Thanks for watching! And thank you to every single one of you who have left some advice in the comments. It really has been helpful. Next episode you should see some improvements. If you want more info, I have updated the video description with a little explanation of what I'm doing differently now and what I have planned to improve. Thanks again!
A few small things i learned while on internship at a welding... place: Try to stay really close to the metal while welding so the feeding wire doesnt get too long and to get nicer welds, also keep one hand close to the tip of the welder for more precision (if u have good enough gloves your fingers shouldnt get too hot).
Come on bro! I told you before, consider everything as a learning experience. Don't beat yourself up. The voice over is fine. Let's us know what and how you are doing. Keep up the good work and we'll be waiting on the updates.
Looks like the sheet metal you’re using is galvanized. The fumes that gives off when welding on it are EXTREMELY toxic! I would recommend avoid using galvanized if possible, and at minimum remove the galvanization with the flap disk from the areas to be welded. Otherwise, keep up the good work! It’s a great learning experience, and you’re getting along well!
@@RestoreIt those square boxes that rot first are not jacking points! The body was held there by robots at the assembly line. If you jack the car there, the floor is going to bend!
Brazing or on modern BMW's they use a very strong "glue" to hold different sections together. Welding steel to aluminium can be done but isn't easy so they took an alternative route instead.
He might be learning and getting used to welding stuff. but as a final piece of work it's terrible. I suggest to practice cutting/welding on bare metal instead of chassis.
This guy doing it good for what he knows, okey they are some more efficient ways to do it but even so it still a clean job ! If you do one piece and weld it sometimes it can bend one side of the car !
I literally did the same repairs on the driver’s side. It was like watching myself do the repairs I’ve been doing for some time now. I even have the same issue at the back panel above the tire, where it has formed a hole. Keep it up. Love to see these videos!
This has been very interesting to watch. I don't know much about auto restoration, but your honest narration about honing your own talent makes this a compelling video.
My e30 chassis has been sitting for about 1½year now with the paint still on it. I actually build a pretty similar rotisserie without even looking at your desing. found a swedish company that made a really nice looking one and copied the crap out of it with a welder. I'm still renovating my house so the BMW will still wait for it's turn for few years before I get a new garage build to my site. Very motivating and inspiring video :) THANK YOU!
razgrak Roger Penske’s team used that concept in the 1960s on a racing Camaro; they dipped the thing in acid and let it eat away at all the smaller bits to save weight. Similar idea, just a lot faster lol
For cutting out rusted sheet metal I would recommend the Astro Pneumatic Tool 930 Air Body Sabre Saw. You may also want to use their pneumatic cut off tools. Air tools have much more power than electric Dremel tools, don’t get hot, and are small and nimble to get in tight spaces.
I am a state inspection mechanic and want to say it would be a joy to inspect your car! I work in a region known as the "rust belt" and I cringe when a customer brings in an older car like yours. Usually it is horribly rusted with loose components and worn out parts but you have outstanding attention to detail and do the job right!
Brilliant effort brother, I love the fact that you acknowledge your strength and weakness, nobody is born an expert, but through trial and error and welcoming people's advice you will no doubt become and expert with an awesome E30 to prove it. I look forward to seeing these videos, I no longer have my E30's so I get to go down memory lane. Go hard mate!
Love your content and work ethic. You make it seem that a regular Joe can do what you do. What you do can't be done without tenacity and you definitely have that. Keep up the great work.
Absolutely amazing job! Im 15 and have started to restore old cars, and welding the old metal is no easy job. The only car i have restored back to working condition and made it pass MOT is a MK2 GOLF, that bugger has cost me almost 3000€ already.
I am enjoying to watch this and learn since I am about to start restoration on a 1982 320i that has been torn apart and sitting in pieces for 10 years. I to am newer to the restoration side so I look forward to more videos.
I have seen plenty of welding videos and I think you are doing a splendid job. By the time you have finished this shell, you will be an expert. Congrats so far.
You’re trying pal and doing a decent job to boot so fair play to you for your hard work and enthusiasm. There are many your age would just be tossing it off and doing nothing constructive with their time so credit to you. Keep it up and I look forward to the finished results.
Thank you, Gary. Seriously appreciate this comment. I've recently gone through a lot of changes in my life and getting away from dossing around was one of them. Thanks bud.
