How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Jordan Baker]

More disassembly. Pulled off the cab frame work. I also bought a mig welder last week and have begun to try it out. Currently Im just using the fluxcore wire that it came with. I did some welding up of some rust holes in the pedal plate and added the reinforcing strip along the back of it. Now I can't wait to weld more things.

[rob love]

Personally I use the mig with the gas myself. I think it's a cleaner weld. But the welders I worked with in Kandahar told me they actually prefer to use both at the same time: flux with the inert gas.

One thing to watch out for is the polarity of the gun. If you change to inert gas, or go back to flux wire, you have to reverse the polarity just inside the welder where the cable attaches. Otherwise you will pull your hair out trying to get decent welds. Please don't ask me how I know this but suffice to say it's a lesson I have learned twice.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Jordan

Once you have tried gas you may never go back. It makes you a better welder.... at least the welds will look better.....cleaner...less grinding.

Also try the "non stick" spray when you are welding a piece that will remain visible..... it keeps the little balls of slags from sticking to your work and speeds up the cleaning job.

Remember to start on a clean piec of steel... or clean it with a flap wheel....MIG is not good at welding on rusted metal.

The more you weld the better you will get.

For tight precision work.... use an automatic shading head piece. I also use a couple of 500 watts lights on a tripod to illuminate the work so it can be seen clearly for the start of your weld. To keep the ceiling lights from reflecting off the inside of your helmet I have pop rivetted a piece of leather about 12 in.x 12 to the upper baqck rim of the mask and it creates a shadow. That by itself allows me to start a clean bead or stiching exactly on the spot needed...... improves my delicate work tremendously. Nest try to simulate spot welding...real easy...... predrill the top piece....sandwich the two metal and weld inside the hole..... by playing with the heat setting and wire speed ( on practice pieces) you can almost eliminate any grinding.

Just watch your hydro bill go up...

Cheers

[Gordon Yeo]

Bob

It's only us old guys that can't see any more and need all the back lighting. Jordan is still a kiddy by comparison, he won't have that problem.

Jordan

Bob has sage advice on the auto darkening helmet. They are really great and might be a help with the new learning curve.

Gord

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks for all the tips/advice on the welding. Im just so happy that I can now do more of this stuff on my own without having to send it out.

Anyway got the engine pulled out along with more parts off of the frame. Im trying to get it down to a bare frame and other large components. The feed mill on the other side of town has offered to sandblast all the big stuff for me.

[Jordan Baker]

Frame all ready for sandblasting. Por15 paint ordered. Hopefully I will get the frame back this week and it will be painted.

Here are a couple of pictures of the frame being pulled out of the shop and then waiting on the driveway for pickup.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Jordan

What ever you do DO NOT use Por 15 on clean smooth steel it will not stick in the long run, it will peal.

Reason I mention this is that your photos show major areas of the frame that look to have good paint which will mean areas of smooth steel.

When I restored my Pattern 12 some years ago I used Por 15 with their metal cleaner and metal etch. Everything is fine on rusted areas or areas which were uniformly roughened with sand blasting or grinding which Por 15 was applied.

But on areas that were smooth because of being new steel or areas where the paint had protected the steel. The Por 15 has pealed off. I discovered this recently when working on the Pattern 12 doing it's nose change. Now I have areas where the bare steel is exposed. In some areas this is nothing to repair in other it is going to be a real pain.

Yes I am still using Por 15 on projects but only in locations that when cleaned and ready for paint actually feel rough to the touch. Which really leaves a problem on finished surfaces like sheet metal, who do you blend areas from Por 15 to regular primer or PORs Tie Coat Primer.

Cheers Phil

[JoãoBoscoBarbosa]

Hi Jordan, good morning.

In the moment, I restauration the C-15A and I need a information about the about cab sliding rear windows steel, can you help me?

I need a dimension, new pictures and other information for construction the parts in my truck, because my truck not have this part, see the pictures.

Very good your work.