welding question

T

tx yote slayer

New member
i have a front end replacment on my truck and am wanting to weld some light brackets on it.
my question is the bumper is powder coated so will i have to grind off the powder coat to get good contact or can i just weld diretly on the coating
thanks
 
No matter what welding process you use, the heat is going to ruin the finish anyway. If you intend to use MIG or TIG you will want the metal as clean as possible before getting started. Sometimes Stick welding will gain arc through light coats of paint, but as I said... It will ruin your finish anyway... Grind away. Welding and grinding go hand in hand. If you have anymore welding questions or need more specifics let me know

Eric
 
Hi TX YOTE SLAYER:

If you were to Drill it and bolt-it w/Lock-nuts, you would not have to ruin the Power-coat Job........unless theres no other way to do it.........

Just in case you want to sell your truck later and the buyer of it may not want welded brackets........you could put in pop caps to cover the holes if needed.......

Just a Thought.......

Have a Great day.........Rick
 
I would try what Rick said first, if drilling is possiable, if not you will have to grind the area to get suffeciant penatration.
 
if you do decide to drill, put masking tape over where you want to drill, this keeps the paint, chrome, etc. from chipping as you drill thru
 
If you choose to weld rather than bolt, which is what I would recommend, the only thing that will penetrate the powder coat would be stick. Something like 6011 or P5, which will not give you your best looking welds. A wire drive would give you good results but you would have too remove any finish at your weld points and then touch up the powder coat which can be a pain in itself. Try bolting first, I think you'll be happier in the end.
 
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