To Rivet, or not to Rivet

The modern electronic stick welders are a lot lot easier to use than the cheap transformer types and are pretty cheap too. Experiment on some scrap, get a book so you know what you are meant to be doing, and see how you go. If, like me, you have a few rings on the trunk it will make a difference if you have specs that have a focal length matched to (welding) arms length.

With stick welding, if you are doing vertical welds, do vertical UP, never vertical DOWN.

Without causing arguments the problem with vertical down is staying ahead of the shielding slag and these doesn't give you a strong weld
As to is vertical up you have to manage the molten material and slag
Used to watch so of the old school blokes doing stick welding and it used to de slag it self This is a bit of a dying art

Mate, if you haven't got the skills or the gear it's probably safer to get someone who has to do it for you.

Old stick welder is fine if you know how to use it.

MIG is a lot easier, and if the job is prepped properly your welding skill probably doesn't have to be as good.

yep international chassis bolts are the best i have used kenworth bolts very similar both rattle up tight as

Without causing arguments the problem with vertical down is staying ahead of the shielding slag and these doesn't give you a strong weld
As to is vertical up you have to manage the molten material and slag
Used to watch so of the old school blokes doing stick welding and it used to de slag it self This is a bit of a dying art

That's the point, with vertical down, it's impossible to stay ahead of the slag.