Military Vehicles, April 1997,: [MV] Welding

[MV] Welding

A.Mehlhorn (a.mehlhorn@t-online.de)
Fri, 11 Apr 97 19:15 +0100

Dear Mike,

no need to be confused. For the job you want to do (welding thin sheet metal
made from mild steel), MIG is the best.

TIG is too expensive, too slow und too difficult to handle. TIG is highly
recommended for welding aluminium alloy or stainless steel. In the industry
nobody uses TIG for welding mild steel.

So take MIG. To be exactly: MAG. MIG means Metal Inert Gas. The inert gas is
Argon. To weld mild steel, you don't need a pure inert gas, it is better to use
an active gas (MAG). So you don't use pure Argon, but a mixture of 18 per cent
Argon and 82 per cent carbon dioxide. This mixture is cheaper than pure Argon
and works better with mild steel.

The equipment for MIG and MAG is the same. Only the gas in the bottle is
different.

The most important thing you have to do when you want to weld MIG/MAG is to clen
the surfaces of the sheet metall from rust, dirt and oil. Don't forget the back
side! The time you have to spend for cleaning the surfaces is sometimes longer
than the time for welding. Electrical welding never works on dirty surfaces.
Cleaning is sometimes very difficult in corners, but you must do it.

Godd welding means practise, practise and practise. If you are new on the job,
take some time to practise with sheet metal from the scrap or with an old scrap
car. Don't practise welding on your car you want to restore.

The best thing is to have a MIG/MAG and a acetylene/oxygene gas welder in the
workshop. With the acetylene/oxygene flame you can heat the metal to bend it and
you can clean the surfaces with the flame.

I'm restoring a NSU Kettenkrad, German halftrack tractor of WW2. I use MIG/MAG
for welding and the acetylene/oxygene flame to heat, to clean and to weld in
difficult corners.

Regards from Germany
Andreas Mehlhorn


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