Welding a Gap

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hey i am doing some autobody work and i need to weld a 3/16th in gap. i have a mig welder but when welding i cant get it to weld to both sides. is there a trick to this??? thanks everyone Mike
Reply:Put a flat piece of copper behind the joint.  Turn down the wirespeed a little and pulse the trigger.  Build it up and spread the heat around, making lots of tacks.  This isn't structural, just dab the steel around until the gap is filled.  You'll get the hang of it real quick; just practice.
Reply:Sometimes, when I'm desperate, I just lay a bead on the edge of the sheet metal.  Then, I lay another bead on the edge of that one.  I keep laying beads until the gap is small enough that I can bridge it with one final bead.  It's a good way to cause some major warpage, but it is a quick way to fill a big gap.  I've done 1/4" gaps on 22 guage this way.  Copper is really expensive, too.
Reply:crank your heat and weave from side to side and feed that wire in, make sure you see penetration on the sides.... umm i dunno, its just always worked
Reply:You could just cut a sliver of metal 3/16 wide and weld it in.  Something that narrow would be easy to form to pretty much any shape necessary.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Copper spoon, like MAC702 said, should work fine.Bruce The Welding ChefLincoln Weld-Pack 3200 NORWELD StickStanford Hill Farm
Reply:I always used a piece of copper water pipe hammered flat or a piece of .250 aluminum.  Just try to stay away from any copper alloyed with any significent amount of beryllium it aint good for you
Reply:Somebody on this site had a good suggestion for me when I was having similar problems fillings holes and gaps.I've only got a stick welder and have never used a mig, but the principle may be similar.They suggested I use another rod in my other hand to add fill. Sort of like soldering.It worked well.Like I said, though, I've never used mig - never even seen one in action - so the above might be completely inappropriate.Scott
Reply:Originally Posted by weldingman24I always used a piece of copper water pipe hammered flat or a piece of .250 aluminum.  Just try to stay away from any copper alloyed with any significent amount of beryllium it aint good for you
Reply:hey it only took 6 months to reply but here it ishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium
Reply:Wow it might take me that long to read it, BERYLLIUM !What a cool compound, thanks for the link weldingman24.Happy Holidays 3 U & Yours,Bruce The Welding ChefLincoln Weld-Pack 3200 NORWELD StickStanford Hill Farm
Reply:run a bead along one side, then a bead along the other, keep doing this until they are close enough to weld together, there will probably be alot of warpage, if you take your time doing this (little bit of bead here,  little bit there then wait, add a little)  warpage can be cut down.  i've stick welded across gaps over an inch like this,   no its not structural. for 3/16 gap you could slug it with a 3/16 welding rod in there