Welding sheetmetal

[92GaEnthusiast]

Hey guys! I was wondering, does being able to weld sheetmetal take experience? Basically, I want to cut out my spare tire compartment and make it a larger box that hangs down about the same height as the old one (for holding my two amps), but I want it to instead of being round, I want it to just be a square box. Is this something hard for somebody with no welding experience?

Also, I want to look into replacing the kick panels on mine. Underneath my GT side skirts, there are large amounts of rust, and a huge piece of the body missing where rust ate it away, and wanted to cut it out and put new metal in it (I get small sheets of sheetmetal scrap free from work, so it's not like I have really large sheets to work with)

Would either of these be a project strictly for experienced welders, or would somebody who's never welded before be able to handle it?

[norbit2]

It would cost $300-$800 for equipment if you have none, depending on what kind of welder you want to buy. It would also definitely help to have previous experience/welding classes. Best way to learn is hands on. An easier do it yourself way would be to build the size box that fits in the hole, bolt it down, and smooth it out with fiberglass. Just an Idea.

[92GaEnthusiast]

Equipment? It costs me 60 bucks to rent a welder for the weekend, including the gloves and mask. The sheet metal I get free from work.

[Nighthawk243]

He wouldn't need to BUY equipment for a once in a while deal. As said, he could easily RENT one for the weekend at a decent price.


Anyways, as far as welding, make sure you practice on a few scrap pieces before trying to actually make your finished product. Keep a bottle of windex handy too, that way you can cool the welds. Just take it slow and easy, don't weld too much in one place at a time, you'll warp the metal.

Just make sure you wear the mask while you're making the weld. Welder's flash is a very painful thing to have if you don't have the mask over your eyes. It is like putting sand in your eyes.

[Blackhawk]

Keep the heat low and play around with the speed setting, too slow and it will simply cut, too high and it will leave alot of extra crap that you will have to grind off.

[92GaEnthusiast]

When you weld the two pieces together, you start by a simple bead down the joint from the two ends all the way into the middle don't you? Than from there you use the welder to weld the two pieces together?

I'm not sure, is it like soldering? Is there a metal bar or whatnot you need to use to weld the two metals together, or does the heat itself simply do it?

Is there a way to weld the two together so that you can't tell they were welded? I don't want people who happen to look under the car see a bunch of 1'x1' squares welded together to make the box.

Also, anyone happen to know a fast, easy way to cut sheet metal? I was told to use a grinding disc or cut-off wheel, but not sure how easy/fast that is. (Also looking to get it cut in a near straight line, as I want the box to be square, not hexagonal :)

[sudden_impulse]

There are a few methods of welding: oxy-acetelyne and wire-feed are the most common. Oxy uses sticks to put the extra metal down, wire-feed uses copper wire to get extra metal. When you weld the squares, just grind the welds down as smooth as you can, and paint the metal, then nobody would notice the 1x1 squares. As far as actual welding, usually you clamp the pieces together and weld beads first, about 2 inches apart, and keep adding beads until you have a full line. Then grind it to where you want it (making sure not to go through the sheetmetal, as that'll get rid of your progress). The paint will hide the weld, and also prevent any rusting. If you have any more questions, just post them up.

[92GaEnthusiast]

Thanks alot guys, you really know your stuff!

[Blackhawk]

That's what were here for. Between grinding and painting you will want to learn how to apply body filler if you want a nice smooth appearance to the box.

[92GaEnthusiast]

not using body filler, going to use fibreglass as I plan to eventually make an in-trunk box that fills my entire trunk..

anyone know of a cheap way to fix the trunk so the hinges aren't hanging down so low into the trunk?

[sudden_impulse]

He meant using the body filler on the bottom of the box, not the inside. Also, the hinges are like that so they open up and back, so unless you know how to custom fab some new hinges or get a flip-flop trunk kit (I, and other people, will say not to), you're stuck with the long hinges.