Tom,
you really know your auto body. We agree.
Butt welds are difficult for the beginner to do. You really need some
experience.
In older cars, like the Spitfire, very little high strength steal was used in
production, compared to modern cars.
In all automobiles, the rust process begins the day they are build. The art is,
to
slow that process down for as long as possible.
Cheers,
Wilf, the welder in the family,
Liv, the production manager.
Tom O'Malley wrote:
> Tom Writes:
>
> >All this discussion of the effect of heat on metal brings to mind a question
> >I've wondered about often.
> >
> >While it's often stated that the only way to stop rust is to cut out the
> >affected portion of the car and weld in a replacement section, it seems to me
> >that I've heard that the welding process would destroy the temper of the
> >surrounding metal, making it more likely to rust sooner.
>
> Tom...
>
> Spitfire bodies were made of mild steel so they were neither hardened
> nor tempered. There might be some "work hardening" near bends and
> creases as function of the stamping process, but it's minimal.
>
> I'm not aware of any connection between welding and accelerated rust
> except what Livia has pointed out about flange welds and such where
> moisture can be trapped. I much prefer butt welds but it takes more
> time to do it nicely.
>
> Cheers!
> Tom O'Malley
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