drilling out sheet metal spot welds ?

[beaulieu]

what have you used ?

Beaulieu

 

[GregW]

I usually have used a drill bit and chisel, but I wasn't trying to save the rusty parts I was removing. I haven't used a spot-weld bit, but here's one from Eastwood .

 

[Guest]

SWCK4548 spot weld drill bit kit from MAC TOOLS is about 118.00 US... A bit pricey, but does such a precise cut so as not to butcher a classic body.

 

[PAUL161]

I use these. Harbor Freight. 10 bucks on sale. Mutable uses. Very good quality. They will last quite a while. Mig the holes in and grind off excess.

 

[Popeye]

Two ideas

1. Harbor freight bits are a bit cheaper (~$7 ??) than the Eastwood or Mac bits - but they cut a circle around the spot weld. The parts can be separated but the spot needs to be ground off.

2. Classic Motorsports in their last issue mentioned simply grinding down the top layer of metal, then using a sharp body chisel to separate the panels. This may be easier with a pneumatic chisel.

I use #1, but will try #2 next time around... and looking at the HF web site, a pneumatic hammer with chisels is $20. Gotta love/hate cheap tools... I buy the cheapo and try it, if I like it, I upgrade to a nice IR tool ($$).

 

[beaulieu]

anyone use a carbide grinder bit like you would use porting heads ?

maybe a 1/4 inch one with a flat end and just grind the spotweld off,

Beaulieu

 

[equiprx]

I just got my Harbor Freight pneumatic spot weld drill and am very happy. Turns out I don't need it for the job I was going to do but the price was right and I will use it just to dismantle my donor car.

 

[beaulieu]

I just got my Harbor Freight pneumatic spot weld drill and am very happy. Turns out I don't need it for the job I was going to do but the price was right and I will use it just to dismantle my donor car.

do you have the part number ?

thanks

Beaulieu

 

[mccalebr]

I grind the weld, grinding into the piece I want to replace, then use a cheapo air chisel to pop/cut the weld away from the piece I intend to keep. You can sharpen the chisel so that one side is completely flat and the other has the bevel cut...not equal bevels like an axe, but one bevel like a wood chisel...you then use the flat side flat down against the piece you are keeping.

Ray

 

[Popeye]

anyone use a carbide grinder bit like you would use porting heads ?

maybe a 1/4 inch one with a flat end and just grind the spotweld off,

Beaulieu

I've used my dremel... not quite a 1/4 carbide bit, but similear in principle.

Do not like it. I get covered in little metal shavings (ouch!), and it makes lots of noise, vibrates like crazy, and takes a long time.

 

[equiprx]

I just got my Harbor Freight pneumatic spot weld drill and am very happy. Turns out I don't need it for the job I was going to do but the price was right and I will use it just to dismantle my donor car.

do you have the part number ?

thanks

Beaulieu

It's a Central Pneumatic #96314.

 

[beaulieu]

I just got my Harbor Freight pneumatic spot weld drill and am very happy. Turns out I don't need it for the job I was going to do but the price was right and I will use it just to dismantle my donor car.

do you have the part number ?

thanks

Beaulieu

It's a Central Pneumatic #96314.

Wow something new , my friend had one of the original Spotlee ones , its a perfect thing for Harbor Freight to copy,

the problem we had with the original one was getting around the backside to clamp it , the "C" part needs a longer leg

Beaulieu