i can really appreciate how you take on projects like this without any prior expirence. welding is a difficult skill i myself have no expirence but i have been doing a lot of research on welding bec its something id like to start learning. i believe if you try to use larger repair panels with longer beads it will come out much cleaner but good work my friend. keep practicing. we all gotta start somewhere
I am also doing a complete restoration/build on an E30 chassis very similar to the one you are working on. Nice work, your honest approach is inspiring. Lots of great comments and suggestions here in the comments, and I'm sure you've come quite a ways by now, so my few suggestions may be out of date given the age of this video, but may be useful to others. Making patch panels that fit exactly like you want them to can be tricky. I have found that a great way to match and transfer repair panels is to use a piece of thin box-board (the type cereal box is made of) larger than your opening, and then to force it up against your opening/rub along the edge of the opening through the box-board. This will leave a faint imprint on the boxboard, which will be exactly the size/shape of the opening you are repairing. Cut this out very carefully exactly on the line, and then use a metal scribe (a thick marker is far too thick and imprecise) to transfer that shape onto your sheet metal. Box board also has the ability to be flexible, so you can make the piece the size it needs to be even if it goes across a contour like yours in the footwell does. Once you get the knack for this, you can make a repair piece that fits exactly with an ideal gap in minutes. Grind to fit very delicately, you are shooting for the smallest gap in the panel that you can achieve. Bend your piece before you weld it so you don't distort the surrounding original sheet metal, and prep your welding edges with a flap wheel before you cut the piece out (if you grind around an opening you have cut out, you risk thinning the edge and making welding more difficult and producing a weaker end result). Keep the work piece cool to prevent distortion. You can do this by using a wet cloth, or better, throw some play-dough in the freezer (there are professional products that do the same thing for 10x the cost) and stick it to the panel you are welding (it will act as a heat sync and pull the hat from your sheet metal to keep it cool)--keeping your sheet metal cool is essential, since a distorted piece might force you to start over, and you'll be kicking yourself for rushing. When welding, make sure you are using some weld through primer. Other commenters have noted that your welds looked cold. Indeed this was the case, but cranking up the voltage on your machine might not be the solution. Make sure you are using the right shielding gas and that your flow is adequate--not too high (C25 gas should work fine). An excellent ground connection to the chassis is often overlooked, and a common source of the uneven/inconsistent arc you were working against. Checking your ground should be #1 on your list when you encounter a weak arc like you had--make sure it is as close to the welding area as possible, ideally on the same contiguous sheet (not on a sheet spotwelded to the sheet you are welding on if you can avoid it). I'm sure you did some test welds on your sheet metal stock to set the machine's baseline feed/output and arrived at something close to ideal, so if you were having an inconsistent and sputtering arc when welding that to the chassis, check your ground. Make sure it is tight on bare, shiny metal. You can clamp a piece of braided copper ground strapping in between your work piece and the clamp to maximize surface area and increase the contact force. A flap disc on a high powered corded angle grinder will make quicker work of knocking those welds flush without putting too much heat into the panel, and will be cleaner with must less dust than a stone grinding disc. You'll also get a much better finish with it.
Смотрю канал с самого начала. С нетерпением ждал новые серии, и смотрел их с наслаждением... до тех пор, пока он не начал делать "жестянку"... 😅 теперь смотрю с болью в сердце 😆
That weld-through primer- you should paint the pieces you are going to overlap before you fit them. It will be almost impossible to get primer to penetrate between the pieces afterwards.
This is what Iam scared of about my e30. It is rusty everywhere, so strip off, blasting, cutting, welding, painting. Expensive and hard job. Nice video!
My first car was a 1990 BMW 325i back in 1999-2001. I regret ever selling it. I came across this channel and before playing the video instantly subscribed. I still dream about my first car to this day.
It’s cool to see how much you and your channel have grown since the beginning of this restoration. Doing things like this and learning new skills is such a great thing to do. Keep up the good work!
This is fantastic dedication. I'm on almost exactly the same journey with my MX5 but I've tackled the bodywork before the mechanical bits. Keep up the great work!
I’ve helped my dad work on a ‘66 mustang and after we did a few spot welds we went back and did a few 1/2 inch (12mm) seam welds on most of the parts. Food for thought.
You've done some great work this episode. Welding and metal work is no joke and you've taken on the task admirably well. Even if you're inexperienced, at least you have the mental fortitude to take on the task yourself and improve as you go along. The best projects teach you a lot of valuable skills, and this one is no different. I look forward to the next episode!
This project is beyond my understanding. So cool. Like how are you going to put that back together? For me it's enough to repair sills and fenders from rust. You got all my respect dude. Keep it up!
Hi Mate. I know it is very difficult to Weld this 3D structures. Your Work hold for the next 10 Years. Thank you that you safe this iconic Car from the Scrapyard. Well Done
You see professionals do this kind of work and I think “No problem, I can do this...” after watching your challenge I have second thoughts :) Well done for doing this! Good job for your experience!
Love watching your work. Don't listen to the haters....we all have to learn. We can't all be experts at everything. At least you are not sitting on a couch playing video games all day. Stay strong and keep up the good work. I Cannot wait to see you driving a car you restored by yourself. From a viewer in South Africa.
Even though you are not a professional welder you had a go and you learned a lot and achieved something. I think you did a good job, certainly better than anything I could do. Can't wait for the next episode!
Use copper to make a backing tool so when you weld, it helps soak up the extra heat and also fill the hole, and stop wire coming out the back and a mess. if you have trouble filling a gap, hold a second piece of steel wire, over the gap as you weld over it all, or even twist up a couple of bits of wire to make up a bit more thickness.. also buy some wire brushes for angle grinder, so much better and won't overheat. A good simple tool for metal forming is a hessian sack filled with sand to hammer the sheet against, also buy more than one angle grinder keeping a different disc saves a massive amount of faff
Oh my god the influx of helpful information is too much!! Thank you dude. Such good advice. Ordering another grinder and some wire brushes! I've seen the hessian sack thing before I need get one of those also. Thank you again dude. Such help.
Really enjoying watching your process in learning to weld. I have an old Peugeot 405 that I need to restore and I will need to do some weld repairs. I have never welded before and seeing the result you get self taught gives me confidence that I should give it a go. Hate the idea of farming the work out as I want to learn. Keep going with the inspiring content.
Thank you James, this is great to hear and exactly what I want to achieve. I'm glad our enjoying the series so far and are thinking of getting the welder in hand. Good luck with it. There will be a lot from me in 2020 :)
The "gold bits" are actually brazen material, usually brass. It's what factories back in the day used to plug up or join seams together since the melting point of brass is much lower and doesn't distort the sheet metal near it.
You are way too hard on yourself my friend! I have been so impressed by your restoration skills since I subscribed to your videos. Your skills and attention to detail are truly amazing.
