Steps Involved In Auto Body Welding

Auto body panels MIG welding can be very tricky since the really thin particles are involved. For thinner materials lower welder settings and some techniques are required. However once you attain some practice welding auto body parts would become very much easier. The main tactic involved is getting a solid and strong weld without warping or burning through the metal. It is recommended that you must practice the welding on some scrap sheet metal if you have any. You would get a chance to clarify the common mistakes that you commit. Thus you can be confident on carrying out an important project without causing any mistakes.

The first step involved in welding auto body parts is cutting the sheet metal precisely. You have to make sure that the gap is as small as possible while welding the thin metals. And also the pieces should fit together extremely well. The job can be made a lot easier with the help of a quality pair of tin snips. While doing any sort of welding, bridging a large gap would be a time consuming and hectic job. And it is almost impossible to weld large gaps in MIG welding auto body material. For finally shaping the pieces, an angle grinder can be used and also for fitting the pieces exactly as possible.

It is advisable to tack weld in the beginning itself. As the heat would warp everything quickly you should never attempt to completely weld up any body panels. Instead what you can do is to tack weld them together for a few inches. Thus allowing everything to cool between arc. You can easily tack weld by pulling the trigger on the MIG welding gun for some two seconds. The aim is to stick them together by which the panels won't separate. This would also avoid burning through or warping the sheet metal.

Next you have to fill the gaps with the weld. Since the body panels are tacked together, you can connect them by welding the seams. Make sure that you weld slowly, only two to three inches at a time. Make sure that the entire weld is cooled before striking another arc in order to avoid warping. Finally you have to grind the welds down. Once the body panels are completely welded it is necessary to smooth the welds down. Thus they would flush with the rest of the metal and would not be seen. Coat the welded area with primer for avoiding rust.