MIG Welding Metal Prep
Often overlooked, welding metal prep is key to achieving good-looking and strong welds with proper penetration. Metal fabricator Gary Simpson explains the importance of properly cleaning metal and demonstrates how to remove mill scale to create stronger welds.
What about respiratory protection? Just as important as eye protection. Also run grinder oriented going off edge of metal. His method of going onto the edge can catch and damage the disk. You need to realize some people watching these videos need all instructions to be correct not just vague recommendations.
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Do you have a prt number & where you purchased the rust buster wheel on the grinder in the video?.
Michael,
These abrasive wheels are great! They do an awesome job of removing paint and rust without grinding away the base metal.
They are sold under several brands, but our favorites are the 3M and Norton brands.
Here’s a couple links:
https://www.amazon.com/Norton-05466-4-Inch-1-Inch-Attachment/dp/B000BQPUXU
https://www.amazon.com/3M-9099DCNA-Large-Paint-Stripper/dp/B00004Z4DV
https://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Rust-Stripper-Brush/dp/B000BQT4UK
-Mark
Classic Car Restoration Club
Please leave a product number of tools used on clips. Where to get RustBuster and product number used in this clip? I hate mill scale removal!
Thad,
These abrasive wheels are great! They do an awesome job of removing paint and rust without grinding away the base metal.
They are sold under several brands, but our favorites are the 3M and Norton brands.
Here’s a couple links:
https://www.amazon.com/Norton-05466-4-Inch-1-Inch-Attachment/dp/B000BQPUXU
https://www.amazon.com/3M-9099DCNA-Large-Paint-Stripper/dp/B00004Z4DV
https://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Rust-Stripper-Brush/dp/B000BQT4UK
-Mark
Classic Car Restoration Club
In terms of surface preparation for welding, does sandblasting adequately prepare the metal to weld? I know that “metal in white”, freshly blasted metal, is usually ready for priming and painting, but should I grind the welding surfaces after pieces come out of my blast cabinet? Thanks, Tim
Hi Tim,
After blasting we prefer to condition metal before priming, painting or even welding.
Typically we do this with a “surface conditioning disc” (there are several types available from 3M and others)
Or one of my favorites is the paint and rust removal discs, they are available from 3M, Norton, and others and work well, and available at most home improvement and auto parts stores.
We find conditioning the metal before welding gives us better weld control, as the arc can sometime wander a bit of a freshly blasted “Toothy” surface.
For painting conditioning the surface eliminates any micro particles of blasting media in the toothy surface, and gives you a smooth surface to start from.
The only time we apply finish directly to blasted material is when powder coating as the toothy surface does a better job of hanging onto the powder until it is baked.
Wrench Safe,
Mark
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