As others have said the gold colour is brazing- mainly brass. If you have to weld where there is this stuff, make sure to grind it all out first. If you electric weld through braze it kind of explodes and shower you with molten brass, found that out the hard way many years ago when arc welding.
I think the gold bits are brass brazing. Brazing is like soldering but for two metal parts instead of wires. It is done by heating two surfaces with a brazing torch and melting the brazing wire onto the parts joining it together. In the case of your car though I think it's to seal the seams to prevent water or debris from getting in.
It's refreshing to see someone who's not afraid to show that they're in the process of learning. There's no sugar-coating it - those welds are ugly as hell, haha... I have yet to take up any welding, but I definitely plan on it. All the other channels I'm subbed to make it look so damn easy, so thanks for a little healthy dose of reality! =) P.S. "The Boss" is one handsome boy =D
@@RestoreIt Haha, oops. Well, she's very cute then. =D Best of luck on this project and to whatever else makes its way into that absolutely glorious shop you've built! *envious*
Use cardboard or a sheet of paper with a dirty finger and put it in the hole where you're trying to fill, and then translate that paper onto the sheet of steel then you start cutting. That's because cutting paper is always easier than making different shapes with steel :) all the best with the project, love the progress and the voiceovers!
Gold bits are brazed joints that are used from factory to allow the body to flex, when fitting your replacement panels try leaving a gap the thickness of the mig wire you are using and this will allow the weld to penetrate better and you can grind the welds flush and leave a better finish.
I think that was not bad at all ! I remember the first time I tried welding on my E21, it was because there were holes around the trunk seal, and it was like doing this but 10 times smaller with flux core wire :) let's just say a lot a grinding and filler was nessary to make it look original. I look forward to seeing this monster on the road !
The rust coming through the primer that the blasters applied is because primer is porus. Agree with many others, make larger repair pieces. Also get yourself some heavy copper plate to put behind holes that you're trying to weld-fill. The weld wire won't stick to the copper. Good work and g'day from Australia. Cheers Andy.
Been watching your videos for a while now and love every single one! It's been fun seeing you refine and learn new skills. I can't weld but I think you've greatly improved!
hey. if I might suggest, before starting to cut, take a ruler and a marker, and mark your cutting lines. make then as straight as possible, and the same for the angles (90 degrees and 45 degrees) then cut along that with the grinder, it'll make it easier to match the patch afterwards. otherwise, cracking good work. you're pretty handy with that welder. nice work. I wish I was that good.
Please consider getting a face shield for grinding instead of glasses and a welders hat/bandana so you can work faster without having to worry about getting burned, also long sleeve button up shirt and gloves help. I was in your same position a year ago. I weld all the time now on my project and the right tools make it easier and safer.
Learning a lot with you man! Have a 325i Sport myself and it basically has the issues rust issues as yours. I'm about to buy a house with garage to have my own workshop so I can work on it soon. Keep it up!
Good video, showing troubles you can run into when starting body work which will her a lot of people have a better idea of tools and patience u need for projects like this. Only thing i can sugest from my experience is to first cut a patch, shape it on the body before you cut out the bad area. That way you will have the shape required for replacement and also its easier for cutting because u can trace it.
@@RestoreIt not necessary unless you're removing large sections at once, small patches as in this video don't need bracing. Only if you're cutting large sections of the floor or something out
I see you've gotten a bunch of interesting answers, but I must agree with Lucas Foster, the gold bits are seam sealant. My only advice has also already been mentioned, get used to doing welds that are longer than the spot weld method you're doing. Those are great for tacking something into place, but after it's in place just run a long bead, it's easier to make a whole weld that way, rather than having to fill in a bunch of gaps. Do make sure you are looking at the welder manual though, you don't want to run a long bead and have it blow through and have to redo a whole panel section. Anyway, nice job! Happy New Year! EDIt: I hadn't actually watched to the end when I made this comment, a lot of problems come from having the wrong gas. Now that you've got the good stuff you should be able to make better, longer welds that will save you time and effort. Good luck!
Thank you instruc. I appreciate this comment. Next video you will see me tack and then run some big beads. I need to run a bead over some of the bits I have already done I'm sure. Thanks man, a big help!
If that's your first go, you are doing bloody well! As others said, avoid galvanised, very toxic fumes and hard to weld and cut bigger patches that gets all the thin metal in one go. Also give forming larger patches a go, it is hard to form these complex shapes with basic tools, but worth the effort. Still, EPIC effort for your first repair and not an easy one to start with.
Restore It I’m enjoying watching it! I had a Tech 2 sport in Lachs silver about 12 years ago with a 2.7 engine (crank from a 525e). Probably my favourite car I’ve ever owned. Good luck man 😎🙏
Lots of people have said it but yeah they are brazed joints, also it may be more beneficial to remove a larger piece and replace then trying to patch 3-4 holes that are close to each other, be careful with galvanised steel when grinding and welding the fumes aren’t good for you, nothing wrong with the voice over it helps people understand what you’re doing, all the best keep up the great content
I would definitely say you would benefit from a pneumatic finger sander, I am restoring a Morris at the minute and getting one has definitely made sanding back welds so much easier. I would advise against cooling you weld with water, although you're not welding for structural integrity cooling welds quickly caused them to crack which will weaken them significantly. Keep up the great videos!
I'm coming into this late but I feel you did a great job. Once you saw it was a little much you slowed down and started small. Trust me some of us (me) need to remember that. Slow and easy wins the race. Cheers!
