As a welding student, I was given projects for commercial and private needs in exchange for the experience. One of the tasks I was given was when a person brought their car to our shop for some minor repairs to the frame. I got another person to help me out and we jacked up the car, grabbed the extension cord, angle grinder, and some 6013 welding rods and then we turned on the machine and were ready to go.
First, I crawled up under the car with the grinder and started grinding away at the rust and pores in the steel. When that was done, I handed the grinder to my partner who then handed me a steel wire brush to clear away the dust. I handed the brush back and then he placed an electrode in the stinger – the clamp that sends an electrical current into the electrode – and handed that to me. I made the welds that were needed and then handed the stinger back to my partner in exchange for my chipping hammer. I chipped away the slag and then exchanged the hammer for the wire brush and brushed off the welded area. I handed the brush back to my partner and got the grinder to make the welds flush – level – with the base metal. I got the brush again, cleared the dust, and inspected the work. When I finished, I got the car’s owner to take a look at it for final approval and he was pleased. I lowered the car while my partner was putting things away and as he was getting in his car, he thanked us, closed the door and drove off.
Some advice I would like to offer if you do automotive welding is that you should always be careful near areas such as the gas tank. One thing you could do is drape a welding blanket over it. This is made of fiber glass and will keep the sparks from hitting the tank directly. Also, make sure you have at least one other person with you at all times in case something goes wrong.
I hope you find this to be both helpful and entertaining. Thanks for reading.