A small patch panel

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kennythewelder

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This short video, is the proper way to do a patch panel. Be it a small repair, or a large one, the basics are the same. It is critical to keep the heat to a minimum.https://www.facebook.com/reel/1376064526530855?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz
 

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Cool, thank you for posting. Any recommendations on a 120 v starter setup for general purpose? (I'm not completely inexperienced, just don't have my own equipment.)
 

kennythewelder

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Cool, thank you for posting. Any recommendations on a 120 v starter setup for general purpose? (I'm not completely inexperienced, just don't have my own equipment.)
If all your going to do is sheet metal work, an inexpensive machine will work. The issue with one of those though, is getting parts, and someone to work on it, when, and if something goes wrong with it. Anything thicker than about 1/8 inch, and you really need a 240 volt machine. A 120, just doesn't have the power to fuse the metal together. Miller is the best, Lincoln is a very close second, but they are expensive. Hobart, and Esab are decent, but again, not inexpensive. You can get a cheap Harbor Freight machine, and it will work, and get you by, but it's kind of a throw away machine. Once it brakes, you are going to have a hard time finding parts.
 

Erik the Awful

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I love videos like that, but it makes it look a lot easier than it is. If it's your first time, this is what it's going to look like.

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kennythewelder

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I love videos like that, but it makes it look a lot easier than it is. If it's your first time, this is what it's going to look like.

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Yeah, that waviness is a direct result of to much heat. You have to weld as dot, move to the other end, and do the same. Repeat, repeat, repeat, but you have got to give it time to cool, and cool it your self with air, or a wet rag, or, and all of the above. The weld area has to be cool before you proceed to the next welded area. Also, you don't want to cool the area, when it's still red hot.
 

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This short video, is the proper way to do a patch panel. Be it a small repair, or a large one, the basics are the same. It is critical to keep the heat to a minimum.https://www.facebook.com/reel/1376064526530855?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz
This is pretty good, what I'm not seeing is the use of weld-through primer. I like the wire brush action as he goes along. I keep a drill motor with a wire brush to do the same. I have mixed emotions about weld thru primers but it probably better than absolutely nothing. Many guys and I sometimes will epoxy the back/insides of a piece and just prep the edges where your welding and a little weld through. Also needs to be followed with some cavity wax and a wand to get inside.
 

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I love videos like that, but it makes it look a lot easier than it is. If it's your first time, this is what it's going to look like.

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Your welding would have gone much better if a wire wheel was used to prep the metal prior to welding. The same for the grounding clamp. I usually prep both pieces so that both pieces are grounded if possible. I usually clamp/vice grip both sides of a rosette and do a little hammer/dolly work to make sure the metal is flat and tight. Rosette's should be completely filled with weld.
 

kennythewelder

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This is pretty good, what I'm not seeing is the use of weld-through primer. I like the wire brush action as he goes along. I keep a drill motor with a wire brush to do the same. I have mixed emotions about weld thru primers but it probably better than absolutely nothing. Many guys and I sometimes will epoxy the back/insides of a piece and just prep the edges where your welding and a little weld through. Also needs to be followed with some cavity wax and a wand to get inside.
Yes, I agree. As you well know, anything that you weld, needs to be clean shiney metal. Prep work, is everything. When I did my cab corner on my truck, I used a little thicker metal for the patch. I welded it in, then after welding, I grinded down the welds. Once done, I really didn't want to use Bondo so I actually used some JB Weld, as a filler. Yes, it took a lot longer to do, but I can still say, there isn't really any body filler on my truck. As for the back side, I keep saying I'm going to spray it from the other side, by removing some grommets, but I still haven't done it yet, and it's been well over a year. IMO, weld through primer, is a contaminate. Yes, I know, that's what it's for, but still in all. Sandblasted metal, welds the best, after a wipe down with alcohol, IMO. Also cleanin the welds as you go, is always good. A lot of our work here, we preheat, but we are dealing with much thicker metal here. Also, if you think that steel warps and pulls, try stainless. It pulls and distorts a lot more than steel does. I did this Hyd rod this morning. Preheated to 575° F. The rod is chrome, and eyelet is steel. The small weld is stainless I did last week. These welds, are free hand TIG with no pulse generator. Oh, and that is a bread wrapper next to my SST weld.
 

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0xDEADBEEF

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I don't know if I stumbled on a great discovery or just got lucky, but I realized after the fact that when I did the cab corner on my son's truck that I mig welded it with the wrong polarity. I still had the settings for flux core wire.

Anyway, I had no problem at all with warping or blowing holes through it which is unusual for me.
 

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If all your going to do is sheet metal work, an inexpensive machine will work. The issue with one of those though, is getting parts, and someone to work on it, when, and if something goes wrong with it. Anything thicker than about 1/8 inch, and you really need a 240 volt machine. A 120, just doesn't have the power to fuse the metal together. Miller is the best, Lincoln is a very close second, but they are expensive. Hobart, and Esab are decent, but again, not inexpensive. You can get a cheap Harbor Freight machine, and it will work, and get you by, but it's kind of a throw away machine. Once it brakes, you are going to have a hard time finding parts.
Ok, thank you. I don't see doing anything too large, my limitation at this point though is I only have 120 out to my garage. Planning to rewire it for 240, so maybe I'll wait until that's done.
 
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