Hey, I like your channels and your work and watched all of your videos . I am currently restoring my E30 Convertible too. I am a little bit worried about the sandblasting. It surely is the best way to get rid of the rust completely, but afterwards you have all the Sand and dust in every (unreachable) corner of the car. Make Sure to get a good cavity protection after your work is done. When i sandblasted i only blasted small parts and tried to build a tent of foil around These areas, stopping The Sand to get into the cavities. I also tried to stop metal flakes/dust from speading by closing open holes of the bodywork before starting sanding and cutting. Best regards from germany and keep up the great work!
Thank you Husky! Some good points here. I plan to have the car dipped after I'm done with all of my welding. if I can't find a place to do that, I'm going to have it blasted again on the rotisserie and clean it out best I can then using air and flipping it upside down. I also want it painted in etch primer next time.
Been doing very similarly with my E36 with very similar results, so I'm very interested to see you continue! You're doing great so far! One tip I can give you is really do try to do patch panels in 1 go. It's much easier to hide that anything has ever been welded when it's just 1 patchpanels rather than 3 smaller ones like in 11:00. I'm sort of scared to tackle the next big weldjob on my car: the rear trailing arm mounts and chassislegs are rusty. I do have a very expensive OEM brand new panel to weld in, but I'm very scared to screw it up for 3 reasons: They're of course super structural pieces, the panel was very expensive and the trailing arms attach to the exact pieces I'm replacing, so if I screw up on lining up the new parts, the allignment on the car won't ever be right again... Sadly, I don't have the small grinder which I can tell helps a lot in tight spaces, and I don't have airtools either :/
Hi, try out ceramic flap disks for weld removal. 40 grit. I run a stainless steel fabrication business and moved away from the blue disks altogether. The ceramic disks have faster material removal and produce less heat which means your weld joint won't sink in when you sand it. You are less likely to grind through the material as a result. I get them for 2.50 euro plus vat here in ireland so they are priced similar to blue disks. Another thing, to press a sheet of steel flat onto another for tacking, like where you had to drill a hole and use a bolt, just tack a piece of flat material on the corner to the piece underneath and use it as a lever to press down the upper piece. You can break it off after and just sand the tack smooth. I hope that makes sense . Also,,be aware that tacking in a line will result in tacks pulling the joint closer together . If it's too tight it will cause it to warp .
![BMW E30 Dashboard [Restoration]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/s3EotMAZ-I0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for watching! And thank you to every single one of you who have left some advice in the comments. It really has been helpful. Next episode you should see some improvements. If you want more info, I have updated the video description with a little explanation of what I'm doing differently now and what I have planned to improve. Thanks again!
A few small things i learned while on internship at a welding... place:
Try to stay really close to the metal while welding so the feeding wire doesnt get too long and to get nicer welds, also keep one hand close to the tip of the welder for more precision (if u have good enough gloves your fingers shouldnt get too hot).
How long did it take you to patch those bits up in this episode?
Thank you Homeless_horse. I will keep this in mind when I'm welding next.
About four days.... haha. I was having a hard time at the beginning, all off camera.
Restore It Woah! Always takes longer than you think I guess
take your time, the education you get from this project is priceless
You're not wrong Ulf, thanks man.
I really like the way you show a couple of seconds of each process at normal speed, then speed it up.
Thanks Ambrose :D
Come on bro! I told you before, consider everything as a learning experience. Don't beat yourself up. The voice over is fine. Let's us know what and how you are doing. Keep up the good work and we'll be waiting on the updates.
Thank you Malcolm. You're the man, i really mean that.
"I'm still awful but I'm better than I was" You just summed up my entire life in one brief statement.
Hey, I hope things are going good for you. Seriously, keep pushing on. You deserve the best. It takes time. Best of luck my dude.
Looks like the sheet metal you’re using is galvanized. The fumes that gives off when welding on it are EXTREMELY toxic! I would recommend avoid using galvanized if possible, and at minimum remove the galvanization with the flap disk from the areas to be welded.
Otherwise, keep up the good work! It’s a great learning experience, and you’re getting along well!
Yeah he got galvanized sheet metal on accident.
I would say the gold bits are where "Brazing" has been used instead of traditional welding.
I think you're right MMbobby
They are brazing used as tin to make bodypanel joints easier to get shaped.
@@RestoreIt those square boxes that rot first are not jacking points! The body was held there by robots at the assembly line. If you jack the car there, the floor is going to bend!
@@kaaprolehtovaara2412 i thought they replaced leaded body seams to allow slight flex in the joints to deal with torsional load from suspension?
Brazing or on modern BMW's they use a very strong "glue" to hold different sections together. Welding steel to aluminium can be done but isn't easy so they took an alternative route instead.
Why poking around in the little things when you can immediately cut a large piece and weld a new one, and not make a patch on a patch
yeah, i don't get that either. would have been a lot quicker and a lot stronger.
He might be learning and getting used to welding stuff. but as a final piece of work it's terrible.
I suggest to practice cutting/welding on bare metal instead of chassis.
he literally said bare with him as he is still fairly new to it
This guy doing it good for what he knows, okey they are some more efficient ways to do it but even so it still a clean job ! If you do one piece and weld it sometimes it can bend one side of the car !
I literally did the same repairs on the driver’s side. It was like watching myself do the repairs I’ve been doing for some time now. I even have the same issue at the back panel above the tire, where it has formed a hole. Keep it up. Love to see these videos!
Small world Todor! Glad you enjoyed it, lots and lots to come.
This has been very interesting to watch. I don't know much about auto restoration, but your honest narration about honing your own talent makes this a compelling video.
