[Alwhite00]

3" cutoff wheel is all I ever use.

LK

 

[MARTINSR]

On early cars where the welds are usually kinda sloppy and irregular a cut off wheel works great. But if they are nice and round like on a late model car, the spot weld drill is the way for me. And in my dent fix spot weld remover.

Brian

 

[Randy Mosier]

Sometimes you have to use more than one method. Grinding the spotwelds down with a die grinder works great in areas that are wide open with easy access. But in areas that are difficult to reach, a spotweld cutter or rotabroach or spotface drill is the only to cut them out.

Learn more than one method. Use the method that works best in the area you're working in.

 

[rubadub]

Andy mentioned early on this thread about using a dremel tool, this is a good way to understand what you are doing when you're removing a spot weld.

With the dremel it might be a little slower, but you have a better look at it, when you see the metal turning blue, its thin enough, to chisel it out.

Also with the dremel you won't be grinding a lot of metal out below the spot weld that you will need to have when you reweld the new panel down.

I use a couple of different spotweld cutters and cut off wheel and also a carbide burr, but I'm using the dremel more then ever, I like keeping that metal under the spot weld as thick as possible, very good input Andy.:thumbsup:

Rob

 

[MARTINSR]

That is absolutely true Randy.

I'll use many different methods on one panel. But I have found that I can cut away the panel using the air chisel and get 95% of the welds or better using my spot weld driller. But of course, if I didn't have the spot weld driller I would have to figure out what tool to use. The cut off wheel on a die grinder is pretty hard to beat, IF you are throwing away the piece you are cutting off. Sometimes you are reusing that piece but only removing it to get to another a layer lower or something like that. OR you have to remove a spot weld from the good piece to remove a bad piece, sometimes you have to do that.

It really comes down to what Randy said, you need to learn a number of different ways and use what the particular weld needs.

Brian

 

[SS454MIKE]

The trunk pan in the 70SS I just bought is rusted out (surprise!). I took a cut off wheel and cut out all the sections except those over the support members that hold up the pan. What is the best way to now cut the old pan away form these supports? A pneumatic chisel? Should I try to grind out the spot rivits first (assuming there are spot rivits)? The supports are in good shape. I have the replacement pan panels.
Thanks for any help.
Mike

I finally got busy on the trunk pan on this '70. I did as you folks recommended and used a cut off wheel to grind down the spot welds. The spot welds are easier to see from underneath. After working on one trunk pan support I figured that I needed to attack from the top (holding my arms up under that lift was about to kill me!). You can see the spot welds from above but I marked them from the underside also. I missed a few and drilled some holes where there was no spot weld. I then air-chisled the floor metal away from the supports. It looks pretty good. I will have to hammer and dolly the floor suports back into shape although they were not messed up that much. It is a tough job. Lots of noise and dust and metal shavings. I wore eye, ear and breathing protection. I paint the frame, inner fenders and core support today.
Mike

 

[KAWSAM62]

you could use a cutoff wheel to remove all the metal around the supports then from the side of the support you could use a fine paint scraper to seperate the material between the spots so then with the cutooff tool you would see exactly where the spot is to surgically remove the pry up going towards the next spot good luck

 

[baddbob71]

Best thing I've used to remove the spot welds is a grenade shaped carbide burr and an air grinder. Fast and precise. I've done a few hundred spot welds and the carbide burr is still sharp as when I bought it. Wear eye protection!!

Trooper

I agree with ya! I use a 3/8" round ball shaped bit to cut spotwelds all the time, clean and accurate and they last forever. The spotweld drills still have their place but it's amazing how well a round carbide burr bit works. Plan on spending $20-$35 for a good one that will outlast a spotweld bit 100 times over. Bob

 

[malibu man]

So are they similar to hammering/drilling out a rivet? Is their need to use a center punch with the bits?