Covering ugly welds

[JeepFreak21]

I made a big mistake and let my little sister practice welding on my junk and now I have a bunch of horrible looking welds where 3/16" box tube meets the body panels at about a 90* (inside) angle. Can I grind the points off the weld and then bondo the seam? Is there a sanding "block" made for a rounded inside corner? Is there a better product than bondo for this?
Thanks,
Billy

 

[RCman]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

I made a big mistake and let my little sister practice welding on my junk and now I have a bunch of horrible looking welds where 3/16" box tube meets the body panels at about a 90* (inside) angle. Can I grind the points off the weld and then bondo the seam? Is there a sanding "block" made for a rounded inside corner? Is there a better product than bondo for this?
Thanks,
Billy

If you can't get in there with a grinding or flap wheel can you get in there with a cut off wheel and cut them out, then re-weld them? It'll take some time, but it'll be better in the end.
As for a sanding block, in the past I've taken pieces of 2x4 and sanded the an edge(s) of it until I got the profile I've needed.

 

[Ricochet]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

You can also buy something called welder's putty. Its a filler specifically made for making welds look pretty. Comes in a small tube and dries rock hard.

 

[JeepFreak21]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

You can also buy something called welder's putty. Its a filler specifically made for making welds look pretty. Comes in a small tube and dries rock hard.

Sounds good... but is it sandable? Or do you just spread it as smoothly as you can?

EDIT: A Google search suggested that you're talking about JB Weld? :dunno:

Thanks!
Billy

 

[JeepFreak21]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

If you can't get in there with a grinding or flap wheel can you get in there with a cut off wheel and cut them out, then re-weld them? It'll take some time, but it'll be better in the end.
As for a sanding block, in the past I've taken pieces of 2x4 and sanded the an edge(s) of it until I got the profile I've needed.

I could get a grinder in there (with a grinding wheel, not a flap wheel), but I'm worried about grinding through the thin sheetmetal. It's really not a structural weld, so I just need to make it look a little better.
Thank for the advice,
Billy

 

[kastein]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

I'd put an abrasive disc or drum or something in a dremel, or maybe a cobalt bit. If you don't already have a dremel, this is a good excuse to get one... they're pretty awesome, I use mine all the time. Saved my ass when I munged up one of the Torx screws holding a door latch in, ended up using a dremel cutoff wheel to make it into a really big flat blade screw and backed it out.

 

[asp]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

A little known fact is that JB weld was originally designed for specifically this purpose. If the welds are strong enough my vote is to putty them with JB weld. If not, cut them and re-weld to your satisfaction.

 

[Ricochet]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

http://www.por15.com/PORPATCH/productinfo/PPW/

Something like this should do the trick. I can't seem to find my tube to get info from it.

 

[Shred Bro Gnar Rad]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

nice excuse on teaching ur sister how to weld. lol. jk

 

[souske]

Re: Covering ugly ass welds

nice excuse on teaching ur sister how to weld. lol. jk

:thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics:
:loveu:

 

[lazyxj]

After you have made the repairs, if any, get a tube of Bondo spot putty.
It is available in almost any auto parts store.
It dries quickly and can be sanded and painted.
http://tinyurl.com/yajaqka

 

[JeepFreak21]

Thanks guys. My neighbor did body work for a long time and thinks that regular bondo will crack away (even though the 3/16" box tube isn't going to deflect much). He recommended some kind of seam sealer, but it's not sandable. Lazyxj, is that stuff flexible at all?
Thanks!
Billy

 

[lazyxj]

Thanks guys. My neighbor did body work for a long time and thinks that regular bondo will crack away (even though the 3/16" box tube isn't going to deflect much). He recommended some kind of seam sealer, but it's not sandable. Lazyxj, is that stuff flexible at all?

No, it hardens. It isn't made to be put on in a thick layer. It is made to fill small defects. Most fillers will crack is applied too thickly.
Compromise, grind it a little and use a thin layer of filler.
It's a Jeep. If the repair doesn't look right, bash it into a rock to give it some character. Straight sheet metal is way over-rated.

Your neighbor is probably referring to something like Drip-Chek
http://tinyurl.com/y8zx85o
It's good stuff and will last just about forever but it stays flexible and will never harden enough to sand.It can be applied smoothly but it will flow.