Welding question

[idiocrates]

We're about to get started welding in panels and I have just one more question (at least for now)......other then those seams that will be butt welds.....we're going to use plug welds.......sooo, does this sound correct:
1. Floor riser to rear floor - plug holes get cut in the rear floor deck
2. Floor riser to front floor - plug holes get cut in the front floor pans
3. Front floor pans to exterior sides - plug holes get cut in the floor pan lip
4. Wheelhouse to floor riser - plug holes get cut in the wheelhouse flange
5. Wheelhouse to rear floor sides - plug holes get cut in the wheelhouse
6. Wheelhouse to exterior side - plug holes get cut in the wheelhouse exterior lip
7. Rear floor panel to rear panel - plug holes get cut in the lip of the floor panel
8. Wheelhouse to rear panel - plug holes get cut in the wheelhouse rear lip

After plug welding, has anyone ever gone back and stitched all the plug weld seams closed?....or does this make the tub too rigid and inflexible? Thanks in advance for any pointers ya'll might want to chunk at me.

[major519]

I believe that the concept of plug welding is to replicate original type spot welding which is typical of sheet metal fabricated components.

I would suggest that plug welds be made correctly; in saying this, the welds must be homogenous with adequate penetration, especially if they are going to be ground flush afterwards.

It may be tempting to stitch weld the seams although it may not be aestectly nor historcally correct....

[BullRun]

I would try to replicate the spot welds as close as possible. You can nearly duplicate the appearance of a real spot weld with a die grinder and small grinding stone. Where the seams are joined together the plug welds are very adequate. I just try to replicate what I am removing. Most important will be the weld penetration and coverage of the cut spot weld hole so that it is fully filled in and has melted the three metals together (the 2 sheets and the filler wire). I am assuming you are using a MIG welder. For a jeep tub you will probably go through about a a full size bottle of Argon shielding gas. The shielding gas will give you perfect welds that have just the right amount of flow. I use a low amperage and about a .023 mild steel at a very slow feed rate with the Argon shielding gas. And also a #14 glass lens in my helmut as the arc from a Mig is super bright. At a minumum I also use a cartrige respirator for like gases and paint.

Any stitch welding will induce heat warpage into the metal and is not needed except where patch panels are used and then very carefully.

Another trick is to pretreat the surfaces with rust proofing and weld through primers especially on the hat channels.

Glad to help if I can.

[53a1]

I did put a few stitch welds on the hat channels. I had some of the spot welds pop loose and I didn't want to undue the whole thing and start over. They don't always sit flush once they pop loose so its hard to re-weld. I figure with the amount of Frankenstein patches I made and bubba repairs I had to fix who cares because it's on the bottom anyway.

I guess it depends if your building a show Jeep. In my mind its better to do a satisfactory job and get it running then have it sit for years and risk never completing the project because everything has to be perfect. If you can do perfect work - more power to you but that's not me.

To be honest, I chose a Jeep restoration because I knew It didn't have to be perfect and I could do all the work myself.

[oilleaker1]

You will also learn soon enough, to put your plug weld locations where you can get to your welds to grind them flat. John