Welding!

[dirtymagician]

Have just discovered a fare old bit of rot around my nova & i know come mot time (end of novamber) it`ll fail due to this crap as my last car went to hell coz of it.

I need to fill up holes in the boot, in the engine bay & underneath the front arches as well. Can anyone tell me where on the net (if anywhere) or in books in shops i can find guides on welding & where i can get some kits from (Started kits or something)

Any help or advise would be a help before the nova i have joins the other one!

[carltoncrazy]

get welding done properly dont try it yaself unless ya done it b4,the metal so thin

[CP]

Hayzsr is right. Its one of those things that you can read up on all you like but it requires quite a lot of practise to be able to do it OK. You really need to find someone with the gear whose prepared to show you how to do it and guide you as you have a go cos it thats the only way to learn really. The other buggeration is that car steel is about the most difficult thing to weld cos its so thin and quite often rusty. This means that you've got to have pretty good techique otherwise you end up melting fapping great holes in all or just leaving a nasty blobby mess known as sparrow shit welding which will have all the structural integrity of a soggy cardboard box.
The best 2 basic ways to do it are oxy-acetylene or mig welding. Both require a fair bit of gear thats pretty pricey to own and maintain. You can hire welders tho'
If you defo want to learn maybe consider a night school class?

[Stuart]

its a black art that takes possibly years to get nearly right. but once you know and can do it you never forget. my cheeky git old man proved this by welding without looking and it was a near perfect weld

[ade]

depending on the work needed it might not cost too much! Certainly save you putting yer car through an mot knowing it will fail!

I paid ?30 to have 2 plates welded into my front chassis box joints wher the tie bars join.

If yer front arches are rusty - just buy ne or second hand ones - would work out cheaper. K u gottra respray them but that aint gonna cost much.

As for the boot and engine bay where are the holes - if its along any of the seams (right through to a hole) you will need to get them welded - if its just around the drain holes (non structural areas etc) or the seam sealer has failed, cut the old sealer away, sand back, treat with rust killer, paint with resin and seam sealer and hammerite over the top. Use fibreglass/resin/wire mesh and body filler good as new.

Only do this on non structural areas though. MOT guys have pokey screw drivers and I hear some use magnets!

Ade