welding floor panels

[iamhere]

hey guys. i'm relatively new to all this, just wanting advice on how best to weld new floor panels into a classic mini. do i overlap the new panel or have it up against it and use the weld to fill the gap between? if that makes sense and what is the best sort of weld to use?

cheers

 

[Robotstar5]

Overlapping always has the possibility of rust traps between the plates, butt welds are better but need a bit of practice to get right.

 

[keith19]

As above. When we used to replace these in the workshop it was a quick overlap job all round, trimmed to fit what it was going into. Joddled (or joggled) if it had to look nice. But that was because of throughput.
Butt welding makes a better job, but more difficult on thin mini metal. Try to get alloy or copper strip or plate the other side wherever you can if you butt weld, to take off some of the heat. Nicest job is with a gas torch.

 

[Angusdog]

Are they repair panels or a whole new floor? If it's a whole floor, it should be plug welded to replicate the original spot welds. If it's repair panels, butt welds are better in terms of rust prevention. The floor panel is around 1.1mm (thicker than other body panels on a mini) so you should be able to butt weld if your fit-up is okay. Cut carefully and offer it up loads of times to make sure it's as close a fit as you can.

 

[iamhere]

great advice guys. cheers