The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop welding in 55 patch panels

i have a 55 second series truck just got new floor pans , step wells and door pillars and outer cab corners whats the best way to weld them in i have a mig its a cambell hausfeld wire fed mig runs on gas but was told if you use flux core wire its does the same differnce im goingt o use 0.35 flux core wire is this accetable and do you just mig from corner to corner or a corner then jump around to get a better result???????? i want to do somewhat of a nice job ?????

I would use 030 wire with either mix or straight CO2. Flux wire is for thicker stuff. In fact if your machine will support it, I like to use 023 wire. It makes for a whole lot less grinding. I run that in a Hobart 140 I have a 200 a 250 and a 440 stick machine. I prefer the 140 for any body work. Before you do anything, get some scraps of metal the same thickness of what you are going to weld. Then practice with your heat and wire speed. I've been welding for 50 years, and I still always set my machine with scrap when I weld any body work. Having a pile of scrap laying around that's welded around on is nothing to be ashamed of.

I agree crenwelge there is nothing like setting a welder up on scrap as no to welders weld alike. I prefer the mixed gas over straight CO2 it leaves a smoother weld over the CO2 gas. I have used the 030 wire but never the 023 wire. I will have to try it out,
62Blue
Don

make sure you brace up the cab before you start welding, you will be cutting a big area out, i just did about the same thing on my 55 and didn't have it braced right and run into a few problems, i did use lincoln 140 mig with mixed gas, .025 wire after starting with linoln weld-pac 100 flux core, much better results

you need to tack weld everything together , and ck. you dr.alignment before your final weld. Mark

i can see where i will be doing alot of welding around the front cab supports with the inner door pillers i ordered and the step wells and what is some ways for me when i do the cuts and etc so the cab dont set down on me away from the cab supports?????

i have a 1954 5 window pickup that i am in the process of doing the same thing! where did you get your patch panels from? are you happy w/quality of the parts? I am dying to get started but have other work to tend to for now. let me know how you made out,
thanks ,
Richard Gaglio

im getting most of my patch panels from classic parts and truck and car shop in orange ca

I have been getting patch panels from this guy for 20 years. http://www.surplussupplyco.com/default.htm

I used 023 wire and a mig. Practiced on junk first. You will get better as you go. Do a search, lots of good material on this topic. I did fenders, bed, lower door pillers, steps, inner and outer corners, doorskins, and parts of the floor. I would advise you to brace the cab well, and most importantly to do one side at a time. Doing one side at a time allowed me to measure the other side to make sure I was keeping every thing in line and allowed me to see exactly how the part was done by the factory. I also took many before pic's
good luck