Sheet metal such as body panels can be welded with a 115 volt mig welder such as a Hobart Handler 140 YES Are you willing to do these 5 things…
- Get a decent mig welding machine, preferably a good 115 volt mig welder like a Hobart Handler 140.
(Actually, 115-volt mig welders are often the best choice for welding sheet metal, and a Hobart Handler 140 has all the features needed to weld thin sheet metal or even steel up to ΒΌ-inch thick.)
- Get a gas conversion kit so you can use 0.023″ bare wire. (Hobart mig welder comes with gas conversion)
Don’t even think about trying to weld a car body patch with flux cored wire. You should get a mig welder that has a gas conversion kit so you can use 75/25 gas and use .023″ bare wire like E70s6 or E70s3.
- Get some 75/25 gas (that’s 75 argon and 25 c02)
Pure Co2 is not what you want. It’s fine for welding thicker steel, but for thinner sheet metal, 75/25 argon/Co2 is the ticket. It is more versatile too.
- Get an auto-darkening welding helmet… (Especially if you’re a newbie.)
Deviating even slightly from the mark before you pull the trigger can mean the difference between a good weld and a big glob of junk that will need to be polished off. Unless you like to grind, get yourself a decent auto-darkening welding helmet. Being able to see exactly where the tip of your cable is when you pull the trigger on the mig gun makes a world of difference.
- Use a hammer and wheelbarrow frequently to distribute contractile stresses.
Sheet metal deforms when you weld it…period. You can’t stop it, all you can do is try to control it and then fix it. A hammer and dolly used intermittently between small stitch welds is what the pros do to keep the metal from distorting too much.
Welding sheet metal requires a bit of patience and finesse. But if you are willing to follow the rules. You can do it.