My e30 chassis has been sitting for about 1½year now with the paint still on it. I actually build a pretty similar rotisserie without even looking at your desing. found a swedish company that made a really nice looking one and copied the crap out of it with a welder. I'm still renovating my house so the BMW will still wait for it's turn for few years before I get a new garage build to my site. Very motivating and inspiring video :) THANK YOU!
All the rust made this car even more a sport version. It is so much lighter!
Haha very true... Might fall apart but its all good :D
razgrak Roger Penske’s team used that concept in the 1960s on a racing Camaro; they dipped the thing in acid and let it eat away at all the smaller bits to save weight. Similar idea, just a lot faster lol
i always skip when youtubers talk about ads but your ad was great! glad you are back at this project
For cutting out rusted sheet metal I would recommend the Astro Pneumatic Tool 930 Air Body Sabre Saw. You may also want to use their pneumatic cut off tools. Air tools have much more power than electric Dremel tools, don’t get hot, and are small and nimble to get in tight spaces.
It's funny you should say this as I actually have an Astro tools cutting disc thing. I'll whip it out. Thanks for the advice Wayne!
I am a state inspection mechanic and want to say it would be a joy to inspect your car! I work in a region known as the "rust belt" and I cringe when a customer brings in an older car like yours. Usually it is horribly rusted with loose components and worn out parts but you have outstanding attention to detail and do the job right!
What you lack in experience - you more than make up for in common sense and enthusiasm - great job - thank you for sharing!
Your cat made my day honestly🤣
She's great really :D
@@RestoreIt I'm sure she'll 🐱 give you helpful hints 😉
Brilliant effort brother, I love the fact that you acknowledge your strength and weakness, nobody is born an expert, but through trial and error and welcoming people's advice you will no doubt become and expert with an awesome E30 to prove it.
I look forward to seeing these videos, I no longer have my E30's so I get to go down memory lane. Go hard mate!
Thank you Loui! What a lovely comment. I hope you're right in what you say :) Thanks for watching, loads to come in 2020! Thanks buddy.
Love your content and work ethic. You make it seem that a regular Joe can do what you do. What you do can't be done without tenacity and you definitely have that. Keep up the great work.
Big thank you Herman, your comment is greatly appreciated.
Absolutely amazing job! Im 15 and have started to restore old cars, and welding the old metal is no easy job. The only car i have restored back to working condition and made it pass MOT is a MK2 GOLF, that bugger has cost me almost 3000€ already.
Nice Nico! Good going for a 15 year old. I'm 26 and just starting to learn.
I am enjoying to watch this and learn since I am about to start restoration on a 1982 320i that has been torn apart and sitting in pieces for 10 years. I to am newer to the restoration side so I look forward to more videos.
I have seen plenty of welding videos and I think you are doing a splendid job. By the time you have finished this shell, you will be an expert. Congrats so far.
You’re trying pal and doing a decent job to boot so fair play to you for your hard work and enthusiasm. There are many your age would just be tossing it off and doing nothing constructive with their time so credit to you. Keep it up and I look forward to the finished results.
Thank you, Gary. Seriously appreciate this comment. I've recently gone through a lot of changes in my life and getting away from dossing around was one of them. Thanks bud.
Awesome video, as usual! Your vehicle restoration videos motivated me to go out and get my own project car and start putting up some of my own videos.
Thanks Cannon, good to hear! Good luck man :)
i can really appreciate how you take on projects like this without any prior expirence. welding is a difficult skill i myself have no expirence but i have been doing a lot of research on welding bec its something id like to start learning. i believe if you try to use larger repair panels with longer beads it will come out much cleaner but good work my friend. keep practicing. we all gotta start somewhere
I am also doing a complete restoration/build on an E30 chassis very similar to the one you are working on. Nice work, your honest approach is inspiring. Lots of great comments and suggestions here in the comments, and I'm sure you've come quite a ways by now, so my few suggestions may be out of date given the age of this video, but may be useful to others.
Making patch panels that fit exactly like you want them to can be tricky. I have found that a great way to match and transfer repair panels is to use a piece of thin box-board (the type cereal box is made of) larger than your opening, and then to force it up against your opening/rub along the edge of the opening through the box-board. This will leave a faint imprint on the boxboard, which will be exactly the size/shape of the opening you are repairing. Cut this out very carefully exactly on the line, and then use a metal scribe (a thick marker is far too thick and imprecise) to transfer that shape onto your sheet metal. Box board also has the ability to be flexible, so you can make the piece the size it needs to be even if it goes across a contour like yours in the footwell does. Once you get the knack for this, you can make a repair piece that fits exactly with an ideal gap in minutes. Grind to fit very delicately, you are shooting for the smallest gap in the panel that you can achieve. Bend your piece before you weld it so you don't distort the surrounding original sheet metal, and prep your welding edges with a flap wheel before you cut the piece out (if you grind around an opening you have cut out, you risk thinning the edge and making welding more difficult and producing a weaker end result). Keep the work piece cool to prevent distortion. You can do this by using a wet cloth, or better, throw some play-dough in the freezer (there are professional products that do the same thing for 10x the cost) and stick it to the panel you are welding (it will act as a heat sync and pull the hat from your sheet metal to keep it cool)--keeping your sheet metal cool is essential, since a distorted piece might force you to start over, and you'll be kicking yourself for rushing.
