To prevent burn through and warping don t whip or weave the torch.
Welded sheet metal gap filler.
For this reason i always like to use copper backers and welders helpers to back up and quickly fill the hole.
While replacing body panels overheating and warping thin sheet metal is common.
Techniques for welding sheet metal.
Filler metals for either of these would be 4043 or 4943.
A 5356 filler metal also works for 5052 materials specifically.
It is recommended that a welder should use 023 or 024 inch wire for light gauge sheet metal work.
Caron first addresses why you should avoid g.
The second is to do a root pass to fill the bottom of the gap and using stringer beads to fill the gap.
Tack in a few places apart from each other and wait until the panel is cool to the touch.
The more time the arc is in an area the hotter it.
Avoid warping the sheet metal.
Calculate the wire metal consumption.
Make the replacement metal is not larger than the original metal or it will not fit.
As a rule when mig welding sheet metal never use a body filler metal that is thicker than the base metal.
Sheet thickness mm steel density seam length m d1 groove.
Sheet metal on the body of cars and trucks is pretty thin usually 18 22 gauge.
The quickest way to evaluate the best choice for your welding process.
It doesn t matter as much it it s a bit smaller because if there s a very small gap this can be filled with filler metal.
Th sheet thickness mm steel density.
Tack weld in place.
Typical aluminum alloys for sheet fabrication are 3003 and 5052.
So you won t have much forgiveness if you try to pile weld in the hole and you can end up with a bigger hole than you started with.
Place the welding tip wire at the gap and tack weld several small spots spacing them evenly apart.
Tack welding is the best way to hold the metal in place before you fully weld it to the original metal.
Mig wire doesn t.