Rusty Thin Sheet Metal Blowing Holes Welding

The complexity of welding increases as the thickness of the material decreases.

Rusty thin sheet metal blowing holes welding.

A rust hole compromises the structural integrity of the metal. This is the thinnest sheet metal i have ever welded using this process. The most permanent repair to a hole in sheet metal is to weld the hole shut. Any kind of welder can be used but the best results come from a competent repairman using a tig or mig welding machine.

Video of the day. Try applying that technique to steel less than 1mm in thickness and you are likely to blow a hole in the metal. Try going for a wire of 023 inches when welding sheet metal. The photo is 1mm steel welded at a power setting normally reserved for 2mm steel.

For these types of holes i start by cleaning the area around the hole with an angle grinder and flap disc. Repairing rust or a rust hole on metal without welding requires a material that bonds and is as strong as metal. The easiest holes to fill are small holes about the diameter of a pen or smaller. The welding process actually adds new steel to the thin steel and can result in a repaired spot that is stronger than the original metal.

Try welding with a scrap sheet metal piece and practice many times until you start working on more important projects. Two part epoxies are designed for this purpose and when applied to a clean surface the final repair will be undetectable after painting. The butt weld page showed how to do a seam weld using a continuous torch movement. Sheet metal on the body of cars and trucks is pretty thin usually 18 22 gauge.