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567chevys
04-05-2015, 08:56 AM
I sand Blasted my Frame for my 55 , after I got it home and up on the Lift , Holy SHIT !!
Look at these welds !!! I have fired guys for Better work than this .

Rick_L
04-05-2015, 09:15 AM
I guess that's where they found their next job. :)

That's quite typical of factory welds.

chevynut
04-05-2015, 09:51 AM
Yeah, and that wasn't even the work of illegals or Chinese :p. It was "skilled" US union labor.

MP&C
04-05-2015, 10:11 AM
I wonder why they were replaced with robots?

BAM55
04-05-2015, 11:14 AM
Yeah most frames I've seen had factory welds like this. They may not have looked good but evidently they were strong, they've lasted all this time.lol

Those are production welds, has to be done in a limited amount time. I have buddy how used to work on the assembly line back in day (body man) and he told me that the lead was work was done right there on the conveyer belt. I'm assuming that the welds were done the same.

Rick_L
04-05-2015, 02:48 PM
They did not have mig or flux core welders as we know them in the mid 50s.

chevynut
04-05-2015, 02:55 PM
Most of those welds don't even have to be that strong. Joining two c-channels together or applying a gusset to prevent cracking of the joint doesn't take much strength.

I have a front clip here that has some cracks in it. It's not damaged at all from an accident, but the cracks are clear.

4309 4310

chevynut
04-05-2015, 02:58 PM
They did not have mig or flux core welders as we know them in the mid 50s.

In 1948, GMAW was finally developed by the Battelle Memorial Institute (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battelle_Memorial_Institute). It used a smaller diameter electrode and a constant voltage power source developed by H. E. Kennedy (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=H._E._Kennedy&action=edit&redlink=1). It offered a high deposition rate, but the high cost of inert gases limited its use to non-ferrous materials and prevented cost savings. In 1953, the use of carbon dioxide as a welding atmosphere was developed, and it quickly gained popularity in GMAW, since it made welding steel more economical. In 1958 and 1959, the short-arc variation of GMAW was released, which increased welding versatility and made the welding of thin materials possible while relying on smaller electrode wires and more advanced power supplies. It quickly became the most popular GMAW variation. The spray-arc transfer variation was developed in the early 1960s, when experimenters added small amounts of oxygen to inert gases. More recently, pulsed current has been applied, giving rise to a new method called the pulsed spray-arc variation.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_metal_arc_welding#cite_note-3)

rockytopper R.I.P 5-13-2017
04-05-2015, 03:19 PM
I like them cause I'm modifying my factory frame with some extra bracing and they make my very shitty looking welds look factory lol.

Rick_L
04-05-2015, 03:46 PM
Lots 2 piece frames have arc marks between the welds, showing that they were dragging the lead
between welds. Sometimes you see a complete S shape path between the welds. To me this indicates they were moving very fast, or the frame rail was moving by the welder.

markm
04-05-2015, 04:26 PM
My first and second gen Camaros also suffered from shitty welder syndrome on the front subfranes, I too touched them up with a MIG.

BAM55
04-05-2015, 05:03 PM
Lots 2 piece frames have arc marks between the welds, showing that they were dragging the lead
between welds. Sometimes you see a complete S shape path between the welds. To me this indicates they were moving very fast, or the frame rail was moving by the welder.

Agree

warren57
04-07-2015, 08:27 PM
They hammered the ring around wagon wheels prior to welding. That held up pretty good itself?
One thing for sure, the guys that welded those frame cannot be considered "master manipulators of molten metal"��
But all in all, an inspector down the line must have approved the welds and like Cnut said it doesn't take a lot. Likely frames would be just as strong if the were spot welded...