Can Mig Welds be Planished? Surprising Results!

[@ericpetz5831]

Jeff Lily restorations had a 2 part article on this about 15 or so years ago in Cars and Parts Magazine.. He spliced new reproduction rear 1/4 panels for a 69 camaro coupe, on a 69 camaro convertible pace car. Because at the time repop convertible 1/4s didn't exist. He welded them on with a mig welder probably using .023 wire, let it cool naturally, knocked the head off the weld.. And then heated the weld bead up with a torch to a dull cherry red. Removed the 1/4 panels in their entirety, metal finished them, and welded them back on the car.

[@ericpetz5831]

When I worked in metal fab at my last job, our tool of choice was a 90° degree die grinder, with small 80 grit roloc disk flap wheels Definitely a lot easier to maneuver and control then those cordless or corded grinders, and nowhere near as tiring to use. They were the cats ass for knocking the corner welds off of the stainless steel benchtop scale covers we made. Then we took them to a large dual belt stroke sander, with a rotating vacuum table to finish them off. And yes they looked sweet when they were finished.

[@anthonykinrade8642]

That silver line grinder sounds like a bag of nails.. 😊

[@DavesGarageuk]

Battery didn't last very long eitherb

[@nickjones6127]

Carter Auto styling has a very useful video on speeding up the mig process by grinding immediately after each weld which helps the weld to cool down more slowly and so avoiding much distortion. Check it out.

[@DavesGarageuk]

I've recently seen that and keen to give that a try too, thanks 😊

[@halsoriye135]

For "Cut and Butt", I switched to .030"/1/32" slitting discs, available on Amazon. Less of a gap and easier to weld..

[@DavesGarageuk]

Thanks Hal

[@robinstewart4729]

good video dave

[@SkaterStimm]

My guess is that the weld bead on the back is keeping it strong.

[@gilesfrench1757]

I think Silverline may regret sending you those tools which seem to be good for just occasional light use..😂 Appreciate the honest reviews and hopefully it may lead to some product improvements. Keep up the great content 👍

[@DavesGarageuk]

We'll see what they're like given time

[@ericpetz5831]

I will more then likely be doing this same thing, when I start working on my 60 Ford pickup, hopefully sometime in the near future. It will be alot of extra work, but worth it.

[@paddlerpaul2577]

I have just found your channel. Thanks for the advice I found that very interesting and useful. Thank you for your video's. Paul👍

[@DavesGarageuk]

Thank you Paul, hope you enjoy the other videos 😊

[@gsxr713]

Once again great information sometimes when putting couple spots and gap closes up grind tops and plannish opens gap back up for nice penetration great skills love the videos

[@DavesGarageuk]

I've seen a fella, Carter restoration, I think his channel is called, he welds 3 spots, then grinds straight away, I may try that on the other bubble arch, seems to work well.

[@sammyadeadventures]

I learnt a lot from this session 😁

[@DavesGarageuk]

Me too 😊

[@peterbutcher562]

I have often thought about this but never got around to actually doing it. So thank you for jogging my brain and interest in this. After your video i went back out to my shed and tried playing again. May years ago i had an old stick welder which had a brazing setting on it, that i used to use for small body patch repairs. In place of the welding rod it used a single copper coated carbon rod. Which you could with careful use get very local heat generation. I did the experiment just as you did but then ran down the weld carefully with the old welder keeping the heat zone as small as possible i then after the weld had cooled tried planishing and whilst it was more time consuming it also seems to work worked. Enjoy the videos keep them coming.

[@DavesGarageuk]

Hi Peter, very interesting, I never could get the hang of stick welding, good to know that it also works in a similar way.

[@bigsquatchsasfoot1964]

Another masterclass thanks Dave , I’m always learning something from your channel I appreciate your efforts in educating us mate thanks 👍

[@DavesGarageuk]

Thanks mate 😊

[@sidsxr3irestoration]

Great video a good test 👍 I always used a rag and water to cool down the weld. Then i found it would be harder! soon as hammered the metal would split so I let it cool down naturally now

[@DavesGarageuk]

Thank you Sid, I'm glad my learning is helping others, there's a fella in Canadia, Carters Auto Restyling, that has an interesting way, he spots 3 welds in a row then immediately grinds them while still hot, he says it slows down the cooling and keeps the weld softer. I may try that out.

