Panel and Floor Pan welding question

[ashmatk2000]

Just wondering if anyone has a preference about what welding set-up is necessary for sheet metal panel, rocker and floor pan repairs. I'm leaning toward the Eastwood stick weld outfit with the spot weld accessory, but that tig setup looks nice too. The stick weld set-up is much cheaper and looks like it should do the job. Has anyone used these for this purpose and can offer any comments? Thanks

Ken

 

[Brian]

Being a weekend welder myself, I prefer a MIG setup. I didn't do the rocker/floor pan welding on my car, but it was all done with a MIG.

MIG is easy to learn, "easy" being a very relative term! I bought a Millermatic 135 from my local welding shop, and it has been fabulous, but I also have some production non car work that I use it on. It may be a overkill for you, but for me it will last a lifetime.

TIG intimidates me. If you are a good welder, this will give you the finest looking bead; however, I know welders who brag they can do just as good with a stick.
You also tend to generate more heat with a TIG (although a bad MIG welder can do worse!). We use TIG in my shop, but only when the weld is exposed and has to be pretty, or the MIG welder is down.

2 cents!

 

[gbhrps]

I don't weld myself, but the process used in our restoration shop is gas welding (I think that's what its called). Anyway, the rusted area is cut out, and a new or fabricated panel is placed on top or under the opening, and is traced around. The new panel is then cut a sixteenth of an inch inside of the traced outline. The new panel is then suspended with magnets inside the opening such that there is a sixteenth inch gap all the way around it. Using a steel rod, about the thickness of the lead in a pencil, and a torch, a three quarter inch section of the gap is filled, and immediately hammered and dollied form opposite sides of the panel by 2 people, until perfectly flat. Switching to the other side of the panel another three quarter inch section is welded and dollied flat, and so on in four locations or so, until magnets are no longer required. Now the team keeps moving to each welded section and adding only three quarters of an inch of gas weld, and then switching to another section, I believe in order to keep the heat from building up and warping the panel. Its tedious, time consumming work, but when the guys finish, very little additional finishing is needed on the panel to make the weld completely flat. When painted, it is impossible to tell where the old metal left off and the new began. Obviously, this type of work adds manhours to the finished restoration, but the results are worth it. I certainly hope someone out there can add to my poor explanation and expand on any inaccuracies, as I said, I've only seen the process done, and have not done it myself.

 

[ashmatk2000]

Thanks for your comments gbhrps. I believe you are talking about an oxy-acetylene gas welding process. I used to have one of these years ago (long gone now), and they're probably fine for many types of work but I think a mig weld set-up is a better purchase for me at this time. Let me explain. I used to gas weld exhaust set-ups, and I remember there is a limitation on the penetration of the weld and, thus, its structural integrity. I also wasn't very good at it to be honest. For my t-bird set up I need to replace the center floor hump, several floor sections, all rockers, floor braces, and a fender. I also need to fabricate braces to the body for a lift to a rotissrie, and to fabricate the rotisserie holding brackets. With all this, I am more comfortable with welding for maximum penetration which I think a mig weld gives me. The process of panel cutting, suspending, and spot welding followed by fill-in is, I believe, called butt-welding. This is the right process for panel welding even for a mig weld. Eastwood sells some reals cool brackets that hold panels together with a gap, so you don't have to do the magnet thing.

I must confess that I have never mig welded before, so if others think that I'm way off with some of my conclusions, I'd appeciate a heads-up. Thanks.

Ken Lambert
Las Vegas

 

[Ts & As]

I used a MIG with some direction and guidance by its owner who has been welding for years. Low heat is the key for panel work and the MIG is relatively inexpensive to boot. Like anything else - practice makes perfect so test whatever you use on scrap apnels first to get the feel for it.

 

[ashmatk2000]

Thanks T's and A's, that sounds like good advice. I checked out the Millermatic 135 that Brian recommended, and I'm saving up for it now. Are there any good panel resto books or videos you would recommend for a newbie mig welder?

 

[Ts & As]

Ashmatk

Try this site: http://www.dropbears.com/b/broughsbooks/technical/welding.htm

I personally did not use a book but had someone that knew what they were doing over my shoulder yelling at me when I did something wrong. Nothing like practical experience!