Sheetmetal Help

I have what feels like a wave in the panel where I welded them together. What's the best way to remove it and make it smooth with its gentle roll?

 

Im gonna say that the metal shrunk around where you welded it. You will need to work the weld area with hammer on dolly to streach it back out. Dont pound on anything but the weld area. Looks like mig welds. These are a little harder to work with. Ive have good luck heating a small spot up red hot, and then light hammer on dolly to streach.

This is assuming there are butt welds.

Rob

 

They are butt welded, used 6013 rod. It kinda seems like the weld area is raised, if that makes sence.

 

I 2nd the shrinking effect of the weld....normal procrdure would be to weld/hammer/weld /hammer, you get thr idea...in your case it would have been weld/hammer/grind/weld hammer /grind. to fix it I would apply heat as suggested above , & hammer, working a section at a time , in the same order as you welded it...hope that helps , shawn

 

Hey,

You welded this together using stick, using 6013 rod?

I'd suggest much to much heat for sheetmetal welding of semi to low crowned metal with the stick process! I'd take a thin cut-off wheel & cut through the welds, say 5''-6'' at a time & straighten & tack & straighten and tack until you've rebuilt the general correct shape for the panel. Those high areas that remain in the panel can be shrunk with a torch, hammer & dolly or with a shrinking disc to restore the correct shape to this panel.
This is the rear body panel to a coupe or sedan?

" Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "

 

Yes on the stick and 6013. Just a quick buzz and go, just like mig. It's really close.If I heat it and beat it, it seems like it would get bigger.....stretch. It's a 30-31 rpu back panel that has been sectioned and narrowed to fit a 28-29 rpu.

 

damn man you cant use a stick welder on sheetmetal, even turned all the way down you cant control the heat.

 

I had that happen to me, I got cocky with my mig and a poorly cut panel. I'm going to cut the entire weld area out and re-do it in the spring. I don't want THAT much bondo in it, and it's a cheap repair to make...

 

sounds like you are not quite sure. I would wet the whole back panel with a wet rag, then shine a light from different angles while you stand back to see what is high/low.

That seems to help me get a better idea of what needs to be done, rather than just by feel.

Then do what they said about shrinking/stretching/etc

 

Another advocate for hammer on dolly work. You will probably ruin or mar both tools but it needs to be stretched due to the shrinking or heated metal. You can re polish them with an orbital sander to get the mars out while doing the stretching. The weld looks great though!

 

Apparantly you can. It looks like he managed.

 

I have used 6013 on sheet metal. He did not leave a gap and the ends "pushed" together creating the ridge and buckle. You may have to use a cutting wheel to open the weld to reweld it. Stich weld it to keep the heat down.. The weld is harder than the sheet metal, its very hard to hammer weld arc weld, be careful grinding it as the heat will warp the metal as well.

 

Rick, sounds like you have been theredone that. Yes,no gap if possible. Piece of cake to weld. Do I need the gap? I started from the middle and worked out. Let cool. It is just a "bump" at the weld. Was thinking, if welded on the inside, I could hammer and dolly it to "strech" it? That would put the weld in a better place to strech. Thanks everyone, I am just trying to learn.

 

Hey Marvin,

As I read this, what I see is a very hard weld bead running through stretched metal, running throughout the panel beside each one of the welds. Even if you could grind and planish the arc bead down, over time I think you'll have small cracks to deal with in the years ahead! This sometimes results when the mig process is used, and the weld is over worked/ground.
Do you have an oxy/acc. torch & know how to use it? Again, I say, I'd cut out those hard welds with a cut off disc, & gas weld this back together from the outside edges inward, tacking and straightening as I go towards the middle of the panel. Any extra or ''floppy'' metal could be easily removed whyle tacking and welding to control the shape of the panel. This ain't something ya can do with the stick welding precess! Trying to just planish out those arc beads with a hammer & dolly won't work well, and will probably ruin a good hammer & dolly!

Good luck!

" Better By You, Better than Me "