Being an absolute “non” welder, I’m hoping I can get some expert advice from some of my more accomplished associates. I have two welding prospects ahead of me and I BELIEVE MIG/TIG is the way to go, but am curious as to the experienced consensus.
First is a patch piece on a decklid about 1 1/4” x 8”. I think the trunk lid is about 20 gauge.
The second involves the re-welding of the back seat support braces that are flapping in the wind.
Should I be looking for an experienced/certified MIG/TIG welder; or would stick or wire feed welding really be sufficient?
I agree with Wawazat, MiG is by far the easiest welding for thin gauge sheet metal that requires little training and expense. Just use multiple tacks to avoid warpage.
MIG welding machine is the easiest to learn and will do the task you describe. .023 wire is best on sheetmetal with argon/CO2 mix gas. Flux core welding wire without gas can be used as well but the weld bead will not look as good. Amazon has some throw away welding machines that do a decent job.I have 3 different welding machines,one is a Yeswelder from Amazon. It is a throwaway welding machine. I does a good job and the reviews are good.
What I mean by throwaway is, these machines are cheap made in China and when they stop working,most of the time they aren’t worth fixing.
If you’re putting in an 8” section on the trunk, just buy a new dynacorn. There is probably rot you can’t see and will require way more work than you anticipate
Considered it, but at $515 for the lid and $280 Shipping, considering the integrity of the rest of the deck lid I’m thinking repair is legit. The cancer is limited to the rear lip, I even bought a borescope to check the “insides”. I realize it might not last forever, but it may still outlive me!
For what you described (sheetmetal and brace reattachment) a gas MIG would work very well.
But that rear lip of the trunk where the trim attaches is a problem spot (water and moisture can collect there).
I’m all for DIY repair but I will say that if the inside (underside) surface is rusted anymore than surface, it will be difficult to get good heat penetration and fill such that what looks like a minor repair now may be bigger and more difficult than you’d expect.
Coincidentally I just scrapped one that had rust along that same edge for the same reason.
Anyway, depending on where you are located, you may be able to find someone with a good used trunk lid for not too much $.