Welding new panels

[Davieb]

Looking for a wee bit of advice folks....Rear wheel arches are gubbed, so bought new panels
Being as my welding is questionable at best anybody ever used these to swage the bodywork for welding in new panels or are they a load of bollox

[Jim24]

Never used them myself.
Mind, your welding will surely improve over time if you give it some head, just as with love?

Have you something you could practice on?

I'll wager that one of the welding warriors on here will be able to give you some specific advice on the swager.

[TommyP]

Swaging flat sections of panel is absolutely the best way in my experience but whilst those tools above do work, by fuck do they take forever on long runs to swage the lot. The swage makes the panel stronger, hold its shape and far les likely to buckle with the heat if you overdo it seem welding so makes for a more forgiving weld. The best way is still to do spots and keep moving so the heat disperses.

With the swage, you can even just plug weld it if you want. Swage FTW*

*another for you to look up Jim.


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[Jim24]

With the swage, you can even just plug weld it if you want. Swage FTW*

*another for you to look up Jim.

Will do Tommy - I'm going to create a handy list of these and hang it up, as I keep forgetting what they all mean and have to start afresh.

I've now got about six pages of A4 filled with various user names and passwords used on my laptop, (but not on display though). Written in big size characters, and with generous line spacing - without them I'd be stuffed. Will this new list get to be as long? This progress thing is hard work sometimes.

I've looked up FTW - brilliant, but I've never heard that saying before. I can envisage using it a lot in the future.



Later Dude....

[Davieb]

Mind, your welding will surely improve over time if you give it some head, just as with love?

Have you something you could practice on?

I welded in a new bit for the slider door rubber last year and turned out good but the rear arches are a much more visible repair

Got some scrap bits to practice on to get my hand in before tackling it

Cheers bud

[S49]

And make sure that what your welding is spotlessly clean. Have practice to get the welder set right weld in a spot at a time to avoid heat build up and distortion. If you have bought arch panels and not a quarter panel cut it down as those long straight edges they come with can end up sticking out like a sore thumb. The less you put in the easier it is to hide nicely. But obviously you need to get to good metal. Mols left arch will want doing at some point it's full a filler, I'll go for a quarter panel so it's hidden behind the lights and along the next seam up from the arch.

[fifet4]

What does the swage tool actually do? Make a seam? Never used or seen one before.

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[S49]

It puts a little step in the panel so you can slide it under the panel it fits to so they are flush. Ok on straight panels but not much use on a curved section.

[Activ8]

[fifet4]

It puts a little step in the panel so you can slide it under the panel it fits to so they are flush. Ok on straight panels but not much use on a curved section.

Cheers mate.

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[Davieb]

And make sure that what your welding is spotlessly clean. Have practice to get the welder set right weld in a spot at a time to avoid heat build up and distortion. If you have bought arch panels and not a quarter panel cut it down as those long straight edges they come with can end up sticking out like a sore thumb. The less you put in the easier it is to hide nicely. But obviously you need to get to good metal. Mols left arch will want doing at some point it's full a filler, I'll go for a quarter panel so it's hidden behind the lights and along the next seam up from the arch.

Cheers Si.....its the quarter panels ive bought , was thinking an inch or so above the crease of the arch if that makes any sense...lol
Most of the arch seems solid just the lip that folds inwards....will find out soon enough when the angle grinder comes out

[Davieb]

This kinda bit in blue

[mike_skinner]

Used one of those swaging tools on mine - worked pretty well, trimmed the repair panel to straight edges and overlapped by 10mm or so. Was worried about just butt welding so this way gave a little leeway with the cuts and gave something to push against when tacking. Take care with the settings to minimise burn through and take extra care to distribute heat. I distorted the fk out of the sill repair by rushing it


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[mike_skinner]

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[S49]

Looks like something out of Andreas tool box.