Yes. That works fine. Just make sure you stuff a wooden handle in it. That copper gets real hot real fast.

I spent $20 (I think) for a "welder's helper" from Eastwood. It is just a copper plate with a wood handle. Works great.

 

Copper plate, tube, ect. is an excellent backer/heat sink for weldeing thin gauge material, either mig or tig welded. I tend to like it better than brass, although brass will work.

Dave

 

Kurt;

Copper ? would you then silver solder ? I was wondering whether you could use 1/16 " solid steel rod, I ended up using this to fill voids in my floor seam , then ground smooth, then filled.

Tom

 

My local welding shop only rents the bottle, it's like 4 bucks a month.
Get the Bottle, You'll be sorry if you don't, I started my project without the bottle and when I got the Bottle, and changed over to Mig Gas and welded.. It was like I got hit with a 5 Gallon of V8 juice.. " I Should have gottent he bottle from the begining".
I also have a lincoln 110 mig welder, I love it.

My 56cents worth.

 

Welding seams is the cat's ***. Be sure to use a bernz-o-matic and a razor blade to clean the factory sealer out of the seam to avoid polluting the weld. I also welded all the seams including the rear fenders to the bed, if you like long smooth panels you'll love these mods.Good luck and get the gas

 

Thanks again guys. I'm going to get the mig acc. I still don't know where the money will come from, but who does. Kurt G. Y-blocks rule.

 

Check with your welding supplier about renting or leasing the tank, don't buy it. I lease 8 tanks of various gasses for my business and garage. Don't make the mistake of getting one of the small cylinders the refills will kill any savings. Shielding gas is the only way to fly with a wire feed for body work, the flux core wire is too thick for sheet metal. I just filled the louver panel on Gracie, The front edge that butts to the hood had been ground thin originally so it kept wanting to blow thru. I made an 18 ga V shaped reinforcing strip for the inside of the joint that I plug welded in place then cut open the corner and welded in an 1/8" rod to make a nice clean solid corner.

 

So for the guys who have welded the bodys seams shut on these cabs, have you ever got a ghost line where you welded the seams shut?

 

No ghost's or gremlins in mine and don't see why there would be...

 

Thanks 56, just getting ready to close the seams on one of my cabs and confirming I should be ok.

 

Same for me, 5 years into it

 

Thanbks FF. Any advise you guys can offer to make it successful?

 

I ALWAYS slightly heat the seam with a bernz-o-matic and scrape it out with a razor blade and a wire brush before welding. It may be over-kill but I don't have to redo them either. Lotsa luck

 

Could one of you post a close up pic of the seam filling in progress or b4 after pic

 

I have used copper pipe flattens out for backing and it works great. I try to use that method any where I can get the copper clamped into place.