Sigma-galant.com

hey guys. i have decided to do the rust im my galant myself. what things should i know to keep me away from trouble? oh, and yea i can weld ;) and im doing it properly (cut and replace).
cheers,
mick

Mick
There are plenty of "expert" back yarders here that will argue that a tradesman doesn't know what he is talking about,but I WILL give you a couple of pointers.
Make sure that you remove ALL of the affected area.
Make your patches BEFORE you cut out the rusted area.
When welding,keep the heat as low as possible and DON'T make a continuous weld around the patch.weld 12mm,then weld opposite,etc. to keep distortion to a minimum.
Be sure to treat the back of the repair to prevent rust returning.
Most importantly,If you find it becoming a bit hard,Don't hesitate in seeking assistance.
Good luck.

As above, take your time. when I am doing more than one section I spot weld the panel into place then move to another section allow it to cool while you weld another section. one thing that is often overlooked is covering up windows while you're grinding unless you want little brown spots on your glass.

cheers guys! helps alot! and my galant is fully stripped, so no worrying about glass, but it's nice to know what's the best/easiest way to cut out the metal?

I usually use those thin (1.0mm??) cutting discs in an angle grinder. Cut through heaps easier and don't heat up the metal anywhere near as much as the thicker discs.

Yea. i was thinking that. but i was thinking using it on a drill somehow. grinder will have to do though. cheers

A drill wouldn't spin anywhere near fast enough. The only other thing if you need the disc on that angle would be an air powered cut off tool like this http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BRAND-NEW-HEAVY- ... 5d2cbd4f43.

cheers c_furnance i might get one of them. or just bite the bullet and use the grinder

The best advise i can give is to take your time with every part of the job! If you spent extra time making your patch it will be easier to weld and if its easier to weld it is easier to grind your welds (take it slow so you dont heat and warp the panel and dont grind to much off or you will make the panel too thin) and so on. If you can get your hands on some weld through primer to spay on the underside of the patch it will resist alot of heat, then when the job is done use some cavity wax or fish oil to help protect the back of the welds from any moisture that could cause it to rust.

I used motospray rust converter / primer on the back of my welds it seems like pretty good stuff (time will tell)

tubby wrote:. one thing that is often overlooked is covering up windows while you're grinding unless you want little brown spots on your glass.

not just little spots, if bad enough you'll need to replace your whole glass (if windscreen) as wiper blades will be torn to shreds by the metal files...Also watches are affected...my old man now has a welding/cutting specific watch

you can minimize the problem by getting a stainless razor and knocking the "heads" off the burrs but they will still rust after a few months.