The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Sheetmetal replacement

Well, my '49 cab need A LOT of metal replaced. Door bottoms, inner & outer cowls, cab corners, etc. I have all the patch panels I need here already. I have a MIG welder also. I'm a proficient welder, but I've never done sheetmetal before. The lightest stuff I've ever welded is exhaust pipe. Is there an online resource or anything that gives the do's and don'ts of sheetmetal welding? Can anyone offer any advice on how not to screw this up?? Thanks in advance.

The biggest thing I've learned with sheet metal, which you probably are not used to is you can't just weld a continuos bead. The sheet metal will warp badly if you try this. The best thing to do is to tack the the panel in several places around the panel and not weld in anyone place with out allowing the metal to cool. A wet rag can help cool the metal if you are in a hurry. Just keep tacking the panel until you end up with a continous bead. Granted it won't be the good looking beads you are used to, but you are going to grind them down anyway. Remember though you also need to move the grinder around and not cause too much heat as well or you will warp the panel. Where in Western, NY are you located? I live in Williamson, NY ~ 25 miles east of Rochester. Good luck with your project.

Before I started to weld anything I bought some cheap metal and practiced until I could weld without burning holes in the metal. Jim is correct, you should weld short beads to avoid warpage. Good luck.

ed

Southtowns27,

I would do a real good search on this site before I did anything. I was going to do floor, toeboards, inner and outer cowl etc on my 55/1st, and after reading about poor fitting reproduction parts, cabs that tweaked and just general pain in the rear end stuff, I found a rust free cab, thank the stovebolt Gods! Many procedures you need to go through are actually documented with how to pics available right here on this site...DO THE SEARCH!


Stuart.

I have a friend who was a professional body man before he retired, and he usually does my welding for me. When he is replacing a panel he usually crimps both sides with an air crimper, so that he creates a smooth lap joint, punches small holes in the crimp on the outside piece and then welds those shut. As a rule, he doesn't try to make a continuous bead on the joint. He has done some really nice body work for me, and I think he does know what he is doing. I have a MIG welder which seems to do a nice job on sheet metal. Allen

Bakerallen, I have the flange tool that you are speaking about, one side flanges the panel and the other side punched the holes so you can tack the panel in place. It is recommended that you completely weld up both sides of the lapjoint or a possible rust problem will develope. Some times you can not get at both sides so you maybe only able to weld one side. If possible seam seal the other side to prevent moisture from getting inside the joint. Remember those Japanese trucks from the 80's where the beds rusted in half on a horizontal line running down the entire bed side? This was due to the two piece bed side s being lapjointed and only spotwelded. Had they welded both sides completly the beds would have lasted a lot longer.