Tig welding panel

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:29 pm
IMAG0480.jpg
as you can see with this one, there's a bead comming from the center of the sunroof toward the center of the middle roof marker lamp hole. that bead was to stich up my solution to the initial minor warping of the front edge of sunroof, it worked to relieve the extra ripples and allow the sunroof to lay in the flanged truck roof. after plug welding the front edge of the sunroof onto the flange it was looking great. then to stitch up the relief cut, (the bead you see there), it got ugly again. I was a fan of the blowgun and quick tack method, but in this case it warped anyway.
IMAG0482.jpg
and a different perspective.
IMAG0481.jpg
A little wider angle on the topic.



To make things better, there's a reinforcement panel (part of the windshield pinchweld) below the warp that make it quite difficult to use a dolly. Any advice would be much appreciated.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:06 pm
Stud welder.
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.



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PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:02 pm
XR7 wrote: and more importantly, how to avoid it in the future..

Don't make relief cuts!
The distortion problems from welding are just that, problems from welding.
When you start trying to work on the distortion, you are working on the symptoms, instead of the problems and it actually makes the problems worse.

Also, when you do your weld spots with the mig welder, let it cool naturally. Water or air for cooling the weld quicker will make more shrinking and more distortion. Just do one small spot and jump around to other spots, so no area gets too hot. And hammer on dolly to stretch the weld area back out.

Sometimes it helps a lot to decide where to make the weld before you make the first cut.



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:47 pm
I was hoping someone had some insight. really, any help would be greatly appriciated.


That's weird, when I posted this post im editing now there were no replies! I guess the browser wasnt refreshing, sorry guys.
Last edited by XR7 on Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:54 pm
It looks like the sunroof is only spot welded in.



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:08 pm
It's plug welded, and I'm struggleing with the warp around the roof clearance light. it's driving me nuts, it's a result of trying to remedy another warp, witch was sucessfull to a point beside the more acute one in the picture. I need a clue to iron this out.



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:13 pm
so a stud welder and light slide hammer? Sounds like a pretty straightforward idea. Im gonna run with that.
Thanks Timbo and rock!



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:24 pm
I'm kind of at a loss here to help you.
If you think of a piece of paper, and cut a hole in the middle of it. Then cut from the bottom of the paper to the hole, then make another cut right next to it--just taking a sliver out of the paper. Now move the two lower pieces together and notice the bulge at the top of the paper.

Thats what you did, but the bulge is down instead of up. If it was me repairing that, I would cut out that area where you made your last weld, and get the metal all straight and weld in a new piece. But if you try that, its obvious from your previous welds that it will cause even more problems, so as I said, I'm at a loss here to help you.



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:36 pm
well, after some hammer and dolly work tonight on some of the oil-canning spots, I've had great success in restoring shapes in some areas with very minor distortion. It's occurred to me that it might be possible to stretch the weld, and the area that cause the warp. but thinking furthur, I know oxy welds tend to be much more malleable and easier to stretch... so I know you said not to do relief cuts.... but in this situation would it be best to cut the mig weld and gas weld it, with periodic hammer and dolly work between small stitches? My thinking is easier weld to stretch, and allows cooling between stiches. am I thinking straight here or just further in the hole?



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PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:57 pm
Its hard to say now, because you have been hammering on the symptoms again. :P
But your plan could work if you have the ability to weld with gas.
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