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The Renault Welding Thread

It feels a nice process, just had another mess about, bit better, I'll need a hand steady in place to work along, whether I'll get any decent results , who knows?
Pointless me doing any more until filler turns up, but it works, upping amps does what you'd expect, gas delay.... delays.....not sure on waveform function, messed about with it, but for two hundred squids , I reckon it's alright.
Inside screen on helmet is cloudy though, so I'll blast a tenner on a new display,
Pleased as a pleasantly surprised fool could be.
 
I can tig stainless confidently, and I can stick weld, including stainless in the pouring rain and wind. I can't for the life of me mig!

I think over the next year or 2 ill try to get some kit and teach myself ally tig.
 
My current aim is to TIG thin mild steel, whether I'm up to doing it as well as I hope.....we'll see.
I've got to get a petrol tank capable of holding fuel, or at least capable of holding a lining sealant, bearing in mind from new it would have had a light plating on the inside which is long gone, so I'll be sealing it whatever to keep it from rusting afterwards.
I'm always realistic what I can achieve, a skill like welding ( or any other we do as a hobby ) doesn't just happen, people get proper instruction, years of experience, exams and qualifications, doesn't stop us playing about .
My internet searchings bring up plenty of advice and tips, and like anything you pick up the level headed good stuff and learn to filter the doom mongering negative stuff out, I've got a mate who won't buy anything but the best high quality stuff, whatever he does, whereas I buy tat to do a job, it works then I'm happy, it fucks up, I move on and learn......it's only playtime now for me.
If anyone wants to chip in with advice , I'd appreciate it, won't take offence if I'm going way wrong, then we all benefit.
 
My eldest has just started an apprenticeship with Doosan Babcock Well started then Covid hit so back at home...But...it's nuclear/infastructure/pipe/x-ray the weld type stuff.
They are investing heavily in training as they cant get the skilled guys....
It's 1 year at the HQ then 3 on site, probably Sellafield.
It certainly is a skill worth being the best at ££££££££
 
Good company to work for well done (y) I worked along side them a few times on some nuclear sites whilst with Rolls Royce Nuclear. Used to love getting away with them on outages, is he a big drinker.........
 
6C873244-BCB6-4AC8-ADF8-2376972E028E.webp
I bought a Rtech mig 180 before Christmas to replace my 15 year old Clarke 135. It’s up there with some expensive machines I have used over the years for car bodywork. Easy to set up and use!

Currently rebuilding my Turbo mini. As with most Minis it’s a welding Marathon.
 
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I bought a Rtech mig 180 before Christmas to replace my 15 year old Clarke 135. It’s up there with some expensive machines I have used over the years for car bodywork. Easy to set up and use!

Currently rebuilding my Turbo mini. As with most Minis it’s a welding Marathon.
Had a Turbo mini many moons ago. Ended up giving it away like an idiot.😥

I do fancy another 1275gt
 
Welding tissue paper, went to shit at far left, what I'm joining new on to is pitted and thin, but seat base is made out of unobtainiun, so I've got to save it, I'll have to clamp some copper and chase the blow through with MIG, if TIG pool finds something too thin then it drops, I can pulse MIG when this happens and recover, but currently can't with TIG , I'm getting better.....ish...IMG_20210131_150356505_HDR.webp
 
Not an easy job. Tig is not keen on corrosion, it is possible to blow more heat onto the good bit,and put the arc onto the filler rod to take heat off the job, but it is easier to say than do. I keep threatening to get a footpedal as you can throttle up to get the pool and then ease up when on the thin bit. You can try to lower the amps and wait for the pool to form (patience is a virtue on thin stuff here) What power were you using? I have seen me down to 30 amps on thin but ultimately foot control is best. Out of interest if you come right down to 12-15 amps it is excellent as a hot spanner to heat nuts without heating up the surrounding material go any higher and you get instantaneous melting. Pretty good results given the lack of practice though.
 
