At 09:29 AM 8/5/98 -0400, George Zhookoff wrote:
.... snip ...
>
> Also I have been investigating a gas torch called the Henrob welding
>torch. Have you heard of it? It is supposed to weld but only needing
>4 psi of gas and oxygen, so with minimal distortion and less gas use.
>I'm thinking of getting one as it would allow me to patch panels that I
>would otherwise have to replace entirely.
>
>Cheers,
>Hamish
>
Don't kid yourself into thinking you can do decent panel repair with an
inadequate gas setup. I have used both gas and arc, both large and
small. If you are mainly interested in welding in repair panels on a
car do yourself a favor and get a MIG welder (preferably a 220 volt one)
The gas welder is useful for a lot of things (like removing rusted parts)
but is not ideally suited for welding in repair panels. If you do decide
to go with the gas I would suggest that you get at least a "B" Acetylene
tank with a minimum of a 60 cubic foot Oxygen tank and a decent torch
with some tips (#0 #2 and #4 at a minimum)
When buying either you will need much more heat and capacity than
you ever imagined when you first thought of buying one (you will never
regret getting one that is more than you thought you needed). The
problem with using gas for panel welding is that it tends to warp the
metal rather badly, especially if using low heat. What you want is
very high heat for a short time so that distortion will tend to be very
localized and require a minimum of body work to cover the seam and
not distort the rest of the panel. If you use a MIG welder on a relatively
high setting (so you get very fast and deep penetration) and weld a spot
on one end then move to the other etc. and letting the metal cool between
small short welds, you can end up with a great looking job and almost
zero distortion and a very small seam area to cover up.
Regards Nils
Yardley, PA
59(100-6) 69XKE 72/73MGB 52MGTD
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