Wide gaps

[GMCAMARO]

I am a newbie on this forum, hello everyone.
I have been welding for a short while, as a hobbyist.
I have a Hobart 110 system.

I am working on a truck restoration.
my question is this, when I cut a piece of metal I did not align a piece properly so my gaps are large, in the neighborhood of a 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch.

Is there a way to fill them with out welding a piece along the edge?

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

you could run some weld along one side of the gap and while that's cooling run another weld along the other side. Give it a minute or so and then do the same again. Eventually you'll run one weld that joins both pieces...maybe 3 - 5 runs depending on the gap and how much your weld burns the metal back.

It may not be very strong though...is it on something that's critical? If so you should consider using a new piece of metal or at least a 'filling' piece.

Regards
Peter

 

[steve g]

is it plate or sheet steel ?is it body repare? or chassis 1/4 to 3/8 is not wide whats it going to do can you be moor specific a bit off a cheet get a gas welding rod? tack weld to both sides off metall then fill with [tac welds]intermitent weld

 

[chunkolini]

What I often use of sculptures is place a few pieces of mild steel gas welding rod along the gap, put tiny spot welds along them to hold them in place and weld over the top of that. Grind it back and you have an invisible repair I would not reccomend this in a safety critical weld. I only use it when I am filling gaps in a surface.

Chunko'.

 

[GMCAMARO]

First of all thank you for all your suggestions.
Second of all this forum and website is the best ever, even beats all that porn(humor).

It is a 50's truck restoration. Its a floor board. After searching on this web site, what I found was the suggestion for building it up and also to use a filler piece. Because it is not straight and has some curves, I am doing both.

 

[lecky7777]

Hi GM CAMARO, the previous suggestions are great, but there is another way. If you have a big gap, try toget a decent thickness of brass plate, say 8-10mm thick and place it underneath the gap in your floorboard. You will find that you can fill the gap in the floorboard quite easily and the brass won't stick to the weld pool and easily detaches.
Lecky.

 

[lexi]

Your gap may be a wee bit wide but you can use a backing piece of Alumnium or Brass to help you fill in the gap. If you can get it in behind and out when finished of course.

Your weld will not stick to the brass or ally (thick) and will hold your molten weld a bit rather than the wire shooting through the gap. It can help to shoot a tack across the gap while you build up.

Again if it is structural best to recut the pieces.....

 

[craigthewelder]

A wide gap is when you can reach through and shake hands with the guy welding the other side.

 

[lexi]

ROFLMAO!! Craig

I must have been typing same time as you LECKY

 

[steve g]

i used to work in the van making industry used to use on floor off cab were the step joins the floor which was some times 1/2: wide but i have iv used copper where i could put copper behind i had a enginer that had just come from collage could not tell im anyting new it all come to me to fill in a large hole said to im that i could not fill need a peace off copper need im to hold it on job for me not to let it go till i fineshed welding and he did got two lovely blisters on is fingers he did not no that if you put heat on copper that it was a good heat conducter ??sorry about the spelling