1st TIME WELDER: I WANT TO WELD BODY PANEL ONTO A JEEP WRANGLER: PLEASE ADVISE

[uhohjim]

It sounds like you have your heart set on it, so a 110 MIG welder will work fine with some .023 wire. Make sure you use shielding gas and not flux core wire. Don't waste your money on the CJ-5 panel if you are just going to cut it up to patch some rust holes. Get some pieces of sheet metal the same gauge as the existing body panel, probably 18 -22 gauge steel (but I doubt it's as thick as 18) Practice on the sheet before starting in on the Jeep. Here's a link to my photobucket account: http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/rivanisko4380/ I've been working on my CJ for years and there are a few pics in there of patching rust holes, welding in a new gas tank filler from a crotch rocket mc and even making some tube fenders. As Fusion King said, bondo will cover many sins, but most bondo jobs are a sign of poor workmanship. A true craftsman can weld in patch panels with little or no body filler, and that is what you want to strive for.

Good Luck

EDIT: You might also want to take a look at some DVD's (Paintucation- by Kevin Tetz) available through the Eastwood Company. Good information not only on paint and paint prep, but on patch panels too.

Nocheepgas pretty much hit it right on the head..........I have a dedicated 110 welder just for sheetmetal setup with .023 wire .......it never gets touched.....it's dialed in .Gor for good fit for your panel....I like to fit oversize.........,cleco in place then trim the body to fit the patch and weld flush as I go along.......takes a little practice but I end up with a nice flush weld area when done.I'll post a couple pics ..JimP1000253.jpgP1000239.jpgP1000222.jpg

[nikole95.7]

lots of good advice given to you but there is more to it that just cut, fit and weld. what about fire, will you be welding by the plastic gas tank, will you be shooting sparks into the rafters, or under the dash board or peppering the windshield with grinding or welding, catching the seats, carpets and any thing else flammable on fire. knowing how to weld is a wonderfull thing but knowing what is happening all around you when your hood is down is priceless, only time under the hood will give you what you want, i say go for it, thats what jeeps are for, but bone up as much as you can and practice on scrap in all positions before you tackle the jeep. there are many nice people on this forum willing to help you out , dont be shy about asking questions. good luck kevin

Auto body Panel welds are generally just a series of dozens and dozens of "tack" welds. Tack one spot, go to the complete opposite side, tack there, and alternate all around the panel, giving a few mins or more of cooling time in between when the welds are less than oh say 10 inches apart..... TAKE YOUR TIME, and give LOTS of cooling time, otherwise you will end up with an abortion of a warped panel and LOTS of frustrating burn-thru......

[old blue]

I respectfully challenge the notion that this takes vo-tech, college, or months of dedication to get a basic...


I say it's very do-able for anyone who is even slightly above average with their hands and has a bit of finesse. The key is patience.. as was mentioned- tiny spots scattered with plenty of attention to heat accumulation. Primary goal: avoid warp. Getting the patch in place is almost like the secondary goal, if that makes sense.. that's how important it is to control heat.

I suggest you start your training by cutting a bunch of strips 1" wide by ~12" long and turn them into half as many strips 2" wide by 12" long.
Buy or make some panel clamps like THESE then practice a bit and report back before you touch the car.

Keep in mind this weld is only required to hold light weight material together under a low load demand.
It's not a critical weld so a few defect areas of porosity or slightly cold (incomplete) fusion don't matter.