Newbie welder

[Surfmichaels]

I think it's obvious I'm not the right person to suggest anything, but I like that line of thinking..

[dutch]

I think you`re creating a dangerous set up for no reason   

[soundcontrol]

I think you`re creating a dangerous set up for no reason   

Your'e probably right, maybe its overkill and I'll en up with my head crushed. But, in theory, will it work? Do I have to weld it all while the car is on it's suspension or can I spot weld on the suspension and then try to get the car up higher to complete?  Just to avoid lying on my back welding upwards...

[dutch]

I guess when you tack weld about every 2"at very least,  you will be fine, but welding upsidedown is not harder then down from say a 45 degree angle.  All I can say is practice!  Experiment with settings and torch angle.  Try a 60to70 degree angle from the floorpanel and drag it.
It will take more than a few days experience to make long quality welds on thin material like that.  I would set the welder at about 150/ 160 amps for an inside 90 degree angle and maybe 120 amps for an outside 90 dergree angle, and you also need to reduce wire feed when dragging the torch ,instead of pushing. Then stack small 1 second welds with a 1/2 second interval, so you will keep the heat in but won`t burn through.
Once you`ve got the rythm you will get a good looking weld.
CLEAN THE METAL!

[soundcontrol]

Thanks for the advise! I will practice a lot and if my practice welds are no good I will let a friend (welder) do it. Just got the message that my US Car Tool reinforcement kit is delayed, (not by US Car Tool though) it's in a container shipping cars on its way to Sweden, will be here in about a month now. I will get the welder this weekend so I have time to practice. To complicate things even more, its a TIG.

[dutch]

its a TIG.

that`s a different game....I thought we were talking mig here.

just practice and keep stuff clean. You`ll be fine 

[jimynick]

To grossly simplify, a TIG is an electric torch. You use a tungsten electrode to strike an arc that you feed a filler rod into. The power is variable, usually by a foot pedal and you DON'T want to touch the electrode into the puddle. The trick is to strike the arc, melt the material without blowing through AND feed the filler rod in while moving the whole circus along the work seam. Easy, eh? Like Dutch says, practice and weld cleanliness are your friends. If you get good at it, you can do some amazing welding with a TIG. 

[Surfmichaels]

Had a friend who has a welding cert look at the car... His comment was that he'll let me weld farm equipment all day long , and that the connection strength looks fine. His opinion was that the ugliness was due to the fact that I had very inconsistent gaps throughout connector so I never got a rhythm and don't have the experience to overcome that. So if you don't spend the hours to get the gaps dead on practice a lot more on growing and shrinking  angled gaps, overhead, with 2 very different size metals..... .

Edit: added picture of successful beads that convinced me I was ready to go, these where done overhead also.... The reasons above are why I believe I had ugly(ish) results and what I should have practiced for better results

[dutch]

looking good   

[Surfmichaels]

Ok took all the advice here and I think the 2nd connector turned out better (not totally finished yet), this was stacked tack welds and a lot more patience. I think what made the biggest difference is not welding for more than 2-3 secs at a time, then waiting for the puddle to cool, repeat another couple of times and then move onto another area...

[A110235]

As a word of advice, if you are laying on your side and welding make sure you put in some ear plugs.  While laying on my side in my trunk I had a welding spark bounce behind my hood and land in my ear.  I don't know how I am not deaf!   

Kyle

[dutch]

   ya,  you can really feel them roll down, and hear how hair is removed...   

By the looks of the welds I would try to throw in a bit more amps, and a tad less wire.   

[soundcontrol]

Got my US Cartool connectors last week, testfitted them today, gonna be a lot of grinding, been welding some TIG and its great when I have a clean piece to weld on in a good position, but to fill in big gaps welding upside down is gonna be tough I think, have not tested welding that way yet. Surfmichaels, what did you do with the parking brake wire? Seems like the best way for me is to make a cut in the connector, or maybe weld in a tube for it... 
Isn't there a better solution for the parking brake than having a bare wire in direct contact with the floor pan?

[Surfmichaels]

I didn't do anything for the parking brake because I am going to install a center pull brake instead of the floor foot brake...  Double props for the earplug suggestion, I got burnt in my ear twice before I figured out I needed better protection...

[soundcontrol]

OK, I see. Think I'm gonna weld in a tube for the wire then. Good tip, I'll use earprotection, I need my ears for work (sound engineer)