When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
For me.....it was critical that the appearance of the weld was just as important as the quality of the penetration. And after practicing....and grinding back off almost everything...trying again....grinding it back off....I decided to let my professional welder cousin do it right. And you have seen my frame on the 69 restoration thread....PLUS....it is not acceptable to me to have weld ***** / splatter....so every single one was grinded and sanded off...in fact I sanded and blended all sharp corners...because powdercoating sticks better on round corners than sharp corners. I laughed at the comment made that its better to leave the splatter cause its "original".....right. Maybe I should have had some amateur painter paint the car too....so the paint looked as bad as Chevy did in 77......Hahahahaha!! By the way...my 2006 Corvette has the same weld splatter on the steel frame!! GM still were doing it in 2006.
However....the welds you are doing in the above pictures on Poast #54 are more than adequate and penetration looks pretty good. And remember.....the frame and all its factory welding is more than adequate for the purpose of driving the car on the street....you really don't need to seam weld it at all...and I doubt anyone would notice the difference. I did it, cause I could....but not sure it really makes any difference for my purpose for the car. The mods you are doing were for race cars. SO.....point is....the welds you are doing are only going to make it better than factory......even if the quality of the welds are not up to pro-welder standards. I seam welded the 77 completely...but did not add the gussets like I did on the 69......wish I would have....but again. probably doesn't make any noticeable difference. Still worth doing at the stage you are at.
You are totally correct and my welding the frame is more for strength and a racing application than simple street use, but it’s what I’m doing like you did.
When I’m done welding I’ll be doing all the clean up because it needs to look good as well, even though you don’t see the frame.
If anything, I’ve learned something new and the old saying is true, You can teach an old dog new tricks!
One thing that may help you is, on your stepped or overlap joints, aim your wire at the lower material right where it touches the upper material. Then “push” the molten puddle up into the upper material as you go along.
Just a suggestion.
One thing that may help you is, on your stepped or overlap joints, aim your wire at the lower material right where it touches the upper material. Then “push” the molten puddle up into the upper material as you go along.
Just a suggestion.
Today I finished all the stitch welds on the top of the frame, flipped it over and completed all the welds on the bottom.
Tomorrow I plan to weld in all the gussets, and clean up all my welds.
My new questions are?
When I weld in the gussets, I’m assuming I need to weld them in just the same way I completed the stitch welds.
Since they are butt joints, do they get welded on just one side or both?
Both sides full weld is a little overkill on that thin of material. If you want to weld both sides, I would alternate. In other words, if you are welding a 3” seam, weld the first inch on one side, then switch to the other side and weld an inch, then switch back to the first side for the last inch.
Edit: just my opinion, do what you like.
Today I’ll be installing the frame gussets, the rear crossmember gussets from Tom’s Differential, and welding in the upper shock mount reinforcement brackets for the Van Steel coil over suspension.
Hopefully I’ll have time to start cleaning up all my welds.
Yesterday afternoon I started welding on the frame with solid wire and shielding gas.
Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to fill these gaps
Sorry, a little late to the party on this subject, and even if you solved this on your own, great; but I thought I might suggest a procedure if only for others in the future whom may reference this post for their own edification.
In these instances where there's a gap, of a distance not justifying a filler plug of material to be fitted, but still to great to join in one weld pass, just lay a weld bead on each separate material section closing the gap until the left & right sides meet. And should the end result appearances not be satisfactory, then a final pass incorporating greater heat and less filler rod, with wide left to right swings out to the periphery of the previous passes, washing the individual passes into one. This if you have the amperes to pull it off?
Scott,
This is great information and I tried to do this technique, but like you suggested my welder is a little light on the voltage to pull this off completely.
I was able to pool up the weld on both sides by welding a small section on one side then doing the same to the opposite side while the first side is still warm.
It worked well for the appearance and filled the gaps but I’m not sure how good the weld actually is.
In other places where the gap was wider I just need the additional heat my welder won’t produce.
I think once I grind the welds and flatten them out they should look pretty nice.
If not, it’s ok because they won’t be seen anyway.
Thanks for the information, because this thread is all about getting the help I needed and helping others in the future.
