Help Finding a Body Panel Welder

[ohblondi]

What I need is a welder that is capable of welding on thin gage body panels, but I would also like if it could weld steel up to a 1/4" or 3/16".

I would prefer something like a miller, lincoln, or something of equal quality.

I would also say finding a new one through their site is fairly expensive. Is there a way to get like a previous years model. Or does anyone have advice on models or sights I should be looking at. Thanks in advance.

 

[trackwelder]

Check out cyberweld.

 

[Innov8tive1]

Ideally you would use a TIG welder to get a nicer weld and keep from warping the sheet metal. Since this is impractical for many (like me), a good compromise is a small Mig welder (with Co2/Argon gas) and smaller spools (drive wheels) which allow me to use a smaller welding wire, down to .023 . Even with that it takes some practice to keep from burning through.

 

[toolenthusiast]

Yeah .023 and 75/25 MIG is standard in the collision repair industry unless the manufacturer specifies STRW or something exotic

 

[ohblondi]

I was planning on using a thin wire like the .023 you guys have specified, from the reading I've done. It also seems the best way to weld the panels together is to just do the small a bunch of small spots tediously until they eventually all connect to keep from warping the panel.

I have a couple old pieces of sheet metal I am going to practice welding on first as well.

 

[cgrutt]

I used ESAB Spoolarc 023 wire with a small 120v lincoln electric MIG (w/ 75/25 Argon) to repair a quarter panel on my F150 with good results. The Spoolarc is made to work better after its welded. I'd like to replace my welder with a larger model such as a 140 - 180 but for sheet metal I think lower power might have been an advantage for a noob welder. Take your time and go slow with series of spaced out tack welds and let the metal cool down before continuing. Eventually it becomes a continuous weld.

Lots of good info in this thread https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53534&highlight=patch+panel

 

[Innov8tive1]

The cool down can't be emphasized enough! Work on getting it so that you are only on the weld for the shortest time possible then move a LONG way from your first weld so as not to heat it up at all with your next weld. Others may have different methods but I prefer to spend a lot of time to prep the panels for a nice small gap and **** weld them as opposed to overlapping or flanging one of the panels. If done correctly and with minimal warping you can get a repair that doesn't look like a repair and requires minimal body filler once ground flat. If the welder is set up correctly your welds will be relatively flat to start with and need minimal grinding.
Take some scrap pieces and practice, practice, practice. Make sure those pieces of scrap are the same thickness as what you will be working on. I took some pieces from a door off a '88-98 Chevy truck to practice on. When I went to weld on my son's 2001 it was a thinner material and I had to re adjust the welder and almost re-learn everything again!

 

[Mgdoug3]

I am no professional but I found a Hobart 125 mig with gas on Craigslist. I used it with 0.023 wire to weld in a cab corner. I tack welded around it and used bondo. It turned out fairly well and it's a lot better than a rusted out corner. I have a stick welder that I use for thick metal.

There's two downsides to the 125. 3/16" metal is the max on welding unless you spend half the day doing multiple passes. The other downside is that the small mig makes you wish you had a big mig. A 220 volt mig can do small jobs but a 120 volt mig can't do a big job.