proper panel replacement

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 11:42 pm

Im new to welding, and wanted to know how you guys weld in your replacement panels. Im replacing quarters on my 78 super. Do you completly weld the entire patch or do you only tack weld. How close do you make each weld in tacking?

72beetle · Post by **72beetle** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:04 pm

tack weld about 1-2 inches apart to help with warping of the metal.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 6:26 pm

You weld in the entire panel but you do it by making a LOT of small tack welds going from one side of the panel to the other. The keeps the heat down to prevent it from warping. For best results, you should tack, grind, and shape as you go instead of waiting until it is all welded in solid.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 6:35 pm

yup! all you want is to do a 2 second weld, just enough to penetrate but not go all the way to the other side of the pannel (or blow a hole). and you must make each weld right next to and almost overlaping the existing welds. a good weld will kinda of "sink" into the panel and not look like a glob ontop of the panel, but more like a little bug bite. practice on some scrap metal till you feel good about it.
Also, make the patch panels fit as TIGHT as possible, that will make welding them SO much easier and cleaner, also you dont want to have any gaps larger than 1/16, 3/32" is getting a little big.