"I use a Mig welder for my welding, used .023" solid wire for the sheet metal work, it helps to minimize distortion and I think it's easier than oxy-acetylene welding."
Cklarsen,
You make an excellent point. Oxy-acetylene welding does put a lot of heat into the workpiece, and with sheet metal distortion results. My firewall repair was done so long ago that Mig may have been around, but it was not in widespread use and I had not even heard of it then.
Because I had taken 3 semesters of evening adult education classes in auto body repair I knew how to shrink sheet metal and that allowed me to get the firewall flat after all that welding. Metal shrinking was also required on the bed of my '36 PU that (no exaggeration) looked like a sack full of rocks because it was so lumpy.
Just for fun I looked at what Panel Bond is and it seems to be glue for sticking on patches. Being old school, I prefer an actual welded in patch in body sheet metal. When the welds are ground smooth what remains is a solid panel exactly like what was there before the hole was made. I do understand the appeal of a product that is quick and easy to apply, not requiring any metal working skill. It's the same appeal that Bondo has.
Ray W
