Hi all, so i picked up a 99 civic hatchback and it has the usual Honda cancer on the quarter panels, and i'm looking to cut out the existing rust and weld in some new patch panels, I'm new to welding but i'm wondering if a cheap flux core welder is good enough to weld these panels in without using a gas welder? anyone ever used one for bodywork before and how did it turn out!? thanks!

 

I used one on my quarter panel 8 years ago. Still holding fine and no rust has come back. Just make sure you prep and paint both sides when finished and you should be good. I'm no body guy but this worked for me

 

I've heard the patch panels will warp really easily, is it better to just lay some tacks around instead of doing a full seam? and what wire size should i be using for this? thanks in advance

 

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You really want to use solid core and gas shielding, due to how thin the sheet metal is. Flux core is generally for thicker metal, as the polarity (DCEP) you run with it causes for more penetration. With thinner metals you may inadvertently burn away your existing metal, and then you'd be chasing a hole trying to fill it. Be that as it may, you CAN do it with flux core.

Make sure you have a wire brush, and also strip away the paint from the area, about an inch or 2 away from where you are working on. (Burning paint smells bad and will give you the cancer, nobody wants the cancer!) Use the wire brush to clean off the slag, as you don't want it to contaminate your next weld.


Yes it will warp if you try to weld a whole seam at once. You'll want to take it until it is all filled, or small stitch welds. Jump around to distribute heat evenly. Pay attention to the metal, check your part often to make sure it isn't distorting.
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If you're wanting to buy a cheap harbor freight machine, while it will somewhat work, they aren't generally good machines.

If you are not experienced at all with welding, go down to a metal vendor and buy some sheet metal scraps that are about the same thickness as your parts, and cut them up (or have them sheared) and do a few practice runs to get dialed in with the machine and material. Take off your nozzle, you don't need it with FC.


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X2 what caoboy said. Do small tac welds spread out. If I had the money back then I would have just bought a welder that excepted gas. Now I just tig any panel I do