Welded Sheet Metal Gap Filler

While replacing body panels overheating and warping thin sheet metal is common.

Welded sheet metal gap filler.

Use the correct welding parameters for the filler metal. The larger the filler metal diameter the more power output is required from the power source. Place the welding tip wire at the gap and tack weld several small spots spacing them evenly apart. Vee it and weld the one side then back grind the back side and weld it then you will have your 100 penetration.

Tack in a few places apart from each other and wait until the panel is cool to the touch. Then tack between the two previous tacks. With 3 16 if you want to gap you can gap it between 1 16 and 3 32 it will help considerably but if you want to achieve a true 100 weld you will have to back grind or on heavier stuff back gouge and grind then weld the back side. Overall i ve used both of these methods depending on the situation and the type of metal i m working with.

First get a dolly and hammer that matches the shape of what where you re hammering and hold your dolly tightly behind the weld seam. While er70s 2 filler metal is a common choice for steel another popular option for welding sheet metal is silicon bronze. Avoid warping the sheet metal. There are 2 basic methods to mig welding large gaps the first is to use filler metal to help cover the gap that is cut to size to fill the gap and help make the weld a smoother process.

The second is to do a root pass to fill the bottom of the gap and using stringer beads to fill the gap. It s also important to select a filler metal that is thinner than the base metal or as close as possible. Caron first addresses why you should avoid g. Make sure the dolly is fully touching the seam and bridging the gap.

However if you are dealing with materials that are 18 gauge or thicker one should be able to use 030 inch welding wire. It is recommended that a welder should use 023 or 024 inch wire for light gauge sheet metal work. You can then take your body hammer and strike it on dolly relatively hard a few times.