i remember a thread way back when i first got here about stitch-welding the frame at the boxing and crossmembers to limit frame flex due to wear on the rivets, and while i have the welder set up and the whole front of the frame bare, i'm thinking i might do it. i know frame flex isnt neccisarily bad but theres a picture of someones rig where it is about ready to rip the hood latches off cause the frame is twisting up too much.

Any unforseen pros/cons im not seeing here?

Matt:skull:

its a good idea, although most of the mods, are already in place on the 1980 onwards chassis (frame) :flipoff2:

the factory bonnet clips suck, they break when you are going down the highway and destroy your bonnet, and they lift and come off and generally frighten me :eek:

replace them with rubber (UV) or rally stainless ones...NICE

Originally posted by BJ On Roids

bonnet clips suck



bbbblimey! bonnet clips?

:rainbow:

You mean hood latches?
Crikey

:beer:

Matt - years later I would be expecting YOU to tell folks whats up here:flipoff2: .

Anyways when I went through mine (69) some rivets were slightly loose so I probably would have stitched the seams then , and there BUT being somewhat anal I took out the rivets, all the boxing , sandblasted it all (fixed a crack at the rear most box section(one side only),and unoticeable with it in). When I went to put it all back together I decided that FULL welds front to back top & bottom were the :smokin: way. Sequence of course , and have a cool down cycle (you know;) )
However if your rivets are tight stitching would be OK!

Have Fun,
weldpro

Whats up man! Been missing ya!
I know, i know, but being young sometimes i dont wanna rush into something, get all weld happy and then realize 3 weeks later that i fawked up. Thank god for PBB...

On another note, as im getting ready for VICA nationals, im having problems with my alu. TIG. the prob;em is that A] it seams like im putting too much heat into the metal for the welds im making. its one 3/16" t fillets and it seams like the surrounding metal is getting too hot and im having to put something like 115 amps into it, what am i doing? the B] is i'm getting too much cleaning, to where it is leaving the weld and surrounding area noticibly etched, and since VICA the tig is appearance, i want to get a nice shiny bead but still have it kinda flat, i think i can fix this if i messed with the wave balance but i would like some input...

you should check in more often!!

Matt:smokin:

Fixxxxer66, congrats on your VICA nationals competition. I competed in VICA drafting many moons ago and won a college scholarship. I didn't even know they were still around.

Originally posted by BJ On Roids
bonnet clips suck, they break when you are going down the highway and destroy your bonnet, and they lift and come off and generally frighten me :eek:

Do these clips hold your hat on when driving around with your top off??:flipoff2:

hood latches, fenders, tires,

bonnet clips, guards, tyres


:flipoff2: :p

Originally posted by Fixxxxer66
On another note, as im getting ready for VICA nationals, im having problems with my alu. TIG. the prob;em is that A] it seams like im putting too much heat into the metal for the welds im making. its one 3/16" t fillets and it seams like the surrounding metal is getting too hot and im having to put something like 115 amps into it, what am i doing? the B] is i'm getting too much cleaning, to where it is leaving the weld and surrounding area noticibly etched, and since VICA the tig is appearance, i want to get a nice shiny bead but still have it kinda flat, i think i can fix this if i messed with the wave balance but i would like some input...



I don't do that much aluminum welding, but I did take a TIG welding class and I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express. 115 amps seems a little low for 3/16 fillet welds. If the surrounding metal is slumping, you need more power and a faster torch speed. Too much cleaning action may be related to the first problem as the more time it spends on the EP side of the cycle, the less power goes into the weldment.

I thought you taught welding??

Anyway, I am bumping this back to the top in case someone who knows can chime in.
How about it Metal Mender? You make your living doing this.

No, not teaching, just doing :D NM State Welding Champ [Highschool Division]

yeh, that was a typo, it was ment to say 125 amps, but whatever :p The problem isnt the metal around the weld is slumping, its that my keyhole in the weld puddle is exaggerated more than i like. I'm getting good penatration on the vertical peice, the lip rolls into the puddle nicely, but its getting the penatration too far in front of the puddle, regardless of torch angle. i *think* i may be able to fix the problem by pointing th tungsten and only half balling it, to allow more control of the arc and get it down into the corner closer. i think i have the ethcing figured out, i played with the wave balance and got it down some, and the rest is travel speed related, its just i'm spending my time trying to get my puddle looking better so im pickin' ass trying to manipulate it.
I just wish my instructor would SHOW UP so i can put my theory to practise....

on the cool note, i managed to weld 2 coke cans together butt to butt....:smokin:
But i'm not gonna say it was beautiful ;)

Matt:smokin:

My instructor in Aeronautics Fabrication methods liked to show off by welding two Wrigley's Spearmint foil wrappers together. First he would find someone to bet that he couldn't do it and then he just overlapped the two pieces of foil, set it on low amperage and HF and passed the torch over it. The foil was spot welded in hundreds of places and stuck together and he took your money.

If your keyhole is getting out in front of you, back off the pedal a little and spend more time with the torch back over the puddle.

its not that its really getting ahead of me, but its lacking the capilary action that sucks the puddle down into the groove you know? thats the only way i can think to describe it. i really wish i could get into the shop, but my instructor has stood me up the last 2 days, no show....
class act huh...:rolleyes:

Matt