New 142

[Burdekin]

The radiator crossmember was knackered so made a start on it today and also the outer sides of the chassis rails will need replacing too. Hopefully get it welded in tomorrow. Simon at Brookhouse got me a NOS crossmember from someone local to him thankfully.

[142 Guy]

Nice looking fabrication for the cross member. It is interesting where the various 140s 'decide' to rust. The radiator cross member on my 1971 was pretty much pristine. On my 140, the inner fender area just back from the headlights (where you have the grey primer) was Swiss cheese. I had to cut out big sections and hammer weld in replacements. The attachment points on the inner fender for the hood hinges also required reconstructive surgery.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by 142 Guy

Nice looking fabrication for the cross member. It is interesting where the various 140s 'decide' to rust. The radiator cross member on my 1971 was pretty much pristine. On my 140, the inner fender area just back from the headlights (where you have the grey primer) was Swiss cheese. I had to cut out big sections and hammer weld in replacements. The attachment points on the inner fender for the hood hinges also required reconstructive surgery.

I've a feeling i'm suffering from inhaling flux-core MIG fumes but what is this technique of "hammer weld" please?

Just been welding the rear sills on my 99 S Type (rocker panels your side of the pond) and i couldn't work out why Jaguar seem to have created the inner sill from several pieces, alternately overlaid (_-_-_-_ diagramatic representation of what i mean) pieces all spot welded together to create a one-piece inner sill (is the inner sill called the inner rocker in your neck of the woods?) which seems to have arrested the flow of the tinworm after the 3rd section from the back.

If it was intentional, absolutely briiliant, if it wasn't, it's serendipity!

I'm recreating the repair panel using similar techniques but for our MoT it has to be continuously welded, even if it's not visible - i hope by seam welding it i'm not re-introducing the path for the tinworm!

[Burdekin]

Bit tired and slow going but the near side chassis rail repair tacked in and rad crossmember and front panel fit checked. Just a few holes to drill tomorrow for plug welds and I can then weld it in.

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I've a feeling i'm suffering from inhaling flux-core MIG fumes but what is this technique of "hammer weld" please?

Just been welding the rear sills on my 99 S Type (rocker panels your side of the pond) and i couldn't work out why Jaguar seem to have created the inner sill from several pieces, alternately overlaid (_-_-_-_ diagramatic representation of what i mean) pieces all spot welded together to create a one-piece inner sill (is the inner sill called the inner rocker in your neck of the woods?) which seems to have arrested the flow of the tinworm after the 3rd section from the back.

If it was intentional, absolutely briiliant, if it wasn't, it's serendipity!

I'm recreating the repair panel using similar techniques but for our MoT it has to be continuously welded, even if it's not visible - i hope by seam welding it i'm not re-introducing the path for the tinworm!

You can plug or spot weld it in if replacing a whole section as per the original. Only patches need to be fully welded.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Burdekin

You can plug or spot weld it in if replacing a whole section as per the original. Only patches need to be fully welded.

It's patches i'm doing, the rest of the sills forward from about 7-8" from the rear wheelarch are fine.

Must admit, even with just the first section of inner sill (the one that connects the floorpan to the inner wheelarch - the other section connects the floorpan to the inner edge of the outer wheelarch and forms part of the inner wheelarch) its already a hell of a lot stronger!

[Burdekin]

Originally Posted by 142 Guy

Nice looking fabrication for the cross member. It is interesting where the various 140s 'decide' to rust. The radiator cross member on my 1971 was pretty much pristine. On my 140, the inner fender area just back from the headlights (where you have the grey primer) was Swiss cheese. I had to cut out big sections and hammer weld in replacements. The attachment points on the inner fender for the hood hinges also required reconstructive surgery.

There’s lots of areas on the 140s that collect water and muck. There’s been a couple of patch over repairs on mine. I was just planning on replacing the crossmember until I cut the crossmember out and could see the chassis rail sides needed fixing too. The old girl has been used and repaired over the years so good she’s still going. This is nearly the last of the welding hopefully, couple of wee repairs on the lower inner wings to do as well. As always she didn’t look to bad until you start digging.

[142 Guy]

Hammer welding is fussy. It is an oxy - acetylene torch technique that creates a butt / flush weld between two panels. You butt the two panels together, heat the butt joint up to just below melting and then hammer and dolly the joint together. A good practitioner can do it without filler rod - not me. Getting thin sheet metal panels butted and held in position during the process is misery. I did it to replace the rusted out sections on the inside fenders behind the headlights and never again - way too much work.

You can do hammer welding with MIG and TIG, using a hammer to flatten the bead; but, it probably does not work as well as with gas. Most people probably just tack and grind.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by 142 Guy

Hammer welding is fussy. It is an oxy - acetylene torch technique that creates a butt / flush weld between two panels. You butt the two panels together, heat the butt joint up to just below melting and then hammer and dolly the joint together. A good practitioner can do it without filler rod - not me. Getting thin sheet metal panels butted and held in position during the process is misery. I did it to replace the rusted out sections on the inside fenders behind the headlights and never again - way too much work.

You can do hammer welding with MIG and TIG, using a hammer to flatten the bead; but, it probably does not work as well as with gas. Most people probably just tack and grind.

Thanks for explaining that! I'd not heard of it and wondered if i had misunderstood and you were panel beating some new panels to fit then welding them in.

I'm firmly in the school of thought of gasless MIG, tack, tack and tack again and again until i have a continuous bead then grind, inspect for holes and weld them, grind, inspect etc until no holes exist and the weld is invisible.

Well as invisible as i can get it anyway!

[Burdekin]

I do that with Tig or oxy. If you can get behind a panel it is the best way to weld thin metal. Thin metal distorts when welding because it shrinks at the weld so you hammer and dolly the weld to stretch the weld and this removes the distortion. Tig and oxy have a soft weld unlike mig which is hard so much harder to hammer and dolly a mig weld and it’s more prone to cracking. Mig you have to minimise the distortion, oxy and Tig you can remove it.