When welding, make sure you are using some weld through primer. Other commenters have noted that your welds looked cold. Indeed this was the case, but cranking up the voltage on your machine might not be the solution. Make sure you are using the right shielding gas and that your flow is adequate--not too high (C25 gas should work fine). An excellent ground connection to the chassis is often overlooked, and a common source of the uneven/inconsistent arc you were working against. Checking your ground should be #1 on your list when you encounter a weak arc like you had--make sure it is as close to the welding area as possible, ideally on the same contiguous sheet (not on a sheet spotwelded to the sheet you are welding on if you can avoid it). I'm sure you did some test welds on your sheet metal stock to set the machine's baseline feed/output and arrived at something close to ideal, so if you were having an inconsistent and sputtering arc when welding that to the chassis, check your ground. Make sure it is tight on bare, shiny metal. You can clamp a piece of braided copper ground strapping in between your work piece and the clamp to maximize surface area and increase the contact force.
A flap disc on a high powered corded angle grinder will make quicker work of knocking those welds flush without putting too much heat into the panel, and will be cleaner with must less dust than a stone grinding disc. You'll also get a much better finish with it.
Смотрю канал с самого начала. С нетерпением ждал новые серии, и смотрел их с наслаждением... до тех пор, пока он не начал делать "жестянку"... 😅 теперь смотрю с болью в сердце 😆
As a certified welder I can only say that your welding is better than most of the people I know when I first started. So Good job 👍🏻
Love the exterior shots!
Glad to hear Shooter!
That weld-through primer- you should paint the pieces you are going to overlap before you fit them. It will be almost impossible to get primer to penetrate between the pieces afterwards.
Good point Peter! Thankfully there is a gap underneath I'm yet to weld up. i will spray some in there.
This is what Iam scared of about my e30. It is rusty everywhere, so strip off, blasting, cutting, welding, painting. Expensive and hard job. Nice video!
Possibly the hardest job on the car. Very daunting but I must say very satisfying.
My first car was a 1990 BMW 325i back in 1999-2001. I regret ever selling it. I came across this channel and before playing the video instantly subscribed. I still dream about my first car to this day.
It’s cool to see how much you and your channel have grown since the beginning of this restoration. Doing things like this and learning new skills is such a great thing to do. Keep up the good work!
I like this audiovisual version - no reading required. :)
Good to hear Dagobert :)
Loving it, can’t wait for this project, I’m looking to start welding and this video taught me a few things, keep up the good work!
Thanks dude. Glad this has helped you!
This is fantastic dedication. I'm on almost exactly the same journey with my MX5 but I've tackled the bodywork before the mechanical bits. Keep up the great work!
I am very impressed by your hard word and humility. Great job young man!
I’ve helped my dad work on a ‘66 mustang and after we did a few spot welds we went back and did a few 1/2 inch (12mm) seam welds on most of the parts. Food for thought.
I can't wait for the part 2 !
It's really great to see your efforts to save this car where some would get rid of it. You're the man
You've done some great work this episode. Welding and metal work is no joke and you've taken on the task admirably well. Even if you're inexperienced, at least you have the mental fortitude to take on the task yourself and improve as you go along. The best projects teach you a lot of valuable skills, and this one is no different. I look forward to the next episode!
This project is beyond my understanding. So cool. Like how are you going to put that back together? For me it's enough to repair sills and fenders from rust. You got all my respect dude. Keep it up!
Haha me too! I'm just going at it head on. Facing whatever comes my way. it's extremely stressfull, don't worry I'm not getting off easy.
@@RestoreIt would you recommend this approach to me too?
MCGA, making chassis great again. Thats something i can get behind
Haha excellent!
You have everything Bro, ...
time, tools, expertise, place and money..all well...Nice work
Hi Mate. I know it is very difficult to Weld this 3D structures. Your Work hold for the next 10 Years. Thank you that you safe this iconic Car from the Scrapyard. Well Done
You see professionals do this kind of work and I think “No problem, I can do this...” after watching your challenge I have second thoughts :) Well done for doing this! Good job for your experience!
Hi mate good video I work at a engineering company that welding is OK don't forget you are no pro better then mine keep up the good work 😃👍
Love watching your work. Don't listen to the haters....we all have to learn. We can't all be experts at everything. At least you are not sitting on a couch playing video games all day. Stay strong and keep up the good work. I Cannot wait to see you driving a car you restored by yourself. From a viewer in South Africa.
Even though you are not a professional welder you had a go and you learned a lot and achieved something. I think you did a good job, certainly better than anything I could do. Can't wait for the next episode!
Use copper to make a backing tool so when you weld, it helps soak up the extra heat and also fill the hole, and stop wire coming out the back and a mess. if you have trouble filling a gap, hold a second piece of steel wire, over the gap as you weld over it all, or even twist up a couple of bits of wire to make up a bit more thickness.. also buy some wire brushes for angle grinder, so much better and won't overheat. A good simple tool for metal forming is a hessian sack filled with sand to hammer the sheet against, also buy more than one angle grinder keeping a different disc saves a massive amount of faff
Oh my god the influx of helpful information is too much!! Thank you dude. Such good advice. Ordering another grinder and some wire brushes! I've seen the hessian sack thing before I need get one of those also. Thank you again dude. Such help.
Really enjoying watching your process in learning to weld. I have an old Peugeot 405 that I need to restore and I will need to do some weld repairs. I have never welded before and seeing the result you get self taught gives me confidence that I should give it a go. Hate the idea of farming the work out as I want to learn. Keep going with the inspiring content.
Thank you James, this is great to hear and exactly what I want to achieve. I'm glad our enjoying the series so far and are thinking of getting the welder in hand. Good luck with it. There will be a lot from me in 2020 :)
The gold bits look like brazing joins
Thank you Raviraivat!
this, if you have good mig machine you can also do it, just need bronze wire. pretty common in car restoration.
