If you don't mind a piece of flat under your weld, I take a piece of about 1" 14 or 16 gauge flat and put it under the splice. It can be held by either clecos or sheet metal screws into the flat with fender washers. I then weld the gap using figure 8's. I then remove the sheet metal screws and weld there also with figure 8's/ I have not problem with warping, and very little grinding.
