While cars are becoming better at resisting dings and dents, they still occasionally experience them in parking lots and garages. A stud welder or slide hammer can quickly bring these dent back into place.
As the first step of welding metal, it’s essential that the paint be removed and prepping the metal is completed properly. This will prevent warping during the welding process.
What is a stud welder?
A stud welder is an electrical device that utilizes electricity to weld materials together. It’s ideal for metal projects requiring fast, strong, and durable welds – including stainless steel and aluminium projects as well as repairs of dented metal surfaces.
There are two primary forms of stud welding: drawn arc and capacitor discharge. Of the two methods, drawn arc welding is more complex, making it ideal for larger-diameter studs made out of heavier materials like steel. To form this weld, an arc must be formed between the base of the weld stud and substrate material in order to melt it and fuse them together; resulting in an extremely effective yet efficient process.
Capacitor discharge stud welding is a fast and efficient solution for smaller-diameter studs made of thinner base materials like aluminium. A welder creates an arc between the weld stud and base material to melt and fuse them without the need for filler material – most welds take less than a second to finish!
Stud welding is an extremely cost-effective and versatile means of joining metals together, and it can even join dissimilar metals together.
How to use a stud welder
On the market today are various different types of stud welders. Arc welders are among the most commonly used, employing an electrical arc to generate heat and pressure that bonds metals together – perfect for industrial, heavy duty deck welding applications. Capacitor discharge (CD) welders provide similar functions but store energy in capacitors before discharging it at once for thin sheet applications with smaller studs.
Before using any type of stud welder, it’s crucial to understand how the process works in order to use the machine correctly and avoid accidents. First, thoroughly clean the metal surface you will be welding by using mineral spirits and lint free cloth, connect your welder to both power source and shield gas (if applicable), plug gun and earth cables into their sockets on machine, insert studs into welding gun before pressing against metal and holding button of welder for several seconds – then finally press against metal while holding button on welder for several seconds more.
Differences between stud welding and spot welding
Spot welding relies on an electric arc between the stud and work piece to melt both, while friction welding utilizes friction between metal surfaces to fuse them together. This technique can be used on practically all metals such as aluminum, mild steel and stainless steel as well as more exotic types like titanium and Inconel.
Spot welding is a fast process suitable for thinner-gauge materials that produce stronger welds, with no marring of the parent metal surface behind the weld point. Resistance welding has become popular choice when attaching fasteners in areas that aren’t gas tight.
Drawn Arc stud welding is best used on larger-diameter studs with thicker material. Short Cycle welding works with smaller diameter studs and thin materials; and Capacitor Discharge (CD) welding offers another approach, especially useful for high speed applications where its capacitor dischargers can quickly discharge their capacitors in under one second.
Nut welding differs from stud welding in that it uses an adhesive bolt to attach to a workpiece so that nuts may later be threaded on for various fabrication applications. A magnetic field rotates an arc around its circular cross-section while shielding gas protects its molten areas from damage.
Repairing dents with a stud welder
Stud welders provide an effective and efficient means of repairing metal panels damaged by dents. Their welding process utilizes high current to fuse together the base of each stud with its respective substrate, producing strong welds without distortion that last over time. Plus, this fast and easy method makes stud welders suitable for industrial applications.
There are three primary stud welding processes: capacitor discharge (CD), drawn arc (DA), and short cycle (SC). While each has their own benefits and capabilities, all produce high-quality welds. DA welding in particular tends to be more forgiving of irregular surfaces than CD welding while being capable of welding many materials including stainless steel.
To use a stud welder to repair dents, first ensure your work area is clear. Next, place the gun onto the workpiece and activate it – within several seconds the weld should be complete and no need to touch as it could become hot!
Once the weld has set, use a hammer to gently pull the studs out of their dent using an adjustable wrench or similar. Repeat as necessary until all dent have been eliminated and original shape restored. Ensure your hammer fits comfortably around each stud so as to avoid pushing them deeper into their dent.