The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop installing patch panels

I have a 55 TF pickup. I bought new floor pans, steps and sills for the cab. I am an experienced mig welder, but I have never welded sheet metal. Should I use a butt joint and just keep skipping around the panel with little spots of weld? Or should I get a flanging tool so that I am welding a lap joint? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Lap joints are a good place for rust to hide. Butt joints are preferred. Yes, skip around.

I'll second that Woody, I learned the hard way a few years back when I restored a VW Bug.
I used lap joints in the rear 1/4 panels and had rust bubbling through within a year.
Butt joints are a little trickier to get right,but hey.. If I can do it anyone can!
Reds, you've got a better start than most,you can weld!
I did my cab corners using the butt weld method,skipped around with the welds and had little or no distortion.

Nice patch panel jockbolter50. I need to do the bottoms of my '40 doors. I have not done this before but I will take the advice here and butt weld. My experience is very limited and will be with a mig. Question: Isn't there supposed to be a slight gap between panels? Looks like you didn't need to do that jockbolter50.

When I used to weld body panels with a MIG we used to just do BB size tacks, adding them until there were no gaps. You don't even need a shield to do it either.

Put a welding glove on your left hand, aim the wire where you want the tack, cup the gloved hand around the tip of the welder so no flash or splatter gets out, pull the trigger for a second and that's all there is to it.

Yea, it's tedious but you'll never warp anything and you can butt weld tight gaps with no problem.

Thanks for the info gentlemen. I appreciate the help.

No problem Reds,that's what this place is all about!


DennisM, I found one of the main things is to get your opposing cuts as neat as possible and as Woody mentions,the gaps can be tight,just make sure they're scuffed well back to good clean metal.
Most importantly, take your time.

Anyway,don't take my word for it,if you want to see a cab rebuild,check out Woody's site!

Way cool. Thanks for the tip