Butt welding panel gap size?

More of an art than a science - discuss metalworking and welding here.



Settled In
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:29 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 1:04 am
I'm butt welding two panels together using 023 wire gas Mig. What should be the gap size between the panels? Dime width size, Nickle width size, quarter with size, silver dollar width size or larger like two quarter widths?



No Turning Back
Posts: 592
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2017 7:36 am

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:12 am
I try to fit it up for no gap. Can't see the advantage to any sort of gap, if your welding is good.



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:28 pm
chopolds wrote:I try to fit it up for no gap. Can't see the advantage to any sort of gap, if your welding is good.



:clap: :goodjob: :happy: :rockon: :wazzup: :wink: :goodpost:

Zero GAP! Not with Thin sheet metal
And if I may add while some advocate and accept Mig welding as acceptable.
GAS welding or Tig is the preferred method in my opinion especially for panel repairs.

When gas welding OR Tig welding its completely possible and Preferred to fusion weld the two pieces together with NO filler rod when you have ZERO GAP which is the best in my opinion.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 2762
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2012 4:46 am
Location: Canberra
Country:
Australia
PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:13 am
chopolds wrote:I try to fit it up for no gap. Can't see the advantage to any sort of gap, if your welding is good.


Yep. Advantage of no gap is that the holes I blow in the edges are smaller. Sometimes don't even need their own patch panels to fill. :happy:
Chris

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 9878
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm
Location: ARIZONA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:12 am
NFT5 wrote:
chopolds wrote:I try to fit it up for no gap. Can't see the advantage to any sort of gap, if your welding is good.


Yep. Advantage of no gap is that the holes I blow in the edges are smaller. Sometimes don't even need their own patch panels to fill. :happy:


:rotfl: :rotfl: Now I can relate to that. :wink:
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 11:22 am
Loose the Mig guys
Easier with a Tig

Yes the learning curve is steeper
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3957
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:59 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 12:11 pm
Doright wrote:Loose the Mig guys
Easier with a Tig


Please send me your tig so I can practice and find out.
I never could get my mig to weld like I want on this thin
auto sheet metal :mrgreen:
JC.

(It's not custom painting-it's custom sanding)



No Turning Back
Posts: 977
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:58 pm
PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 7:19 pm
Jim, I didn't think you even had a welder.



Top Contributor
Posts: 6217
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Pahrump NV.
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2021 10:24 pm
JCCLARK wrote:
Doright wrote:Loose the Mig guys
Easier with a Tig


Please send me your tig so I can practice and find out.
I never could get my mig to weld like I want on this thin
auto sheet metal :mrgreen:


I dunno about that BUT you can come by any time for free lessons with my Gas and Filler wire and tungsten. Its not hard just takes Practice.
Best learned with Gas welding cheaper to learn technique.

What I do to teach, is Get guys to be able to lay a Bead with gas first Then a Bead with filler wire then Jump to Tig.
And just practice drawing Beads then step up to drawing beads with filler Then Butt welding panels. fast process. after you burn up a bottle of gas Youll have a pretty good idea whats going on. Enough to practice on your own any way.
Couple hundred hours you'll have it down pat its not hard but you do need to put the time in. Its a skill an art that must be practiced constantly.

I haven't welded in Months so I have to practice before each weld myself.
Its like riding a Bike though


I tell you what though If you want I will give you a hell of a deal on my Miller Shop master 300 with a Miller 251 Hi freq Box. with leads and air cooled Torch. all nice stuff in good condition? I will just add some coin to it and Buy another bigger Inverter machine.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.



Settled In
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:29 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:42 pm
chopolds wrote:I try to fit it up for no gap. Can't see the advantage to any sort of gap, if your welding is good.


I thought there had to be a gap because the metal will heat up and expand. Otherwise the metal would buckle.
Next

Return to Welding & Metal Fab

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 53 guests