Filling body trim holes in thin gauged steel auto body panels requires the use of a MIG welder. To prepare the body panel for welding, clear the body trim hole and the area around the hole of paint, grease and other contaminants. If the metal is not clean, you will get porosity in the weld, which will in turn crack out of the body panel and the hole will not remain filled.
Things You’ll Need
- Safety glasses
- Leather gloves
- Flapper wheel
- Four-inch grinder
- Drill motor
- Drill bit set
- MIG welder
- Welding hood
- 1/4-inch piece of copper, 3 inches square
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Put on your leather gloves and safety glasses.
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Attach the flapper wheel to the four-inch grinder.
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Clean the area around the body trim hole(s) by depressing the trigger of the four-inch grinder and moving the flapper wheel across the body trim hole until the surface of the metal has no visible paint, primer or corrosion.
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Insert a drill bit that is slightly larger than the body trim hole into the chuck of the drill motor.
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Drill through the body trim hole with the drill bit to clear the hole of contaminants that could cause porosity in the plug weld that will fill the hole.
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Hook the ground clamp of the MIG welder to the car. Turn on the shielding gas if you are using solid core wire and disconnect the vehicle’s battery. (The current sent through the car will short out your battery if it is left connected.)
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Put on your welding hood.
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Place the piece of 1/4-inch copper behind the body trim panel, align the welding wire with the body trim hole and lower your welding hood.
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Depress the trigger of the MIG gun and work the weld puddle in a circular motion to fill the body trim hole. If the copper gets extremely hot, you can let it go and it will stick to the body trim weld.
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Allow the plug weld to cool completely, then remove the copper plate, if stuck, by pushing down on the top edge of the copper plate.
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Grind the weld down with the four-inch grinder and flapper wheel to blend the weld into the body panel.