Could i use an arc welder to weld in a rust repair panel?

 

yep, considering most all welders are arc welders.

if you are talking about SMAW arc welding, answer still stands but you will have to be pretty careful. i'd use a 3/32 or smaller 6010 running quite cold, same method stitching and yea, it will probably work. it won't be the easiest thing in the world, definitely not as easy as mig welding it would be.

 

They do make 1/16" 6010 rods.

 

That is really really going to suck. Find someone with a mig you can borrow. All that scratch starting is going to make a mess. Generally when you're welding a panel with a mig you just do a bunch of small tacks and eventually join them together to keep the heat out of the metal so it doesn't warp. I can't see doing that with stick. Either get a mig, tig, or glue it on.

 

it can be done, it definitely can be done. just takes some patience and some skill. you're right though, it is definitely going to be much easier with a mig. (i wouldn't recommend tig for this particular job either, just as i wouldn't recommend flame welding it even though it's been done in the past. lots of bodymen flame welded panels together way back when.)

 

it can be done and it's not that hard I welded in a panel on my old s10 with 1/8 6011 lol. just do a bunch of tacks spacing them afar apart as you can to minimize the heat input and avoid warpage. yes mig is the easiest and fastest way to do it but stick(smaw) isn't as hard as you think since you are just throwing down a **** ton of tacks.