The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Accidental Welder

I am an occasional welder, so my skills are permanently rusty. I was welding a patch into the running boards for my truck and I cut the patch a bit too small. I have between 1/16th and 1/8th inch gap running around the patch. Is this too big to close the gap?

I have a Lincoln Pro MIG 140 welder, but can’t seem to get the settings right to get a decent weld across the gap.
I can try to find another piece of patch from my donor running board, but it is in pretty sad shape and finding a piece with enough thickness left is not easy.

Any help is appreciated.

Back the crack with a flattened copper pipe and you can fill in the gap without the weld sitcking to the copper. Then grind the weld down. I use a folded up and flattened piece of roof flashing to back butt welds on the body repairs. Great help on metal with thin spots to keep from burning a hole through. It sticks sometime but can be pulled loose by hand. The flashing flexes enough to conform to the shape of the repair when I clamp it down. Smart flix has some great videos on how to adjust the welder. I Think the rental is $9.99 for a week. You tube also has some videos on welding and body work for free.

man i hate having to fill in a space like that, i have done that numerous times. you are prob going to have to do more grinding do to buildup. i like to kind of stich back and forth snagging each side and letting the center cool a split sec. you will have to walk a even finer line of good pen and burning thru. i would give neilroy's sug a try too. they make some stuff that does the same from a welding shop but if you don't do that much welding it may not be worth it. hr

Tack the patch in at the corners and leave the gap all to one end. Once the patch is somewhat secure, cut off a piece of steel clothes hanger wire, lay it into the gap, and stitch it into place with the MIG. I used to do this all the time with acetyline welding rod by tacking it into a gap, and blending it in with the flame. It's a lot easier with a MIG.
Jerry

Hotrod Lincoln you have hit the nail right on the head. As I was reading the thread that was my exact thought and you beat me to it.

I can take the patch down on one end only because of the wave pattern on the running board. The patch is very position sensitive and I can't move it side to side. I was thinking of your idea by moving the piece down to one end and then cutting another 1/4 inch ribon for the other end.

I can try the copper pipe trick or the hanger piece for the gaps on the side.

That beats trying to find another chunk of running board that will match the hole I cut.

Thanks,

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.

The wire coat hanger trick worked wonders. Thanks for all the tips. I think I am still a pretty bad welder, but practice is helping.

Thanks