I decided to start over and I cut out the patch I first attempted to weld in using the flux core wire.

I decided to cut another patch panel in hoping it will come out straighter, last time I cut it out with Tin snips but I think it warped the metal slightly and made it hard to line up.

So this time I cut it out with a cut off wheel. It came out straighter but it still doesn't line up that perfect. How do people do it!

I'm not going to weld it yet but here's some pictures.

They dont make those bottles big enough buy the biggest you can afford.
I dont use many tips myself, If you were close by I would give an old spool of wire before it goes bad.

As far as laying beads go thats how you learn go find pieces of steel same size thickness your gonna be welding and just start runnin beads across it at first then when you get comfortable running beads across the material and the beads look nice as well THEN stop and take same material cut in half and weld it together repeatedly till you can lay out same bead with out blowing through and make em pretty. THEN you can practice grinding off your beads and Hammer and dolling them even more practice!

In the end Sheet metal can sorta be welded with a Mig I dont call spot welding blobs on top of steel welding though. Welding requires an open Molten bead of metal to contact both surfaces so both pieces become molten and mix together forming a solid piece.

Mig welding is just too Hot for thin sheet metal in my own opinion, Gas welding is way to go if you have some really small equipment.
Tig is better than mig but more expensive and more frustrating to learn than all 3

Doright wrote:They dont make those bottles big enough buy the biggest you can afford.
I dont use many tips myself, If you were close by I would give an old spool of wire before it goes bad.

As far as laying beads go thats how you learn go find pieces of steel same size thickness your gonna be welding and just start runnin beads across it at first then when you get comfortable running beads across the material and the beads look nice as well THEN stop and take same material cut in half and weld it together repeatedly till you can lay out same bead with out blowing through and make em pretty. THEN you can practice grinding off your beads and Hammer and dolling them even more practice!

In the end Sheet metal can sorta be welded with a Mig I dont call spot welding blobs on top of steel welding though. Welding requires an open Molten bead of metal to contact both surfaces so both pieces become molten and mix together forming a solid piece.

Mig welding is just too Hot for thin sheet metal in my own opinion, Gas welding is way to go if you have some really small equipment.
Tig is better than mig but more expensive and more frustrating to learn than all 3

I bought the 1hr tank, the guy said I can upgrade later by paying the difference so I won't loose money if I buy the small one now. I feel like I don't want to waste my gas I just bought but I guess I should practice first.

So how do people get the proper body shape in these panels? I feel like the 18gauge metal for the door skin/patch is thicker gauge than the door frame so how do people go about bending it over with out just tuning everything. Also with the door off the car how will I know if it will line up properly once bent.

Doright wrote::flatten:

I didn't read your post in time so I ended up with the 1hr tank.

I bought a cheap metal brake from harbor freight to at least bend it 45degrees before welding.

It was a pos and it didn't work right the metal slid so ill have to return it tomorrow and maybe get the next size up or something.

So the cheap metal brake (18" one) from harborfreight didn't work properly. I don't know if maybe I needed to bolt it down to my bench first or maybe I needed a another c-clamp.

I clamped everything together to my bench with two c-clamps, had them tight but when I went to fold it the flat metal piece/die slid which made the bend not as tight. I returned the metal brake today. The next size up is exactly the same other than bigger. Then Eastwood has one for like $179 which you place in your vice and I think it has its own clamps hopefully to keep everything tight.

I wonder if I should use a square edge and recut my door skin so everything is straight? Then I can start with a straight square patch, bend a 90 at the bottom so everything comes out straighter?

I almost just wish I can pay someone to do this for me because I don't have the patience to keep trying at it.

So my buddy came over and we made some small progress, forming the patch panel, use my vice and a hammer to do the folds that bend over the door frame.

We got it pretty decent but then went to weld and realized I didn't buy a drive roll for the .023 wire so I can't weld it yet.

Regarding the bottom of the door patch we made, since we folded it with a hammer, it's not a perfect bend but pretty good, he said you just grind it straight and if I go through I weld it and grind it until its straight?

How's that sound for a process of making the bottom edge of the door?

wahoo wrote:I decided to start over and I cut out the patch I first attempted to weld in using the flux core wire.

I decided to cut another patch panel in hoping it will come out straighter, last time I cut it out with Tin snips but I think it warped the metal slightly and made it hard to line up.

So this time I cut it out with a cut off wheel. It came out straighter but it still doesn't line up that perfect. How do people do it!

There is a lot about tin snips that we don't just naturally know, so we have to learn about them just like any other specialized tool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAOQfUaRZyw

I use this to coat the cut area so a metal scribe line can be seen.
http://www.amazon.com/Dykem-80300-Steel ... B0018ACR6G

This scribe is beefy enough to be able to use and control accurately, and with a point long enough for different thicknesses of metal.


Sorry, I don't know anything about flux core welders

So after practing a little with the c25 and .023 wire, set the gas at 14psi.

How's this look?

He last picture is when I was practicing, also has some tacs from the flux core .030 wire. But the .023 with the gas works so much better!

Well I picked up some grinding discs and some flap discs. It seems hard to just knock down the tacs, like I screwed myself a little because the tac is thicker then the panel and trying to knock down the tac you end up grinding on the panel a little as well and in a couple areas by the time the tac was knocked down I thinned out the panel around it slightly causing me to blow through in 2 spots and it took my hours to build them up/full the holes. I had to literally pull the trigger for the shortest time possible. Welder is on the lowest voltage and wire speed pretty low it burns up to the tip that's how slow I had to have it. But I did build it up and fill it slightly.


the panel I think turned out ok, I'm definitely going to have to use glazing puddy and a high build primer but I think it will turn out decent in the end.

i didn't get to finish because it was getting late and didn't want to bother my neighbors.

Do I maybe not have the voltage high enough and it makes the tacs too high? Or should I not tac as many before I grind them down and tac again?