Welding Automotive Patch Panels with a Harbor Freight 125 Flux Core Welder

Which wire do you use? I’m new at this

Is there an advantage to using a mig tip with flux?

I actually have the same welder too and I use the fornay wire it worked really good for mine with minimal buildup on the welds. Don't know if you did the conversion on yours I haven't as far as AC to DC got a comment on my video from a guy that has done his and it works well as far as he says and I've seen other videos as well with the conversion, I think I will keep mine as it is for now as it works just fine. I'm not a body guy I'm a carpenter by trade but I try the best I can and it seems to be working, just helping my friends out whenever I can. Thanks for the content it really helped

Can you please tell me the size flux core you used please was it 030or 035

I read your response about lap welds on new cars and It floored me. I never thought about factory lap welds before, I've always butt welded my patches because I was told that was the best way to do it. I may have wasted a few years of my life fitting patch panels on old cars when lap welding would have sufficed. It's going to be hard to break the habit but I'm going to have to give it a whirl. My sons Malibu has a spot that needs repaired and lap welding it would turn an all day adventure in aggravation into a couple hour cake walk.

I like going back to these demos when I’m doing a similar repair on my nova …. I love doing body filler and learned on my own back in 83 …. And I figured it out pretty Quik , including the grater etc . … I’ve never seen anyone but you or myself spooky it so well and efficiently ! … keep making vids and I’d love to see another one of a rust repair or patch panel with the flux core , which I believe has advantages over regular mig welder

I keep burning though I’m using same setting same welder

Just joined your channel your awesome ty so much

A master at work your videos have taught me alot

😕😃🙄

Do I just disconnect the battery only when welding or do I disconnect everything Also I hear grinding the tacks down is better because if you do it right it will look like it was never touched

Throw that flux core welder in the trash, learn to butt weld, your overlap will rust and give you a bigger problem. Ooo my bad, do it right. I’ll stick to my own methods, thanks for rhe video.

First a suggestion, get an angle grinder, it will cut through like melted butter. Second, I am assuming that you're doing tack welds because it might melt through the metal, if so say so, otherwise the welds look like bird crap, just an observation not an attack, not sure if they'll hold up very well or not. If they do, cool.

Did i see that correctly? Was that new steel overlaid on the existing metal? Or was the butted up against the cut edge. Im in something similar with my car where i need to do something similarish but its up higher on the rear quarter a bit on a 2011 wrx back edge where it meets the rear bumper edge. Trying to figurebthe best way to do a repair like this. Was thinking fiberglass but id prefer tp use steel if possible

HF flux core wire sucks

What is the reason for cutting out the old metal. The patch part already is an overlap at the top why not just overlay the whole thing?

Why do I read everyplace you can't do that with flux core because it burns through. Discouraged me from messing around with my old clunkers for fun because everybody says you cannot do it "can't do it you'll be disappointed burn through this is why you can't flux core weld your body work ......" And this guy does it with a cheapo welder easily.

I have the back end of an inner sill to repair (rocker panel in US). But I have a donor car so will be cutting out a piece and working out the best way to insert it. Thanks for the tip about the overlap as I expect the outer panel will need some work.

I thought this would need a "joggle" tool to send a rebate (rabbet) into the old panel. But you've shown that's not necessary. Thank you. I do think it will need a searching searching anti corrosion oil/wax squirting into the overlapped edge behind. but it should be good.

Jesus Christ dude. Like honestly. I have officially just found the most complicated way to add more labor cost, bondo, and bad shop reputation than ever needed.

What thickness flux core wire did you use?

I love your channel so much! It has been incredibly helpful with my project. I am welding some patches into the bed of my pickup. I can see little bits of light from some angles coming between my spot welds. Will the bondo seal these holes sufficiently? Are these tiny holes acceptable or should the welds completely seal the patch?

Great video for building up an amateur's confidence level. Repair looks fantastic. Thanks a lot.

Always the best no nonsense demonstration how to do it right !! 👍🏻

It’s not my intent to be critical, but I am wondering why you left the bottom horizontal edge of the patch panel so uneven and rough.
Is that something you touched up later?

