What is the best way to cook a car body

Can you weld a car frame?

 

          

The car body is constantly exposed to the destructive effect of moisture, dirt, chemicals, which are sprinkled on the roads in winter.

 The problem is compounded by vibration loads. Therefore, even with careful care, the appearance of cracks and holes eaten by corrosion is inevitable.

 There is only one way out — car welding. However, this does not mean that you need to contact an auto repair shop. Small damage can be eliminated by welding the car body with your own hands.

Welding of the car body

Features of car body welding 

1. What kind of welding is better to cook the car body
2. Preparatory work
3. How to cook a car body with a semi automatic machine
4. Welding of the car body with an electrode 
5. How to process the body after welding
6. Useful tips when welding a car body with your own hands
   

Features of car body welding

For body repair of the car, you will need best welding machine. 

The work is carried out in a room where it is possible to connect energy-intensive equipment to the power grid. 

A high qualification of the contractor is required, as it will require welding of thin metal. A universal way to repair the car body has not yet been invented, so depending on the location and nature of the damage, different technologies are used. 

Connections are made by gas, manual, semi-automatic welding.
Wings, sills are most often repaired by spot welding. The lap joint is used to restore the integrity of the power elements. Butt welding is used when replacing damaged elements.

          

What kind of welding is better to cook the car body

If there is a simple welding machine, the repair is done manually with ordinary electrodes. 

However, the applied seams are rough and there is a high probability of burning through the thin metal. Therefore, this method is recommended to repair places that are not visible from the outside. For example, under the wings, in the trunk, under the bottom.
High-quality welding of the car body is performed by a semi-automatic machine. 

With it, even a beginner will connect metal with a thickness of 0.8 mm without the risk of burning. If carbon dioxide is replaced with argon, welding of stainless steel and aluminum will be available.

Therefore, when thinking about which device to choose, preference should be given to a semi-automatic.

                               Preparatory work

Before carrying out welding work, dirt and dust are removed from the surface, cleaned from corrosion. To clean hard-to-reach places, you can use a gas burner. Reliably weld rusty metal will not work.

When preparing the semi-automatic machine, make sure that the guide channel corresponds to the diameter of the selected wire. Depending on its size, the desired welding tip is installed. There should be no metal splashes in the nozzle of the device. When they are detected, they are cleaned with sandpaper.
Before repairing with a welding inverter, it is necessary to check:

• Is the electrode securely attached
• Is there any damaged insulation on the cable and holder
• Cable anchorage strength
• The correct grounding of the device.
  

How to cook a car body with a semi-automatic machine

To weld the body with a semi-automatic machine, you need to prepare a wire with a diameter of 1 mm, covered with copper, sandpaper coarse-grained paper, a pressure reducing reducer, a 20-liter carbon dioxide cylinder. The work is performed in the following sequence:
Sandpaper-cleaned areas to be repaired are pressed tightly together. It is possible to use clamps, bolted connections, self-tapping screws.

On the front panel of the device, the switches set the value of the welding current, the wire feed speed.

A reducer is installed on the gas cylinder and connected to the burner by a hose.The nozzle is screwed from the burner with pliers, the tip is removed.

The bobbin with the wire is inserted into the machine. Its end is inserted 15-20 cm into the feed channel.

The tip is put on the wire, the nozzle is installed.The switches set the current polarity so that the holder is connected to the plus and the burner to the minus. 

For undercoated wire, the polarity is reversed.
After connecting the device to the power supply, the holder with the burner is brought to the place to be repaired. 

When the button on the holder is pressed, the wire and carbon dioxide supply is activated.

To brew a long seam and not overheat the joint, the parts are first picked up in 3-4 places. Then, with an interval of 7 — 10 cm, stitches with a length of 2 — 4 cm are applied.

After a five-minute break, when the seams cool down, the gaps between them are boiled.

Welding of the car body with an electrode

Welding of body elements (bodywork) with electrodes is chosen when there are no high requirements for the aesthetics of the seams. 

To create a strong connection, it is necessary to correctly select the type of electrodes in accordance with the steel grade. 

For welding, it is better to use an inverter, as it has no problems with ignition and arc maintenance. Therefore, the quality of the seams depends little on the level of skill.

In order to avoid temperature deformations, you need to cook the car body in stages:

• first the potholder 
  
• then the overlay of stitches 2 cm long with an interval of 6 cm
• final welding of the perimeter.

Between the stages, breaks are made, waiting for complete cooling. When welding thick metal, it may take several hours. Forced cooling is unacceptable, as it causes deformation of the metal.

How to process the body after welding

After the repair is completed, it is necessary to clean the welding seams from the slag, since the metal under it quickly oxidizes.

 In areas hidden from view, a brush on the metal is enough. In open areas, the body is processed after welding with a grinder with a grinding wheel or a petal nozzle. For cleaning hard-to-reach joints, a sander with a breezeway is used.

