working on honda sheet metal?

 

I'm assuming its a MIG welder? .035" is fine for either TIG or MIGing that kind of thing. You can use thinner but you don't have to.

The burning through could be for a number of reasons. If the metal is dirty, painted or rusty it won't weld nicley. It's a good idea to prep the metal front and back along the whole weld seam. It could also be your cousin is not setting or using the machine properly for that job (butt welding 18-22g sheet steel right?). Some bigger MIGs have an automatic 'hot start' to help with welding thicker steel. I have heard that this can make it almost impossible to make small tacks on thin stuff.

 

Yea its a pretty big welder, it uses 220v if I remember correctly and it's a mig.

THe only prep we did was to grind all paint off leaving just the metal on one side. Now we were just doing this as a test not trying to weld things together....he was simply trying to make a small bead but kept burning through.

 

If you can turn it down to a lower setting and lower speed. Instead of one continous bead weld for a second or 2 and then let it cool for about a second. Have you tried a heat sink behind the metal?

 

could be a multiple of things as to why he is burning through. I think on some machines you can adjust the automatic hot start. You remember what his settings were on the machine?

 

isn't it pretty hard already to weld thin sheet metal with any welder?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lenthrax &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">isn't it pretty hard already to weld thin sheet metal with any welder?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It shouldn't be

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Coal_forge &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you can turn it down to a lower setting and lower speed. Instead of one continous bead weld for a second or 2 and then let it cool for about a second. Have you tried a heat sink behind the metal? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for the insight, I thought that slowing it down would make it hotter correct? Also I never heard of using a heat sink behind the metal, is that common? Is there a special heat sink you use or just like one of a computer or something?

 

i would go down to .025 or .023 (whatever the smallest is) and then get yourself an air line with a air gun. weld in short bursts and blow the metal off imediatly with the gun to the point where you could touch the piece with your hand.

i've welded aluminum hoods doing this without a bunch of crazy warping. aluminum will move a lot more then steel and it will work a lot better with steel. i weld up antenna holes and wing holes in cars all the time using this method with very minimal body work.

you can use .030 or .035, but it take more amperage to get the weld started and will result in blowing through your sheet metal usually.

same idea with tig welding. the thinner the material, the thinner the tungsten. take less amperage to get it started.

 

i use .035, i lower the heat and speed and just pulse the trigger lay a spot let off but leave gas going to cool it then lay a spot and leave gas and repeat, i get a nice overlapping tig looking bead thats not to hot. it takes more time then running a continuous bead, but i dont burn through and it looks good.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by peanut butter &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Thanks for the insight, I thought that slowing it down would make it hotter correct? Also I never heard of using a heat sink behind the metal, is that common? Is there a special heat sink you use or just like one of a computer or something?</TD></TR></TABLE>

In terms of wfs the higher the more penetration(to a certain point), with all variables the same. If your friend is a welder he probably already knew that. What welder does he have?

 

You arent going to be able to lay a bead. You have to do a bunch of tacks.

 

You can lay a bead but you don't want to do that. You want 1/2 long(at most) stitches spaced as far apart as you can get them and just kind of hop around so you don't warp the panel.

I personally prefer .030 to .035 or .023 because it's smaller than the .035(duh ) but less squirrely than .023.


You can find setting suggestions on either Miller or Lincolns websites...I think they are under the education tabs?

Keep in mind they are suggestions and not dead on setups. All machines are slightly different(esp lincolns) People will probably dispute this and start crying but when you've worked a few places with anywhere from 4-10 identical machines and none of them weld the same at a given setting you will understand.

Good luck and look on the bright side. You are going to grind it flush anyway

 

035 is what people can use to weld trailer frames together and the like. 030 is the max dia wire I would consider and usually the only in my machine working on cars.
When working on a tin can thick material like a honda is made from your best bet is 023 or 025 depending on whats available. This will give you the best chance of a nice looking job whithout pulling you hair out. Make sure you have the right tip in the gun or you may have the wire swirling around as it comes out and make it a bit more difficult to put the weld wher it is needed. Do yourself a favor and practice on some scrap before you take a go at the car.