The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop done sheet metal work; what about seams?

Is it okay to simply use a short strand fibre or all metal to skim the seams and then epoxy later. Or do I have to bite the bullet and drudge along with more hole finding, cooper backing weld and grind?

We all have that thought after doing exactly what you have done so far. So rest a few days and flush that thought down the toilet. All metal in the true sense of all metal welding. Slight bondo after is still professional.

You must always consider buying available patch panels and welding them in. You only use what will fit the affected area, NOT the whole piece. Sometimes one piece can be used elsewhere, Donor pieces are OK also. Sheet stock or your stash of found sheet is OK for some things. I don't know what the last pics is , cab corner? I don't know what the rustout looked like but maybe that should have used a piece from a patch panel. I have found that when making those dot-spot welds, that hotter and faster trigger is the best method for me. Don't weld on areas that are "thinned" by corrosion but you think are still OK. Backing with copper or brass is good. I welds both sides if I can get to them. Then grind flat or semi flat depending on visible location. Always shine up the ground clamp area so that BOTH jaws are on bare metal. Shine up BOTH sides of weld seam, including taking off patch panel coating to 1/2 inch from gap. Don't take off metal while "shinning" to bare. I tried all types and diameter wire. I use gas and .030.

Everyone has their own idea about welding thin metal and they get it to work. That's where practice comes in, The machine and you act differently on different days due to many factors. Keep going, it will get done. You are not doing that bad at all.