The cleaned surfaces are de greased with acetone or gasoline, then treated with an anti-corrosion compound or acidic soil. For protection against corrosion, an epoxy putty is used. 

Thanks to its dense structure, it reliably protects the metal surface from contact with moisture and air and is used as a leveling layer.

After applying a thin first layer, it is left for a day to dry. You can not use a hair dryer to speed up, because after the top layer dries, the putty inside will remain damp, since there is no place for moisture to evaporate.

 Then, to roughen the surface, the risks are applied with 120-th sandpaper. After applying 2-3 layers, preparation for painting is made.

To protect the seams that are invisible from the outside in easily accessible areas, an automobile seam sealant is used. If necessary, smooth it with a spatula and paint it. In hard-to-reach places, the sealant is supplied by means of a pneumatic sprayer through a plastic tube.

1. After welding, it is necessary to treat the body against corrosion
2. After welding, it is necessary to treat the body against corrosion
3. Useful tips for welding a car body with your own hands

 Depending on the extent and nature of the damage, body repairs can be local and major. In the first case, it is enough to install patches. During major repairs, you will have to change the body section. To conduct it at home, you need a high level of skill in conducting welding operations and high-quality equipment. Therefore, it is recommended that beginners first limit themselves to installing patches on holes eaten by corrosion.
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For patches installed in inconspicuous places, you can choose any iron, as long as it matches in thickness and has sufficient strength.

 For prominent areas, it is recommended to select a material of the same thickness and brand. The ideal option is a patch cut from the body of an old car of the same model.
After finishing the welding of the car and processing the seams on the outside, most motorists forget about their reverse side. Therefore, it is not surprising that after a year, corrosion appears through the paint and you have to start all over again.

 With free access to both sides, there are no problems with processing. If the reverse side of the joint is located in a closed cavity, it is recommended to drill a hole in it. Through it, an anti-corrosion compound and a joint sealant are treated with a spray gun.

Despite the apparent complexity, car body repair by electric welding is available even to beginners. 

With a lack of experience, you can earn it by training on unnecessary metal scraps. At first, it is desirable to attract an assistant as a third hand. 

To avoid burns, the work should be carried out in clothing that does not have pockets and folds, in which splashes of molten metal can get stuck. There should be a fire extinguisher at the repair site.

        How to choose a welding machine for body repair

The car body is the element most often subject to damage in an accident. To restore the body of the vehicle, use a semi-automatic welding machine for bodywork.

Welding machine

 

1 Classification and marking of welding machines
1.1 AC power supply
1.2 The inverter
1.3 Carbon dioxide semi-automatic machine
2 Why is a semi automatic machine better suited
3 Which welding semi automatic machine to choose for car repair
3.1 Power supplies
3.2 Wire and its influence on the welding result
3.3 About cylinders
3.4 What else to consider in the selection

         Classification and marking of welding machines

When purchasing equipment, many people wonder what kind of welding is better to cook the car body. To make the right choice, you need to know how welding machines are classified.

 The device is powered by alternating current

Welding machines are popular among motorists, but their use has a number of disadvantages:
The welds are of poor quality.
The electrode, 

due to the bulkiness of the welded equipment, is not able to reach a number of areas that require repair.
It will take time to master the welding machine.
Suitable for cooking thick (more than 5 mm) iron. On the body of a car, metal with a thickness of 3 mm is often found. They are almost immediately burned through by an alternating current device.

        AC welding machine

The inverter
As for the use of the inverter when repairing the car body, this equipment is suitable for:

Obtaining good quality welds.
Quickly perform repairs.
Use of the device in conditions of low mains voltage.
Users note the ease of use of the device – a beginner, for the first time picking up a tool, can" immediately " understand the principle of cooking and get a weld of acceptable quality.
the inverter
The inverter also has a number of disadvantages:
High cost of equipment.
Dust sensitivity.
The thickness of the metal to be welded should not exceed 3 mm.
Carbon dioxide semi-automatic machine
The semi-automatic welding machine for bodywork has the following advantages::

•    A neat, high-quality weld.
•    You can cook metal with a thickness of 0.8 to 6 mm.
•    When using argon, it is possible to restore parts from non-ferrous  metals.
•    There is no need to maintain a constant arc.

The degree of deformation of the metal of the car is lower, as a result, the consumption of materials is reduced.
In semi-automatic welding, the wire is fed into the working area by means of a wire feed mechanism. The welded elements are securely attached due to the fact that the metal of the electrode melts, but does not burn. As a result, a neat and strong weld appears at the junction of the two parts.
The disadvantages of the semi-automatic include a large weight and dimensions – because of this, the device can only be used within the garage. For the operation of the device, only an outlet is required.

