stick weld sheetmetal?

[batman13]

how stupid would it be to try stick welding sheetmetal?
i know it can be done, but is it a PITA? i've got a scrap sheet i can practice on, it's just a little thicker than the body of my truck.

i just found out it would cost a ton even for my uncle to replace my cab corner,
plus i still want to do 90% of my own work on the truck (blood,sweat and tears)

[Thump3r]

have fun trying to stick weld the shtet metal it wont be easy. and the metal on the truck around the cab corners is stretched already and easy to burn thro

you can use liquid weld theres alot of shops that use it for body repair work. and i even think there was an episod on spike tv ( trucks) that showed how to do it. its not the best way but if done right it will work just fine. atleast this way it will save you some cash and you can do it your self

[Alta Boy]

Yeah, stick welding and sheet metal don't really go together.

[batman13]

I want to do it right, would it be better to use a wire-feed? i know they use those on bodywork, you just gotta jump around right?
I think i can find a minitrucker to do it cheaper. but i like doing my own work

[Alta Boy]

A wire fed welder is practically made for sheet metal. Just use a lower heat setting and don't weld in a continuous bead. Tack weld around the patch in a few spots so the heat doesn't warp the metal. Go back and tack weld in between your previous tack welds then fill in the blanks with a continuous weld between the tacks. Alternate your continuous welds so that you don't have a lot of heat in one spot or on one side of the patch.

[batman13]

yea, i watch powerblock almost every week, they seem to cover sheetmetal welding at least once a week

[AmberFireDaK]

Originally Posted by Alta Boy

A wire fed welder is practically made for sheet metal. Just use a lower heat setting and don't weld in a continuous bead. Tack weld around the patch in a few spots so the heat doesn't warp the metal. Go back and tack weld in between your previous tack welds then fill in the blanks with a continuous weld between the tacks. Alternate your continuous welds so that you don't have a lot of heat in one spot or on one side of the patch.

Whay he said....

Stick welding is practicaly impossible on sheet metal.....it will blow through almost instantly. It's pretty easy to blow through even with a MIG

[00dakota]

Stick is used for heavier gauge metal.No good for thin ass sheet metal.

[njdak]

i stick weld and you'll burn right through. I use the stick for black pipe that is at least an inch thick. use the wire its the best way.

[batman13]

thanks guys. now i know better