The "gold bits" are actually brazen material, usually brass. It's what factories back in the day used to plug up or join seams together since the melting point of brass is much lower and doesn't distort the sheet metal near it.
Well done bro , I'm doing the same on an E30 here in South Africa ! It's fulfilling !
Amazing work, I always found the best way to learn is just by trying and figuring it out. Great you're getting lots of help here too.
You are way too hard on yourself my friend! I have been so impressed by your restoration skills since I subscribed to your videos. Your skills and attention to detail are truly amazing.
As others have said the gold colour is brazing- mainly brass. If you have to weld where there is this stuff, make sure to grind it all out first. If you electric weld through braze it kind of explodes and shower you with molten brass, found that out the hard way many years ago when arc welding.
Oh damn. Thanks for telling me this Nigel. You may have just saved my life :D
I think the gold bits are brass brazing. Brazing is like soldering but for two metal parts instead of wires. It is done by heating two surfaces with a brazing torch and melting the brazing wire onto the parts joining it together. In the case of your car though I think it's to seal the seams to prevent water or debris from getting in.
Perfect hangover day video
I thought so keith! :D
It's refreshing to see someone who's not afraid to show that they're in the process of learning. There's no sugar-coating it - those welds are ugly as hell, haha... I have yet to take up any welding, but I definitely plan on it. All the other channels I'm subbed to make it look so damn easy, so thanks for a little healthy dose of reality! =) P.S. "The Boss" is one handsome boy =D
Thanks John! That's what I here for, The harsh truth of reality! haha. Thanks for watching :D The boss is actually a girl at this place :D
@@RestoreIt Haha, oops. Well, she's very cute then. =D Best of luck on this project and to whatever else makes its way into that absolutely glorious shop you've built! *envious*
Use cardboard or a sheet of paper with a dirty finger and put it in the hole where you're trying to fill, and then translate that paper onto the sheet of steel then you start cutting. That's because cutting paper is always easier than making different shapes with steel :) all the best with the project, love the progress and the voiceovers!
Gold bits are brazed joints that are used from factory to allow the body to flex, when fitting your replacement panels try leaving a gap the thickness of the mig wire you are using and this will allow the weld to penetrate better and you can grind the welds flush and leave a better finish.
I think that was not bad at all ! I remember the first time I tried welding on my E21, it was because there were holes around the trunk seal, and it was like doing this but 10 times smaller with flux core wire :) let's just say a lot a grinding and filler was nessary to make it look original. I look forward to seeing this monster on the road !
Haha well this makes me feel a little better thanks Eliaz! I can't wait until she done... but I guess I'll have to. I'm only a single man.
I’ve been looking forward to this rebuild!
The rust coming through the primer that the blasters applied is because primer is porus. Agree with many others, make larger repair pieces. Also get yourself some heavy copper plate to put behind holes that you're trying to weld-fill. The weld wire won't stick to the copper. Good work and g'day from Australia. Cheers Andy.
Been watching your videos for a while now and love every single one! It's been fun seeing you refine and learn new skills. I can't weld but I think you've greatly improved!
I have been waiting this car video for so long
hey. if I might suggest, before starting to cut, take a ruler and a marker, and mark your cutting lines. make then as straight as possible, and the same for the angles (90 degrees and 45 degrees) then cut along that with the grinder, it'll make it easier to match the patch afterwards.
otherwise, cracking good work. you're pretty handy with that welder. nice work. I wish I was that good.
Please consider getting a face shield for grinding instead of glasses and a welders hat/bandana so you can work faster without having to worry about getting burned, also long sleeve button up shirt and gloves help. I was in your same position a year ago. I weld all the time now on my project and the right tools make it easier and safer.
Learning a lot with you man! Have a 325i Sport myself and it basically has the issues rust issues as yours. I'm about to buy a house with garage to have my own workshop so I can work on it soon. Keep it up!
Good video, showing troubles you can run into when starting body work which will her a lot of people have a better idea of tools and patience u need for projects like this.
Only thing i can sugest from my experience is to first cut a patch, shape it on the body before you cut out the bad area.
That way you will have the shape required for replacement and also its easier for cutting because u can trace it.
just found out ur channel yesterday and already watching half of ur videos, keep it up man, cant wait to see this beauty on the road..
Working on the main structure it's always a good idea to brace. I'm also building cars but I'm also learning as I go. I've mastered spray painting lol
You're not wrong Ace, I think I'll by some bar and weld some in. Thanks man.
Keep it up.. I love watching your videos
@@RestoreIt not necessary unless you're removing large sections at once, small patches as in this video don't need bracing. Only if you're cutting large sections of the floor or something out
Getting better! Keep at it, it will all be worth it.
I love black cats! More cameos please.
Top work mate! And respect for sharing your welding learning journey!
Thanks CookRacing! The pain and suffering is all mine :D
I see you've gotten a bunch of interesting answers, but I must agree with Lucas Foster, the gold bits are seam sealant. My only advice has also already been mentioned, get used to doing welds that are longer than the spot weld method you're doing. Those are great for tacking something into place, but after it's in place just run a long bead, it's easier to make a whole weld that way, rather than having to fill in a bunch of gaps. Do make sure you are looking at the welder manual though, you don't want to run a long bead and have it blow through and have to redo a whole panel section. Anyway, nice job! Happy New Year!
EDIt: I hadn't actually watched to the end when I made this comment, a lot of problems come from having the wrong gas. Now that you've got the good stuff you should be able to make better, longer welds that will save you time and effort. Good luck!
Thank you instruc. I appreciate this comment. Next video you will see me tack and then run some big beads. I need to run a bead over some of the bits I have already done I'm sure. Thanks man, a big help!
