bodywork supplies

Question - Is there such a thing as sheet metal "discs" or "punchings" that a person can buy to use for welding up holes that have been drilled in auto bodies? If there is such a thing, can anyone tell me where to get them?

I've got a few various sized holes in my Jeep tub that I'd like to fill in w/sheet metal, but I don't want to make each little disc by hand and the holes are too big to just weld up. What I want are just little round slugs of 16-18 guage sheet steel, in various sizes, that I can hold in place with a magnet while I tack it, then take off the magnet and weld it up.

Thanks!

 

I use washers.

 

I honest-to-god hadn't thought of washers! Probably because they still have a hole in them, but a much smaller and easier to weld hole. Duh. I really should take a body shop class.

Thanks!

 

Depending on the size of the hole, you can use a chunk of brass or aluminum on the bottom side. Weld it up on the top side and pull the brass or alluminum away and move on to the next one. Saves time and energy. I use an old al. semi trailer door hinge.

 

I don't have a pic handy, but craftsman and others make a circle cutter that is a single point tool that is adjustable for diameter. it goes in your drill press and is intended for wood. with the installation of a center drill with small diameter, a safe jig to hold the sheet, and a properly ground lathe bit in the holder, any size disc up to about 4 inches can be cut rather accurately. you will be left with a small hole in the center that will require welding up but with the copper or brass backing sheet that Dennis mentioned, that is small peanuts. if you are interseted, I can post a pic of one later today.

 

Just be sure to turn the speed of the drill press down as far as you can with this method.

Also, on a lot of the larger (1/2") holes on my tub, I just backed the hole with a piece of 18 gauge and welded around the circumference of the hole, and fill the rest in with body filler.

 

Thanks guys! I like the washer idea and the brass/alum. backing plate. I won't be trying to cut my own, but I appreciate the suggestion. I was just wondering if there was such a thing as pre-punched patching discs available, seems like a good idea to me, but there's probably better ways to do it anyway.

I'll be doing it the old-fashioned way anyway, with an acetylene torch and steel wire rods...don't have one o' them new fangled e-lectric welders yet.