What welds to practice for bagging?

[94tx]

I'm taking a few welding classes this semester and plan on bagging my '65 C10 over the summer. I hope to buy a decent MIG welder with my rebate check. I'm thinking about trying to keep the trailing arms so I wont have to pay for a 4 link. What kind of welds should I be practicing for the notches/z'ing the rear frame?

[Rokcrln]

What I suggest is you take the class and master everything they have you do. Most classes are designed to give you a good working knowledge of what to look for in a good weld and how to do all your basic welds. So if you master what they teach you you will be well on your way to be able to start doing anything you want.

Kevin
LFD Inc.

[willyCJ]

I learned how to weld by doing my Jeep. I think the key is learning how much heat you can pump into a piece. For example, you can't weld sheet metal and 1/4" plate the same way. So I would recommend getting as much experience on 1/8" to 1/4" material as possible.

Also, if you don't pull everything off the truck, you'll get some really weird angles to work at. Welding benchtop is nice because you can see/reach everything, but there are some spots you just can't reach or see well when doing auto stuff. The only way to learn is by experience here, but it isn't much fun to practice. There is a reason guys get certified to do inverted MIG.

[RunninLo]

most will be vertical plane 90 degree for your gussets. Unless you plan on being able to flip the frame over you'll need to get good at welding overhead for tieing your notch's into the bottom of the frame.
I agree on the practice and classes. A small peek into my life... I bag'd and trad style BD my old Toyota hilux about 15 years ago. It turned out fine in fact better than a lot of stuff I've seen over the years but I didn't know without a doubt that it was 100% ya know? To get to the point I scrapped the truck and went to college to earn my welding degree. I know that my welds have passed x-ray certifications and that has allowed me to sleep at night knowing that friends and family are safe in a vehicle that I have welded on. It's a bit over the top i know but better to suffer ocd over a weld than know you may have caused an accident. Besides knowledge is power and I may not work as a welder full-time now I have never been without work since learning and a decent trade is good insurance in this economy.

Josh

[six5]

94tx there are several things that need to take place at the same time to make solid welds. Proper technique, correct machine settings for the material you are welding and material prep. You should be able to weld in all positions, including vertical up and overhead. You can see some of my welds in my build section in my sig. If you need any help PM me...... Welding is not the hardest thing you will do in your lifetime......

[94tx]

Thanks for the advice so far, I've become very comfortable with fillet welds in everything but overhead, need a little more practice on that. The main thing that I'm wondering is what kind of welds are holding the step notches together that are 8 pieces to a notch. Would the plates be set up to more of a outside corner weld, or does everything sit flush with each other more like a butt joint?

[six5]

94 I would use 2 x 3 tubing for your notches. Much stronger than the 8 piece notches and you can make your own for around $60.00 including the gusset material.