Today I officially completed all the welding on the frame.
All the stitch welds are finished, the frame gussets are installed and the Van Steel rear coil over shock reinforcements are welded in place.
Making the square plate to go over the large round hole in the frame behind the steering box took a little time to manufacture.
The frame is not flat in that area and the plate needed to be massaged into shape so it was flat against the contours of the frame rail.
Once the welds are ground down it won’t cause any more clearance issues than the heads for the steering box bolts.
Now I just need to do a little cleanup on my not professional welds to make them look pretty, then the frame goes back to the powder coater.
I recommending taking a file and sandpaper and rounding any and all sharp edges on any piece of metal....especially those gussets. Powderoating sticks really well to blasted finishes....BUT....it does not stick to a sharp edge very well, and could easily be chipped off later with a blow from a wrench, etc. I went over the entire frame (hours) starting with 2 inch disc grinder, then files, then finally coarse sandpaper to blend all weld splatter, and sharp corners, before sandblasting and powdercoating. I think its worth the time. I do this with any part I powdercoat.
When you get it back from powdercoater.....next thing is buy some Eastwood internal frame coating....now available in black....and coat the entire inside of the frame with it. It takes three cans to do the frame. Comes with long plastic nozzle that has a radial spoke stream outlet.....and you insert it in any and all holes, push the trigger....and slowly pull to attempt to coat all internal surfaces. I did it with frame upside down, then turn frame over to do it upright, so that it has the best chance of coating everything. You could just do it upright. Beware....the stuff is very thin,....so it will flow out of any opening and get on the powdercating and look like crap....so be prepared to quickly wipe it off with acetone or MEK. A quick and light wipe of solvent on the powdercoating will not melt the powder. But again....stuff is very thin and will drip on the floor as you do it...put plastic down underneath or your floor will have hundreds of drips. On the 69, I masked off the big holes on the bottom, to prevent it flowing out. When I did my 77 years ago....they only had the green stuff. I used black on the 69.
Once powdercoated and internal frame coating.......its sealed for life.
Note: Just in case you did not think of it.....once you fill in that big hole on the side of the frame, as you did,....you can no longer use factory power steering, as you won't be able to get the brackets through that hole that have the studs to retain the bracket to the frame. I was planning on manual steering on the 69, so I not only plugged the big hole, I welded in all four of the mounting holes.
Don't get over zealous in your grinding-down of the weld beads as this is the material of the connection made; and particularly in instances where we might not be acquiring truly deep penetration into the parent material, as great sums of the connection are being made above that surface vs. below.
I’m running manual steering on mine, so I don’t need to worry about the power steering brackets.
If I ever want to convert it over to power steering, I can always open up the hole and install the brackets.
The frame on my 73 was rust free inside and out.
It will never be driven in the rain, snow or bad weather, and will be kept inside our garage.
If we lived in an area I needed to worry about moisture collecting inside the frame I would get the inside coated like you did, but living where we do and having no plans to drive in bad weather I won’t need the additional protection inside the frame.
I will be smoothing out the welds and cleaning up any sharp edges before the frame goes back in for blasting and powder coating.
As I have previously mentioned to you....those gussets on the forward bumper extensions are probably not going to work with a big block radiator......the lower outlet of the radiator actually is in the C section of the forward bumper extension channel...and that gusset will definitely be in the way....but otherwise....nice work your pro welder did.....and if anything is overkill...which is fine
Don't get over zealous in your grinding-down of the weld beads as this is the material of the connection made; and particularly in instances where we might not be acquiring truly deep penetration into the parent material, as great sums of the connection are being made above that surface vs. below.
Scott.
I’ll just be cleaning up the welds and not grinding them down.
The only place I’ll go down a little bit is on the patch over the large hole on the side of the frame near the steering box and only down to about the height of the bolt heads that mount the steering box.
I want to keep those low so the welds don’t interfere with the tire clearance which I know is already close.
The rest of the welds on the frame and gussets won’t matter because this isn’t going to be a trailer queen and I doubt that any judges at the shows I enter will crawl underneath to inspect the frame gussets and stitch welding.
