Any way to weld the thin metal on tractors and attachments?

[bowenskye]

I have to constantly be fixing parts on the tractor such as the latches, seat, fenders, hood or attachments such as posthole diggers or rotary cutters, etc.. My buddy told me any welds would not hold on such thin metal for the like, but there has to be a way to do it rather than pay for a new part

IMO, Get a good AC/DC arc welder. you can weld very thin material using DCEN

 

[streamin]

I agree with the body guys, I have been welding the thin metal on these cars for years with a 220 volt mig using .023 wire. most of the parts on tractors are just a bit thicker than a cheap car fender so can be done easily. Maybe have a body shop guy come over and do it for you.

 

[bu11seye]

Cheap and dirty fix: fish plate it and use fender washers.

 

[Ajcracker]

Depends on a lot of things. Have a specific example? Normal body panels I think are probably beyond my skill/equipment for welding. Could probably braze easier.

I have had very good luck brazing those types of repairs. I had an 1940s air compressor tank spring a leak on the bottom from corrosion. I flipped it upside down and brazed the pin hole in the cast iron tank 20 years ago. It is in my shop at this moment still holding 110 psi. I have also brazed broken leaf rake tines, cracked shovels, and lawnmower decks.

 

[JRH02]

If the repaired part fails through the weld that is one thing. If it fails adjacent to the weld that's another. One thing is for sure: whenever you heat a piece to critical/melting temperatures in a specific, almost pinpoint location you are going to have stresses around it.

Hasn't anyone ever normalized or annealed a welded piece afterward? its not just heating the thing red - there's a right way to do it.

 

[rocco611]

with a mig welder stack overlapping spot welds, this is probably the easiest method. if you dont have a mig, sheet metal can be welded with 1/16 6013 arc welding rod. weld a little bit at a time to avoid burning through, be sure to chip the slag off between welds. you can also put a slightly thicker piece of metal behind the repair and weld it in place. this will reduce the chance of breaking in the same place again. an oxy acetyline torch with a small tip also works well. you tube some autobody welding video's then practice.

 

[WranglerX]

A TIG welder is the most versatile welding device one can plug in. ”Way more with a MIG“ must be from an inches per minute perspective.

TIG welding is used everyday around the world for fabrication.

I don't disagree but here is opinion from my welding manual...

 

[AndrewT]

AJ having done similar pressure vessel repairs in the past myself, please tell me you did at least hydro-test the tank with a pressure washer afterwards. I've built 4 or 5 sandblasters and swapped orientation on compressors from horizontal to vertical, and have an air pig that uses a 100 LB propane tank for Tractor rear tires, but all were pressure tested with water to 200 PSI before ever pressurizing them with air.......

 

[gerryc01]

I have to constantly be fixing parts on the tractor such as the latches, seat, fenders, hood or attachments such as posthole diggers or rotary cutters, etc.. My buddy told me any welds would not hold on such thin metal for the like, but there has to be a way to do it rather than pay for a new part

Have you looked into the new laser welders? They are supposed to do a good job on thin metals. Here is the link:

LightWELD | Handheld Laser Welding & Cleaning Systems

LightWELD™ handheld laser welding systems are fast, easy to learn and operate, and produce high quality, consistent results across a wide range of materials and thicknesses. Pre-weld and post-weld laser cleaning functionality optimizes weld quality while increasing productivity.

lasersystems.ipgphotonics.com

 

[Atvjoe]

Hi to all I have done thin sheet metal with my Mig but with shielded gas 75-25 at the lowest setting. Flux cord will not work for thin body panels. Flux cord is great for welding outside thicker metal, where you can’t use shielded gas because the wind will mess up your weld up. I have a small Hobart 120volt. I got mine Northern Tools about 15 years ago So I can take anywhere. I love it. I use too restore old VW’s and add ragtops roofs. I would weld about half inch then space the weld again. Then later come back to where I left the gaps so I would not warp my metal. Then grinder. It worked awesome. But I did practice on old fenders first.