Patch Panel Advice

[62LostInMn]

I'm looking for some feedback on my plan for a little patch panel project. My plan is to pattern & form a 22ga steel piece, wrap around the opening and attach to the fender liner. I'll leave a flap on the bottom that can fold to the rear and tie in with the bolt through the bottom that ties the fender and liner together there. That all is solid. I'm not a welder so am planning to use Lord Fusor bonding adhesive and screws for the clamp load. Most likely will leave the screws in the liner side of the patch and fill the screw holes on the outer panel surface. Ultimately I will be coating the lower body with Durabak, so perfect seams are not a huge deal.

I've cut away the rust back to solid steel on the fender and the liner, but there is still surface rust beyond where I cut. Photos attached.

- Should I cut all the way past this rust - or can I Rust Bullet that part and then sand a bonding zone to bare metal beyond that? I'd like to leave as much structure as possible.

- Should the patch be made in two pieces, liner and fender, to mimic the original so removal down the road is easier?

- Any other gotcha's my inexperience is making me overlook?

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

Jim

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Do you still have the rusty piece you removed? It will be a little more difficult making a patch panel without it. I would also grind down the surface rust spot and see if you have any pinholes of rust. it looks solid, but you're gonna want to get it to bare metal as best you can. Reach in around the opening and see if there is rust on the inside of the rocker. If so, you may have to remove more. Not too familar with using adhesives on panels. I know guys who have used them with great success, but they didn't own welders.

 

[62LostInMn]

There wasn't much left to work with, and I did the cutting with snips so it wasn't one piece. I'll have to look at the passenger side and work until it looks close.

The inside looks rust free surprisingly, but I will clean it up and paint with Rust Bullet anyway.

 

[62LostInMn]

Made a little more progress on this. Made the patch (lots of trial and error, fitting and trimming), cleaned up the surface around the hole more and started screwing it in place to test fit. Once I'm happy with the fit I'll pull it off, grind the exposed edge to feather it a bit, clean/etch the mating surfaces and glue it in. I'm using 22GA sheet and it's plenty solid with the bend and screws in place.

Anyone know what I can plug the two square trim holes with? If I was thinking further ahead I would have made the patch big enough to cover those.

I'll send more updates as I go.

 

[kb3gun]

You did some nice forming work there. Keep it up!

 

[Moto931]

22ga is kind of light, I am curious to see how welding that in goes.

 

[62LostInMn]

I used a metal bonding adhesive to glue it in. I did it Sunday night and tonight I cleaned up the edges and a few other surface rust spots on the body. I'm going to Rust Bullet the patch and the other spots, then Durabak from the lower body line down. These project take too long, I need to take a weeks vacation if I want to finish soon.

We'll see how the glue holds up.

 

[dmaddox]

Good work, especially forming the steel. I have seen these glues hold up for a LONG TIME. I don't think however they were meant to be used in lieu of welding patches such as this. I would have used a 16 guage steel and formed it similar and tacked in a butt-weld with a mig. You are going to have to trowel on the filler to make your patch invisible :shrug:

Good luck and keep us posted

 

[62LostInMn]

Thanks. I'm a non-welding, body work newbie so thought I'd give the glue a try. I had enough fun forming the 22ga, can't imagine 16 without some better tools. We'll see how it holds up. I have some fiber body filler to feather the edge and fill the holes. Then it's black Durabak for the whole lower section. I'll post more as I progress (sloooowly).

 

[PAToyota]

I'm really sold on the adhesive for patch panels. Then you can prime or undercoat "inside" the piece without then burning it off again by welding. I've seen them using it to put on whole panels like bedsides. I'd only bother welding if you're talking structural areas.

 

[62LostInMn]

Finished the job....FINALLY! I think it came out pretty good for a rookie. Good thing it's covered with Durabak though.