sheet metal floor- fastening methods?

I am currently working on putting 18 ga. sheet metal floors in my 1926 T coupe. I have all the panels fabricated and fit up. Now I am ready to fasten it to the subrails. How do you guys normally attach the sheet metal floor? Screws, pop rivets or weld? I am leaning to welding, but I am thinking maybe for some reason I may want to remove a floor panel or two. Or maybe not! I can't really think of a good reason. If you are s***ch welding, how close are the welds? Or do you solid weld the panels?
Thanks for any info.

 

Nice job on the floors, I weld them in but I also have some areas that can be removed, Battery under floor, master cylinder under floor. your work looks too good to weld in.

 

That makes the most sense.

 

Nice job. I usually punch holes and plug weld the panels in then seam seal everything. The access panels can be screwed in or use dzus fasteners. Is that the fuel tank?

 

I like to use Riv-nuts for access panels. Much cleaner than sheet metal screws.

 

Yes, that is my homemade gas tank. It holds 14.5 gallons. It allows me to still have most of my trunk available to haul stuff.
The access panels for the master cylinder and the battery are attached with dzus fasteners.
When you plug weld the holes do you have much or any panel distortion? What do you use for seam sealer?

 

Should have clarified. When I said screws I intended nut-serts with machine screws.
No distortion but you need to pay close attention to how much heat you are introducing.
Seam seal is avaliable at auto body supply houses.

 

Welding will add structural strength to the body shell and also cut down on possible rattles if that's important to you. If seam-sealed and painted, less chance of rust showing up too. Second choice would be pop rivets, but if you can see both sides of the panel one side always looks 'messy'.

As far as removable panels, the well nuts look nice but can be a PITA to deal with if a screw seizes in one. I like OEM-style J-nuts (those spring steel threaded clips that snap over a flange) for those as they're easy to install and replace if needed.

 

All the replys above are good! Awesome metal work, the only thing I see that it NEEDS another PEDAL! LOL

 

I like your bead rolling work.

 

Yeah, I agree on three pedals. I would love to have a 4 speed manual, but I am 63 and my bad back and ruined knees won't let me drive a stick anymore. It just wouldn't be fun to drive for me.

 

Thanks for the compliments on the bead rolling, but it is just basic raised panels and some straight line bead rolling, very rudimentary. I am very jealous of some of the beautiful bead rolling work some of the guys on here do.

 

It may be basic but you can say you did it yourself. Everyone has to start sometime.

 

Nice work, I'd go for the riv nuts option, I've used them on access panels on the floor of my truck battery and gear box, they look pretty good too dependent on your choice of fastener, I used a builders silicon sealant , applied oil to one side so it would not stick, clamp leave to set and trim with stanley knife, one instant gasket.

 

I've been using steel nutserts for decades now for removable panels - probably a thousand or more in number 10 and 1/4". I don't think I've had more than 3 or 4 failures form spinning them. I've had a few cross thread problems that I caught soon enough to run a tap through. I you don't think you got one installed tight enough you can tack weld it if the panel is steel.

I even use them with a dab of bonding agent in frp with great results.

Charlie

 

nut serts for removeable panels,

 

If you don't feel comfortable welding,,,

If both surfaces are clean you can use a 2 part panel bond and pop rivets for clamps.
That stuff will never come at part if done right. Quicker, easier, cleaner, safer than welding but its not cheap.

 

Nice fab work.