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 Post subject: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:27 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 9:38 am
Posts: 1493
Location: Brandy Hill, NSW
I am wanting to weld wheel arch extensions on my Mini.
Has anyone any good things to say about this unit.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alpha-Spot- ... SwARpdIB62


Last edited by cooperess on Thu Oct 24, 2019 8:31 am, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: KelArc Spot Welder
PostPosted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:17 pm 
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Posts: 607
Any spot welder can produce good spot welds if the panels are clean ,the front should be ok but the rear will be a BIG problem because you already have 2 panels in place, between these 2 panels is interweld sealer which has gone hard.The welder will not be able to make contact unless there is clean metal .Also use weld through primer it will help seal the weld .Copper or zinc primer. They are easy to do if you plug weld or cut a small V section out of the new panel and MIG weld with the machine turned up. When you fit the panel sit the plastic flares on top to make sure the panel is in the correct position. Note always do a test piece of metal first you check the weld using a cold chisel and hammer in the vise. The best spot welders are Inverter welders, not cheap. Hope this helps your situation.


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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:23 am 
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 9:38 am
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Location: Brandy Hill, NSW
Still open for discussion.


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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 8:01 pm 
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998cc
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Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:59 pm
Posts: 1029
Location: Western Sydney
I would drill 5 mm holes in the wheel arch extension where the spot welds would normally be and then do a Mig weld into the hole onto the wheel arch.
Grind flush, job done :D

Phil

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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 6:23 am 
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Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:43 am
Posts: 134
Location: South of Nowra NSW
I have a spot welder, looks similar to the one you listed. I have used it where I can, it has limited uses, it was good for the seams that are easy to get to and are only 2 or 3 thicknesses, over that that it will not do the job. I am happy with it as I use it a fair bit on other projects, but on car bodies you have to watch so carefully, if some part of the arms touch any other part of the body of the car you can burn a hole very quickly, they are also very heavy and hard to handle in a lot of situations and the longer the arms (electrodes) the harder to get a good pressure to do a good weld. I have gone back to punching a 5mm hole and using the MIG. I have just replaced a number of panels on my sons 1968 Pontiac Firebird and it was easier to do the hole and fill.

Graham

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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:12 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:27 pm
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Location: Wodonga - Vic/NSW border
I riveted the extensions onto my dad's MK 1 S, the front right of my MK 2 has been in an accident with the guard replaced and the extension is riveted on there.

I will be putting Clubman S type flares on my clubman - the backing strip arrangement is the same as MCS - I'm thinking about making a strip to go above the lip, and running ~4mm screws into tapped holes or nylocs, sandwiching the lip.

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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 2:49 pm 
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Does not look like you have read my first comment, the methods you are suggesting will not be satisfactory, if you don't do it the way I suggested I will inform you of an alternative method to use .Use metal bonding ,the metal must be metal only finish No paint, apply the metal bonding using the correct sealer gun, the bonding cartridge has 2 tubes of bonding material which will mix using the correct gun. Make sure the bonding material you use contains micro glass beads these beads do not allow the sealer to be completely compressed thus giving a maximum bond. Hold panel in place with vise grips or small plastic clamps. The bonding meets OEM standards.
Allen


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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:23 pm 
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p7676 wrote:
Does not look like you have read my first comment, the methods you are suggesting will not be satisfactory, if you don't do it the way I suggested I will inform you of an alternative method to use .


not sure if you're talking to me or Cooper S there Allen - different person

p7676 wrote:
Use metal bonding ,the metal must be metal only finish No paint, apply the metal bonding using the correct sealer gun, the bonding cartridge has 2 tubes of bonding material which will mix using the correct gun. Make sure the bonding material you use contains micro glass beads these beads do not allow the sealer to be completely compressed thus giving a maximum bond. Hold panel in place with vise grips or small plastic clamps. The bonding meets OEM standards.
Allen


This idea I like - I wondered if it was an option, but I was thinking sikaflex type stuff, I wasn't aware of a "proper" bonding substance as you describe. I discounted it because I didn't think the 1/2" of flange contact would be enough to hold it in place when there is no "outboard" support.

is this the kind of stuff?

https://www.3m.com.au/3M/en_AU/p/d/b40066467/

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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 9:28 am 
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998cc
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Yep, it is excellent I have replaced turrents 20 years ago, adhesion is great and you get a waterproof seal ,I tested the adhesive on some scrap metal using a cold chisel, . Available from a panel paint supplier in your area .If you know a panel shop they may lend you a sealer gun and you could purchase some of their material. Remember always TRIAL fit panel before using the material ,the metal extension on the mini can be located fore and aft using the plastic flare, some restorers also use pop rivets as well as bonding drilling from the underside this saves them using multiple clamps. I use the clamps. Hope this helps.
Allen


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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 12:26 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:11 pm
Posts: 382
Location: Brisbane Northside
If using panel adhesive/panel bond for anything structural you definitely need to know what you are doing. I had some "professionals" use teroson panel bond on my roof skin and I could lift it off by hand. They tried to claim it was from me putting items of the roof (a corded drill was sitting on it when they visited to see the issue) they "fixed" it by doing some crappy plug welds in like 20cm gaps. When I removed the "ruined" brand new roof skin I found they had done it over copper weld through primer not bare metal.

In your application panel bond would be better than spot welding as it isn't structural and then rust can't get into the seam.

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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 8:04 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:27 pm
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Location: Wodonga - Vic/NSW border
Excellent, great information

I'd love to see someone (or someone buy me the panels and I'll do it!) to get all of the separate Heritage panels for a whole mini and bond it together, then compare the rigidity with an original shell.

Years ago a bloke I worked with told me about a local engineering firm who used bonding adhesive** to assemble a semi trailer for use in their yard, just as an experiment - he said they didn't use any bolts at all for the chassis - it was more rigid than the "properly built" trailers they built for customers. I have no further information than that, it may have fallen to pieces, or may still be in perfect condition

** again, I had assumed sikaflex but it was probably the stuff we're referring to here

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 Post subject: Re: Spot Welder
PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2023 8:27 pm 
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998cc
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Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:38 pm
Posts: 607
Some cars like the Bufori have the body adhered to the chassis ,the chassis is 1.2 mm aluminum and the body is the main structural component
Allen


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