advice sought on some body panel work I'm doing with a friend.

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Hi all,I am helping a friend do some body work on an old Volkswagen.  He has ordered replacement panels for repairing common rust prone areas of the body.  right now I am working on the front window area.  To get to the point.....I made a bad cut where the new piece is to be placed, leaving in some areas a 1/2" gap.  My normal procedure is to use the new panel as a template for where to make my cut leaving about a 1/16" gap.  I use backing tabs spot welded onto the existing panel and use it as both a stop for the new panel and to give it rigidity before welding it out.What would be the best way to close the gap I left?  I was thinking of using the tab braces underneath the gap as I would normally and lay down some tig welding rods side by side, tacking them and welding them in place, then grinding it down flush.Does this sound right and will it work ok?  Or should I cut a small piece to fill the gap and weld it in place?Any thoughts on this?Thanks for the help in advance.Tony
Reply:Originally Posted by therrera should I cut a small piece to fill the gap and weld it in place?Tony
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterThat is what you should do....zap!
Reply:DefinitelyFilling a 1/2" gap is a PITA with a mig let alone a tigBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Old VW?  Overcut panels?  I take this to mean an older air cooled model?  If so the Germans used a low carbon relatively heavy gauge panel materiel which lends itself well to metal finishing.  No need for bondo (steel is real, putty and paint makes it what it ain't!).I would start by taking the old old cut out piece and OXY/ACETYLENE welding it back in place with RG-45 rod.  This will save you the trouble of shaping the filler strips which is the only way to do this repair.  Gas welding leaves a much softer bead which can be hammer, dolly, shrunk and filed much easier than either TIG or MIG welds.  All welds need to be pinhole and porosity free to avoid the dreaded rust bloom at the seams which will pop the paint at the finished seams.Once you have the screw up rectified, MEASURE the cut CAREFULLY and redo it.  For accuracy, use the same tape measure to make all layout lines.  Under cut the the openings and then you can trim and  fit the new panel EXACTLY.  Joints need to be BUTT joints.  No overlap or joggle joints in panel work are acceptable (they just leave a convenient place for rust and corrosion to start).A old VW is a good learning project for a neophyte panel beater.  The material is very forgiving and thick enough to allow for overly aggressive file work until you learn a bit of finesse.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:Hi all,thanks for the tips.  Just to clarify, I didn't mean I would tig weld the oversize gap shut.  What I meant is that I was going to lay the rods into the gap and tack them in place, then weld them in.  The gap actually was 1/4" at places, most of it is 1/16" to 1/8" so it wasn't as bad as it appeared to be.I was going out to do that job within a half hour of posting my request for advice and wasn't able to get a reply before I left so I winged it.   I don't have access to a oxy-acet torch setup.  The only tools I have to use besides a harbor freight mig welder are common hand tools, grinder, clamps, hammer, drill, cut off wheels, etc.I put the rods so that they lay flush with the surface I was repairing.  They are now tacked in place awaiting welding next weekend.Thanks,Tony