ops: :rant:
I f*****d up this project bad.
I asked for a section of the corner of the trunk to replace my rusted out one.
Chris/azblackemi being the awesome guy that he always is, sent me one out of his own pocket and I ruined it.
I CAN'T ask him again.
Anbody have a hulk lying around so I can buy section off of you ?
Yes, I know an extremely highly skilled welder. I will use her this time
It appears your repair area can be easily "fixed".
Firstly, you need to remove ALL paint, debris, filler, etc, from the ENTIRE area you are working on. I can see one area that you were welding over paint. This will cause porosity/contamination issues in your weld/bead which I already see. That alone will make laying down a clean bead impossible or difficult at best.
Get a mini disc on the area, or whatever you have,.. and clean up the weld zone. Bare clean steel from tape to tape.
Then wipe it down with lacquer thinner, let it dry. Remove the lacquer thinner from the building/weld area.
It looks as your using a MIG wire feed,..correct? Make sure your GROUND wire is clamped near the weld area and on CLEAN METAL, preferably freshly cleaned/ground surface.
What gas are you using? 25/75, 100% argon? I like 25-32 lbs pressure at the tip. I like 100% argon,..gives better penetration IMHO and you can use it with aluminium as well.
What wire? .025. 030. 035? Flux core? If you are using a flux core, run gas with it as well, it will get you a smoother weld.
It looks as though your heat/amps are a little low,....remember to stitch it, or use a heat sink clay to dissipate heat.
Copper, bronze, silicone bronze "coupons" or "tags" used as backing will help dissipate heat and give you a surface to build your weld.
A short series of continued "bursts" or "trigger pulls" in the same spot should be helpful. Stop, inspect, let it cool, and hit it again....
......it's really hard to put into words how to weld,....it take practice and patience etc.,,, but you should be able to do this,...if you want to.
It will take twice as long as you think,....cost a little more,....but you are retired so who cares????
Good luck.