The semi-automatic machine is used when repairing elements made of non-ferrous metals. To connect such parts, gas welding technology is used. On the device body there is a marking of the following type:

MIG or MIG. The model with this marking is designed for welding parts made of aluminum and other non-ferrous metals.
MAG or MAG. Device for welding elements made of steel, ferrous metals. The compound is made using carbon monoxide and active gases.
TIG or TIG. Welding of parts is performed using tungsten. This element is resistant to high temperatures.
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Why is a semi-automatic machine better suited

The use of semi-automatic welding machines is the optimal solution for body repairs.

 This device makes it possible to get a neat and strong weld. It is suitable for cooking metal of different thicknesses, and gas welding of non-ferrous metals is also performed with the help of a semi-automatic machine. 

A special feature of the device is the presence of a special coil. To activate it, select the desired location, and press the button: during the cooking process, the feed wire, the coil will be unwound, and send the required amount of electrode to the working area.

        body welding

In addition, the tool is easy to learn and quite effective. The choice of a semi-automatic for carrying out bodywork has its own characteristics and nuances.

       Which welding semi-automatic machine to choose for car repair
To carry out a successful repair of the car body, you need to choose the right welding equipment.

 When purchasing a semi-automatic machine, pay attention to a number of parameters, such as the power source, the power of the device, the adjustment of the wire feed speed, the volume of cylinders for technical gases.

         Power sources

When choosing equipment, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the power source of the device. According to the connection principle, there are inverter and transformer semi-automatic machines. Inverters are light, compact and easy-to-use equipment. It is equipped with a number of additional functions that significantly facilitate the welding process: easy ignition, anti-sticking, smooth current control.

The semi-automatic inverter is equipped with a device used to convert alternating current to direct current. Transformers – are necessary if there is no need to regularly move the equipment from place to place. A direct current source is used to power such equipment.

welding of the car body

Wire and its influence on the welding result
Semi-automatic welding machines use wire. It acts as an electrode, and is designed to connect the elements to be welded. Welding wire is divided into the following types:

With a solid cross section.
Powder.
Activated.
The advantage of the first type is that it is designed for welding metals, and has different alloys in its composition. The cored wire is hollow inside, it is filled with a special substance. When it is used, a cloud of protective gases is formed. As for the activated electrode, it has only 7% of the powder substance in its composition, which allows it to be pressed into a solid wire.

welding wire

Also, when choosing a wire, you should pay attention to its marking. Electrodes marked SV are used for welding parts, and the NP marking says that the consumable material is used for surfacing. In addition, attention is paid to the diameter of the wire, and the elements that make up it.

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About balloons

To prevent the interaction of molten metal and the environment, use cylinders with protective gases: argon, helium, carbon dioxide and their mixtures. 

The live wire is passed through the gas nozzle. To supply gas to the working area, use a hose.

Working with protective gases requires a gearbox. The device allows you to adjust the gas consumption. For ease of use, the device is equipped with a pressure gauge. 

When performing welding work, it should be borne in mind that an excessively small amount of protective gases will affect the quality of the seam, and too much will also affect the density of the welded joint, in addition, the gas will run out quite quickly.

         welding process

When choosing a cylinder, you should pay attention to 10-liter copies: with the correct setting of the gas flow, this volume is enough for long-term work.

 The dimensions of the container make it possible to transport it in the trunk of the car.

When buying, it is worth considering that the cylinder must be certified. A corresponding mark will be placed near the valve.

 It is necessary to check the date of certification in order to avoid the acquisition of "delay".

What else to consider in the selection
When choosing a car body welding machine, consider the following factors::

Load capacity of the electrical network. In the presence of a single-phase network, it is recommended to choose a device that operates from a voltage of 220V.

 These can be both amateur and professional welding semi-automatic machines operating from both three-phase and single-phase networks.
 When using the latter, the network is provided with a uniform load. This prevents the risk of short circuits and disconnecting traffic jams.

The type and thickness of the materials to be welded. The device is selected depending on what metals to work with (low – carbon or stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, aluminum, etc.). Also pay attention to the thickness of the metal-the larger it is, the more powerful the device is required.

Requirements for the quality of welding and the type of welded joints. The key role in choosing a semi-automatic welding machine is played by the degree of responsibility of the welded structure. 

In addition, in some cases, there are situations when it is necessary to use a burner longer than the standard dimensions. As a rule, they occur when welding long structures. 

The burners have a length of 3, 4 and 5 meters, for fast and high-quality metal connection, use burners with a maximum length.

The intensity of device usage. Depending on the frequency of use of the device, buy amateur or professional welding semi-automatic machines.

Technical complexity of the device. The more complex the device, the more difficult it is to repair it yourself. However, technically more complex devices are convenient to use and provide high quality of the weld.



Semi-automatic welding machine – a tool for carrying out body repairs. The choice is made depending on the complexity and intensity of the work, the type of electrical network from which the device will be powered, as well as the technical complexity of the device.