[@sidsxr3irestoration]

@@DavesGarageuk have to look at that one Dave are you using 0.8 or 0.6 wire? I changed to 0.6 wire found welding is better. mig welder is on lower heat setting Great weld and metal not like a Mexican wave

[@DavesGarageuk]

@@sidsxr3irestoration 0.6mm mate, for the same reason

[@anthonykinrade8642]

I would n't hit that silverline vice too much! It will probably break..

[@DavesGarageuk]

Test until destruction 😊😊

[@clivelambourne8377]

Hi Dave good to. See progress. Just a question actually how much. Gas do. You get through. You use small. Or large. Bottles Clive

[@DavesGarageuk]

Hi Clive, I use the large brewery CO2 bottle, lasts just less than 1 year at the current rate of welding. Considerably cheaper than the little bottles that don't last very long at all.

[@jamesconnors4297]

did you try a metal file as well ?

[@DavesGarageuk]

That was a metal file

[@jamesconnors4297]

Planished ? Crikey i had to google that :) and oh dear Silverline :)

[@DavesGarageuk]

😊😊🤣

[@jamespaterson5041]

Hey , When you are taking the top of the welds off a facing panel , what are you using to smooth them down ? A flapping disc or the special discs with Emery tape on them/sandpaper. I'm having trouble when grinding down my welds , it's taking them too far back and pin holes appear. I'm.wondering if I'm using the wrong tool . Your help appreciated.

[@DavesGarageuk]

Hi James, I tend to use a grinding stone to take the tops of the weld off, flappy discs heat up the panel too much. Then I'll use something like 80 grit to finish them off, don't be too concerned with getting the welds to look perfect, put a straight edge between the panel, often it's sunk in a touch due to the shrinkage, it'll need filler over it anyways. Well mine always does.... 😊

[@peterbutcher562]

Dave i may have mislead you a bit. In my experiment i used the carbon rod to just heat up the welds on a piece of sheet steel that i had previously mig welded. Like you i struggle with stick welding. And this old stick welder / brazing set has lived under my bench for 30 odd years. I have a tig welder but have never put in the practice, im ok on the bench, but folded up inside a car im pretty useless..

[@DavesGarageuk]

Ah ok, I misunderstood 😅

[@gavfreeman8797]

Did you them gloves from screw fix £4

[@DavesGarageuk]

Freebies from Silverline Tools 😊

[@gavfreeman8797]

@@DavesGarageuk nice m8 love watching your vids m8 keep up the good work

[@gavfreeman8797]

Milwaukee grinders are the best

[@jamesward5721]

I do bore on - I'm fully aware of that - however I do what I bore on about all day every day as my "Living" so I feel I get to bore on a bit. I'd love to show people 2 weld runs - 2 very typical "Bodywork" weld runs - the first would be with 0.6mm solid wire & shielding gas. If you run anything bigger than 0.6mm wire in your Mig, for bodywork, you're mugging yourself. You always want the wire to be slimmer than the panel. More slimmer is more better. 0.9mm is too heavy. 1mm is for girders. 0.8 is no better than 0.9. Buy 0.6mm. Anyway - panel welds, 2 runs. First is with solid wire & gas - do what you like, go as slow as you like, cool the spot welds as much as you like, it will be distortion central. The weld area will "dive" low, the panel will oil-can like mad & you will vow to save up & buy a Tig welder. There will be ALL the distortion, I care not "How Good!" of a welder you reckon you are - it will distort like mad. Reasons. HAZ etc etc. Second is with flux-core. 0.6mm, decent brand wire - running through a machine you picked because it goes exceptionally low - forget "High" - High is for people who weld girders & stuff. Bodywork demands "Low". More lower is more better. Harder to find than you think. The flux-core bead you laid on 1 tack right onto the last - no regard was paid to "cooling" the welds or panel, you didn't back-step or any other fancy technique - and I guarantee there will be ZERO panel warp. None. You can flux-core weld right across a quarter panel & nothing will dive, there won't be any distortion & it will grind down flush about 80% faster than solid wire. Tell me again why you use gas shielded Mig? I am all ears - you must love torture, literally. Why does anyone consciously go out to buy a more expensive process, using more expensive equipment, with expensive gas, that produces absolutely crap results in comparison? Baffles me.

[@DavesGarageuk]

Ok ok, I'll try some flux core 😊😉