How To Weld Gaps In Sheet Metal

Ditch a 1 8 inch tungsten electrode for something much smaller like 1 16 inch tungsten.

How to weld gaps in sheet metal. Make the replacement metal is not larger than the original metal or it will not fit. Working in short bursts will form a bridge between both pieces of metal. For cv mig welding on sheet metal wire diameters of 035 inch are recommended. Andy gives helpful insights and tips to mig weld thin sheet metal.

Tack welding is the best way to hold the metal in place before you fully weld it to the original metal. Tack welds are simply small welds that barely penetrate the metal and aren t pushed or pulled to form a bead. My names matt urch and i own and run urchfab welding and fabrication. Because it will have you a lot more control over the whole process and it is more forgiving in case you do anything wrong.

During the welding process the metal will get hot and the gap a welder leaves will compensate for the expansion that occurs. Here s a little trick i use when i come up against a gap that s a tad to big. Tack weld in place. How to mig weld large gaps the right way corners.

Use short bursts when you weld. A 100 argon shielding gas is the most common in mig welding aluminum sheet metal. The best two electrodes for welding auto body sheet metal is either ceriated tungsten or thoriated tungsten. For even thinner materials try a 035 inch filler metal.

Take the time for proper fit up proper tight part fit up is especially important when welding thin materials. If you have a gap because you drilled a piece incorrectly and need to fill in one of the holes you can do that.