Uhhhh. I have done a fair number of my own using that stuff. Be careful. Those old washing machine panels are fine but they DONT weld like the OEM stuff at all. .023 solid wire is best if you have gas. I just made [emoji3061]1/4 of the side panels of my old GMC using Maytag and Kenmore panels and managed with .030 flux core and my little HH135 machine. .023/and gas sure is easier though[emoji847] so use that if you can.
FYI Mill Supply does make many of the repair panels for about any car. Prices good just watch the shipping before finalizing as oversized shipping can $$$$.
If you are planning on doing the same type to same type steel like a new fender or patch panel it’s way better to practice and dial it in on some scrap fender. Call a junk yard and ask how much for some scrap like an old smashed front fender trunk lid or hood. If it’s no good it shouldn’t be but a few bucks. Heck you may have an old scrap piece yourself about practice on that and dial it on that.
Something else very handy is a heat sink to stick behind panels to **** up heat and prevent burn through. It’s just a piece of flattened scrap copper water pipe a foot long. Bend to suit, it helps. Lasts forever .
Get a couple cheap HF 4” wide flange vise grips. They’re **** but great for bending small straight shapes and clamp positioning. Same goes for their slightly larger ones with the deep reach and little flex contact points on the tips. Great deep reach positioners, light duty clamps. Just don’t ask too much of em or[emoji2959]. HF also has those little tiny positioning clips that fit in between panels. Get some they work great and are that second pair of hands you ain’t got, dirt cheap and work well.
Just remember panels don’t really get welded[emoji1781]they get a couple hundred conjoined tacks. Bevel the edges of the front of both panels slightly at 45 degrees for better joining before positioning, it helps. Work all over spaced far apart so there’s time to cool before you hit that area again. A couple here a couple there in half second bursts till your trigger finger aches[emoji847]. Take your time,drink beer enjoy......Don’t try to do like the pros. and use no filler at all, aint gonna happen unless you do it every day.
Make sure when you’re setting up to start welding that things line up and don’t move. Try to avoid any high spots, low is better as you can easily fill and blend to the higher edges than try to hide an[emoji214]egg in the center of a long flat[emoji85]
Do your first piece down low if possible. You can’t see mistakes down there where as the hood would look like [emoji90]. Try to practice on the not so visible areas then do stuff higher up, more visible!
Oh and be sure when the welding done and before buttoning things up address the back side of that weld. As best you can prime and paint then even undercoat it if you can. Rest assured, when it rusts again it WILL start along that weld so do what you can to make it last.......
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