@@RestoreIt Love watching, it's fun seeing people make progress at a craft.
If that's your first go, you are doing bloody well! As others said, avoid galvanised, very toxic fumes and hard to weld and cut bigger patches that gets all the thin metal in one go. Also give forming larger patches a go, it is hard to form these complex shapes with basic tools, but worth the effort. Still, EPIC effort for your first repair and not an easy one to start with.
Awesome welding! I soon have to start welding my 1997 VW Golf 3 Wagon
Thanks Tacoman! Good luck on it man :)
Thank you!
Fair play man, that’s a lot of work right there. Tech 1’s are hard to come by now.
Thanks Josh. They are indeed, which is why I need to save this one :D
Restore It I’m enjoying watching it! I had a Tech 2 sport in Lachs silver about 12 years ago with a 2.7 engine (crank from a 525e). Probably my favourite car I’ve ever owned. Good luck man 😎🙏
You are very patient man. Nice video.
It would seem that way wouldn't it. I edit out all of the swearing trust me :D
i wish you my best...rebuilding such a beautiful car is just awesome! take your time!
Thank you Sterine!
Looks very functional. Nice work.
Thank you Trent!
Lots of people have said it but yeah they are brazed joints, also it may be more beneficial to remove a larger piece and replace then trying to patch 3-4 holes that are close to each other, be careful with galvanised steel when grinding and welding the fumes aren’t good for you, nothing wrong with the voice over it helps people understand what you’re doing, all the best keep up the great content
I would definitely say you would benefit from a pneumatic finger sander, I am restoring a Morris at the minute and getting one has definitely made sanding back welds so much easier. I would advise against cooling you weld with water, although you're not welding for structural integrity cooling welds quickly caused them to crack which will weaken them significantly. Keep up the great videos!
Not bad for a beginner! Looks very good! 😁
Thanks DJ Wallick!
Oh man incredible work.
I can't shut my eyes a second
Thank you a ton
Thank you Naser! Loads more to come. I don't plan on stopping any time soon.
@@RestoreIt
Just can't wait
Those gold bits look like silicon bronze welding, a process we use occasionally in the industry
I think you are right Michael :D
I'm coming into this late but I feel you did a great job. Once you saw it was a little much you slowed down and started small. Trust me some of us (me) need to remember that. Slow and easy wins the race. Cheers!
The gold bits are MIG Bracing :)
They are made for areas that have ''flex'' in it, where a regular MIG weld would crack.
The gold bits are brass, those seams appear to be gas welded with brazing rod. They do the same thing on the sail panel seam on a Bentely.
Thanks DJ!
great patience and commitment
Great work man ! Every step is another way to gain experience. Love the work you put in your E30. Keep going !
Finally.Been waiting this video for too long🤣🤣
I know tell me about it Zarko, I got sick. I'm back now :D
I like all of your content but this welding rust repair body work on the e30 is my fav!! I need to see you make some brackets 😉
Really enjoying the videos, keep up the good work! Can't wait to see the rest of the series.
Hey, I like your channels and your work and watched all of your videos . I am currently restoring my E30 Convertible too.
I am a little bit worried about the sandblasting. It surely is the best way to get rid of the rust completely, but afterwards you have all the Sand and dust in every (unreachable) corner of the car. Make Sure to get a good cavity protection after your work is done. When i sandblasted i only blasted small parts and tried to build a tent of foil around These areas, stopping The Sand to get into the cavities. I also tried to stop metal flakes/dust from speading by closing open holes of the bodywork before starting sanding and cutting.
Best regards from germany and keep up the great work!
Thank you Husky! Some good points here. I plan to have the car dipped after I'm done with all of my welding. if I can't find a place to do that, I'm going to have it blasted again on the rotisserie and clean it out best I can then using air and flipping it upside down. I also want it painted in etch primer next time.
great job ! it looks a darn sight better than it did , keep up the good work !
Great work mate. Your welding skills are coming along quite well.
Thanks dude.
Been doing very similarly with my E36 with very similar results, so I'm very interested to see you continue! You're doing great so far! One tip I can give you is really do try to do patch panels in 1 go. It's much easier to hide that anything has ever been welded when it's just 1 patchpanels rather than 3 smaller ones like in 11:00.
I'm sort of scared to tackle the next big weldjob on my car: the rear trailing arm mounts and chassislegs are rusty. I do have a very expensive OEM brand new panel to weld in, but I'm very scared to screw it up for 3 reasons: They're of course super structural pieces, the panel was very expensive and the trailing arms attach to the exact pieces I'm replacing, so if I screw up on lining up the new parts, the allignment on the car won't ever be right again... Sadly, I don't have the small grinder which I can tell helps a lot in tight spaces, and I don't have airtools either :/
Hi, try out ceramic flap disks for weld removal. 40 grit. I run a stainless steel fabrication business and moved away from the blue disks altogether. The ceramic disks have faster material removal and produce less heat which means your weld joint won't sink in when you sand it. You are less likely to grind through the material as a result. I get them for 2.50 euro plus vat here in ireland so they are priced similar to blue disks. Another thing, to press a sheet of steel flat onto another for tacking, like where you had to drill a hole and use a bolt, just tack a piece of flat material on the corner to the piece underneath and use it as a lever to press down the upper piece. You can break it off after and just sand the tack smooth. I hope that makes sense . Also,,be aware that tacking in a line will result in tacks pulling the joint closer together . If it's too tight it will cause it to warp .
Respekt dass du dich an so eine schwere Aufgabe rann wagst 👍👍
Thanks bro! It was a bit scary I must say.