"Welding Tech"....When you don't have an extra hand.

JEM · Sep 16, 2012

Subscribed so I don't forget about it when I need it.

Tacson · Mar 30, 2013

Drewski said: ↑

As a bit of a follow-up to my original tech write up, I've been working with the original design to see if I could improve it.

This particular arrangement seems to work best when welding up seams for patch panels especially in places like doors where space is limited.

When repairing this door on my F100, I used a set of the HF panel clamps which leaves a gap a little larger than I like. For me, the larger gap between the panels increases the risk of blowing a big hole when trying to weld it shut. The copper backing up the weld certainly helped eliminate burning thru.

In this photo I started to blow a hole in the original panel and after a quick check inside the door I found that I had welded just past the copper backing.

The copper was in the approximate position I show in this photo.

I also found that when placing the copper backer inside the door it gets hard to see it's placement due to the surface turning black from welding. I hit it with a DA occasionally to get a clean surface.

In this photo the cleaned copper shows up better making it easier to place it where you want it.

This setup still seems to be best for closing holes in firewalls where you've got all kinds of steps in the sheet metal to deal with.

As a side note........a friend had ask me why I didn't just figure out a way to put a magnet on the back side of the copper. Well.......I've tried that.

The strongest small magnet that I've found was rated at 30 lbs. an after building this rig I find that it is still easy to knock it loose which leads to more unmentionable language. I also understand that the magnet in the immediate vicinity of the weld for tig is a no no.

Also I don't know if the heat from welding against the magnet has any effect on it's strength. This little magnet seems to have lost some of it's strength just from what little welding I did with it.

Hopefully this information may be of some help for those of us who are challenged at welding thin sheet metal.
Click to expand...

The information is definitely helpful. Now about the thin sheet metal welding challenged part after today's excursion I strongly resemble that!!!!. Myabe I can pick up another skill like sanding versus welding ha ha... The welder I saw on craigslist was not what I thought it was... Thanks again for the opportunity.

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"Welding Tech"....When you don't have an extra hand.

JEM
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from SF Bay Area, CA

Tacson
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from Murfreesboro, TN

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"Welding Tech"....When you don't have an extra hand.

JEM Member from SF Bay Area, CA

Tacson Member from Murfreesboro, TN

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JEM
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Tacson
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from Murfreesboro, TN