ok guys, after months of thinking about it im going to start my restoration! It's going to be a long hArd expensive job and I've never welded before....any advice please
Get stuck in, do it once do it well? I'll be digging in on ours sometime this year/next year so best of luck.
^^This^^ Don't be tempted to cut out the whole corner/rear arch as that's the amount of repair panel you've been sent... Always replace the smallest amount of metal and don't rush things
Everything you do has a knock-on effect on the later stages. Getting the welding and body shape right makes filling and painting easier. But starting with cutting, make sure you can actually get the welder in to weld where you cut and tidy it up after is a good start.
Thanks for the advice guys, going to start cutting it tomorrow hopefully!! Got a complete rear cut that I'm going to graft on...somehow lol
Just go for it... I'm very much the novice and I'm still making massive mistakes, but I'm learning. Welding has been for me initially the most frustrating, but now the most satisfying bit. Biggest mistake I made was trying to weld with the wrong kit. Try and get yourself the best welder you can, research the net and get something that will cope with a range of thickness. Also get yourself a big bottle of gas and then practice loads.
I did an 8 week college night course last year, was only a couple of hours one night a week and about a hundred quid......didnt make me a kickass welder but it gave enough insight into setting up a mig, different types of weld etc to give me the confidence to know what to look for in a used welder and have a go at it once I found one. Done a few little bits and pieces now with fairly respectable results......my beads and spots would probably still give @zed the horrors but practice is definitely improving things slowly lol get plenty of advice here on how to go about a repair.....no matter how bad you think something is, theres always someone on here that has done the same thing on a worse bus lol and start off with the bits you cant see, by the time you get to the bits you can you should have improved enough for it not to look too bad
Just went outside to look at the panels I have and noticed the windscreen on the floor in a million pieces!!!
Oh No! What caused it - wind -, clumsy person...? Still it was probably scratched and a new one will look so much better!
I'm in the same boat @Camperboy40 - I don't know one end of a welder from the other but I'm sure the advice from the chaps and chapettes on here will help so much. Found someone local ish to supply the gas cheaply and I can get the wire - 0.8 I believe is the gauge I was told and 0.6 for the door skins. Good luck with it all and we need plenty of pics.
My stupidity @cunny44 , left it under a badly balanced lump of wood that fell on it!!! @3TNC I'm really worried cos I have a 15" deep rear cut that goes upto the swageline that I've gotta put on! Really worried about cutting the camper too much and then the cut not sitting right!!!
Thankfully the PO replaced those prior to me taking it! I have to repeat what has been said already but take your time and you'll be fine.
Probably best to post pictures and then ask how best to this sort of thing, then people can see what you're talking about and be able to advise
Well he's been pushed out of the garage where he has lived for the past 18 months!!! First cut tonight!
Anybody on here replaced any rear arches?? I've no idea how the inch wrap around on the end of the panel goes, if that makes sense??