I was cringing watching this,,cutting the piece out of the fender,,imagine what that DISC could do to your fingers and hands,,🙈

I quit running anything "abrasive cutting disc" related without the guard after a Pal (lives right next door) who used work for me (he went self employed) ran one that broke - the piece of disc hit him right smack in the middle of his lips, broke in 4 front teeth, tore his jaw & lips apart like you would not believe - he looked like an extra out of a horror movie for the next few months. Dental bills were crazy.. He's 6'6" & built like a tank - an ickle little cutting disc bust him up like a hot knife through butter.. I made a mental note to leave the guard on the grinders.. Let's not....

Before he did that, I never really paid discs much heed. I do now. I run grinding discs & flap wheels sans-guard - but the grinder with the guard gets used for cutting. Cutting discs are fragile - but not as fragile as your face. :-)

very nice thanks

Anyone knows if this welder can do an aluminum patch thin as a quarter panel or hood?

How does the sand blaster help out? Thanks!

This will help me a lot. I'm planning on cutting out and welding in a whole new roof panel to my white crystallite roof Starwagon, just to halt any roof rust hard in its tracks (as well as rust bust and patch weld the rest of the body as needed). Then I'm probably going to paint strip and repaint the exterior in a tan rhinoliner. Apparently Mitsubishi had an issue with their primer under the white paint of these vehicles that would actively promote rust when exposed to sunlight. Mine was garage kept most of its life which prevented a lot of that, but at 30 years old, it's starting to show signs of rust under the paint.

What size wire did you use...

Thank you Jerry . Happy holidays. I can’t thank you enough for the knowledge that you’ve helped me with. Stay healthy amigo .Stl Mo 😊

im very cheap do you think could use this welder to fix up a rusted mount under my car?

Do you have to remove the gas tank or anything?

oil from your fingers wont help much

Which welding wire are you using ?

thanks for all the videos. keep them coning i just got a 52 chevy delux.

Brilliant video thank u 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Been enjoying watching your videos to get to work on my K10 that needs quarters. Nice stuff

Not a single weld was made in this video. 🤦‍♂️ It's clear you didn't make an attempt to learn how to weld prior to doing this.

Be sure to put as much body filler on the panel as possible. You want to make sure you're doing the maximum amount of work. Also, (as shown in the video) make sure you're not wearing any kind of protective mask while sanding. You want to breathe in as much of that carcinogenic polyester dust as possible, otherwise you might not develop cancer.

Thank you so much, I’m only 18 and have never messed with body panels, I am going to try and stretch two Jeep YJ tubs into a CJ8 tub. I want it to look as natural as possible and this should help immensely.

great video, but why didn't you weld the corners of your patch panel at the bends or weld the front solid where the grille fits ?

Nice video. Having done my own cab corners and outer rocker panels I found using .030 flux core wire to be ok for this kind of task. These lower priced machines don't take .025 wire. For the DIY folks I found using a shot of compressed air after each tack helps keep the metal from warping. Takes longer but well worth it. Any way you do body work it's a tedious job for sure.

Man TYTYTYTYTY same welder I have this helped so much you wouldnt believe . Great info on videos is helping me so much. 64 o;d dog here learning new tricks

why are yall body guys so scared to run a bead? why do yall just tack, pause, tack? do you not get the same results from running a bead then doing th same work afterwards? i just dont get it. i appreciate the tutorial and its definitely gonna help me out with my 86f150. ima cut a few sections out thats rusted theough (common spots like under the rear window) but id love to know if theres a difference in results tacking vs running a bead?

What did you treat the backside of the weld with?

OLd school. the best way. In the early 70s I did all my welding on sheetmetal using " hammer welding" use a 3/16th rod and a gas torch ,, knock it in , then a wet rag, whew. In the last of the 80s I bought a MIG. EASY
PEEEZY,,,..

I have the same machine,I don’t know how to use properly,and I’d like to know why you change the settings to minimum temp instead of maximum temperature,thanks