I'm at about 30-35 amps, any lower and it's not doing squiddly dee, as far pedal is concerned it's only a two pin control, so I assume on is on and off is off? Searching pedals , they seem to have 5/7 pins ......not sure TBH.
Deffo have to sit down to TIG, two old toolboxes is right height,then I put my foot up on bench cross member and put my elbow on my leg......that's stopped the shakes.
I'm sure with a better subject I can do better, but this is the hard way.....which is usually my way
Funnily enough when went back to MIG to rectify my shit TIG, I was welded better than I usually do......I'll get some hours in and see, I'm using 1mm rods, think some thicker would help, then I could push some meaning full filler in when it starts to drop? Cool pool off? I can see rods just disappear, MIG would be wanging wire in.
 
I'm at about 30-35 amps, any lower and it's not doing squiddly dee, as far pedal is concerned it's only a two pin control, so I assume on is on and off is off? Searching pedals , they seem to have 5/7 pins ......not sure TBH.
Deffo have to sit down to TIG, two old toolboxes is right height,then I put my foot up on bench cross member and put my elbow on my leg......that's stopped the shakes.
I'm sure with a better subject I can do better, but this is the hard way.....which is usually my way
Funnily enough when went back to MIG to rectify my shit TIG, I was welded better than I usually do......I'll get some hours in and see, I'm using 1mm rods, think some thicker would help, then I could push some meaning full filler in when it starts to drop? Cool pool off? I can see rods just disappear, MIG would be wanging wire in.
The machine either has a pedal port or not. I use 16 SWG rods (about 1.5mm) You do need to be comfy, but that is true for all welding. I use a Parweld micro torch on my Oerlikon machine with a 1.5mm tungsten. you know the score with grinding the tungsten go for a nice point then ever so slightly blunt the end. you know when it is right as you get a nice tight cone of plasma just like a correct cone on an oxy setup. I assume your machine has the torch to negative this is usual for tig set up and you can reverse to use as a stick welder (do you have that ability) can you set for single touch or double touch Erm. off/on or off click on click off. I usually go for a quick ramp up and down which is better for thin use a bit of postgas 4 sec or so to cool the job and play with the gas pressure until you are getting good results.
If you want to do tube (exhaust better to tee into gas and fill tube with gas when welding gives much better finish on inside
Once you get into it you will enjoy yourself. MIG tends to be get it set and off you go at that feed and speed whereas TIG is much more variable as you work if you see the pool go unstable stop and let post gas cool it then spark up again back from where you stopped you can't do that with the MIG.
 
Nah, no pedal port.
It has all stick welding tackle with it, although it's years since I did any.
Torch is straight on/off.
I'm on a 2mm tungsten ATM , I haven't got a 1.6mm collet, and yes ground as you say.
There's plenty of scope for playing about and trying different set ups, it'll earn it's money entertaining me if nothing else.
 
I need to read up more, as usual I've just dived in...
There's lots of useful stuff on here, MIG Inc, perhaps not for proper welding charvers, but it gives you a good idea.
 
Dropped to a 1.6mm tungsten, it's getting better, went through to the right of pic so I had to wang filler rod in to fill hole and then upped amps and went over it to flatten it off, I won't be taking orders for stainless manifolds just yet.....
But I'm making progress on a difficult job, so I'll take positives for now ..IMG_20210206_165936282_HDR.webp
Reverse shows good penetration, better than MIG snot on pitted shitty metal ?
IMG_20210206_170905529_HDR.webp
Will I get better?
 
Seat base is fecked, shit or bust, this is foam side when I first stripped it IMG_20201204_163615713.webp

Dare not blast it, so I tanked it for a week or so, copied better side , just tacked in with MIGIMG_20210119_153503434_HDR.webp
This is reverse of other pic now it's cleaned up a bit, but if you hold it up to light its like a lace curtain.....just got to keep going chasing the rat, try it on bike and welt it back to shape after each weld session, cos it's so weak it tries to curl up and deform.
I've butt welded some 1.5mm quite well, so I'm sure with practice I could do strong, if not showy TIG
Just playtime
 
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