What's the best way to fill holes?

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Hey guys I have some 1 1/4 X 2 3/8 X 3/32 rectangular tubing from an old tanning bed frame that i want to make a sofa table frame with. Some of the tubes have 3/8 to 1/2 inch holes that i need to fill. What is the best way to fill the holes so they dont show when it's all painted semi gloss black?  I have MIG, TIG & stick. Thanks in advanceSafety 3rdGump
Reply:For something that big, I'd probably use some sort of "filler" material and weld that in to reduce the size. Washers come to mind as an easy round "plug". A small chunk of rod stock stuffed in the hole, welded up and cut and ground flush, comes to mind as a 2nd choice. I'd probably go with mig and pulse the weld to fill the edges myself if using washers or if I had to fill big gaps, since all you really want is to hide the hole and it's not structural. I'd probably opt for .023 wire and 75/25 gas as my 1st choice, but I could make bigger wire work if I had to, there would just be more clean up..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:MIG will be the easiest and quickest to fill the holes. To keep the repair invisible, your grinding procedure will be the hard part. I'd suggest this: First use a hard grinding disc to grind each bead down as close to the surface of the base metal as you dare without grinding into the base metal, Second switch to sanding disc with a backing pad to finish it off, and sand it as flat as you can, Third use a paint removing disc to finish the surface scratches. If you find any undercut from the welding, do not try to grind it out, stop grinding, weld it up, and start over with the grinding, divots look bad.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:I would cut plugs out of cutoffs of the tub you are using.  I would mig them and finish them like any auto body man would.
Reply:Weld them up as best you can, grind them a little low and apply bondo, sand smooth and no one will be able to tell you did anything.
Reply:Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll try a couple of your tecniques on some of the inside holes for practice first.Safety 3rdGump
Reply:I've repaired some holes like that. I use .023 75/25 and build from the outside in. You will have to pulse it like DSW stated, but I don't use any patch material, just the MIG wire itself.Sort of like a rosette weld.When I started learning to do MIG, I would sometimes blow through and create a big hole, so I practiced filling the hole in to correct my mistake.Lincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175