How To Weld And Patch Auto Sheet Metal

This will hold it in place and allow you to weld it properly.

How to weld and patch auto sheet metal.

I keep it short and to the point in this welding instructional video and show how ve. 840 2570 l 840 2570 r 129 99 each from auto metal direct will replace the rotted out sections on our e body project. Ideally there should be a 1 32 gap between the patch and the body panel. Once complete the welds will be ground flush being careful not to thin the metal on either side of the weld.

Tack welds are simply small welds that barely penetrate the metal and aren t pushed or pulled to form a bead. That makes this a one handed process. Tack welding is the best way to hold the metal in place before you fully weld it to the original metal. These left and right trunk floor extensions part no.

So you can keep the other hand free for manipulating your materials and other tools. Mig or metal inert gas welding aka gas metal arc welding or gmaw also uses a gas shield and filler material however in this case the filler is a wire fed directly through the welder. I used a piece of pvc pipe a vice mount miniature metal break and body hammer kit. After slicing the patches out with a cutoff wheel next came the bending hammer and dolly session until the patches matched the holes and fit snug and flush into the flanged seat.

The best two electrodes for welding auto body sheet metal is either ceriated tungsten or thoriated tungsten. To obtain the best results while mig welding sheet metal proper fitment and cleanliness of the metal are essential. Take some time to make your patch a perfect fit. Learn how to mig weld automotive sheet metal in about 5 minutes or less.

The proper way to do this is to do a series of tack. Ditch a 1 8 inch tungsten electrode for something much smaller like 1 16 inch tungsten. Tack weld different areas of the joint about an inch apart. Second never stitch weld you ll warp the panels beyond repair.

After cutting and fitting the new panel you are now ready to weld the patch panel in place. First off never overlap seams always butt weld. See all 13 photos with the bottom layer welded the next patch can be tack welded in.