The Ford Barn

oldredford · 08-26-2011, 07:47 PM

Why is it some patch panels come with the flange already made and some do not. I have found the longer patch panels usually come with a flange. What are the pro and cons of flange versus straight end butt to butt panels. Are the welds better with flange or BTB. I am replacing the lower 4 inches of the bottom back panel on my 30ccpu and this panel is flanged. Now the lower cowl patch panels are not flanged. Need advice and opinions.

Kevin in NJ · 08-26-2011, 08:49 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Well what are your goals?

Do you want to become a better metal worker or just slam it home and glop bondo to level it?

The flange is quick and easy. Little chance of burn through and you do not have to carefully match the panel to the patch.

The problem comes from trying to level the metal, especially on such a large flat area such as the bottom of the pickup cab.

The important concept to understand is every weld is a shrink point. You correct shrinkage with hammer on dolly hits. You can not do this properly with an overlap seam.

With a little bit of knowledge, practice and a shrinking disk you can do some pretty amazing repairs.

See my website for more ideas and places to go learn more.

08-26-2011, 07:47 PM	#1
oldredford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Moncks Corner, SC Posts: 439	Patch panels Why is it some patch panels come with the flange already made and some do not. I have found the longer patch panels usually come with a flange. What are the pro and cons of flange versus straight end butt to butt panels. Are the welds better with flange or BTB. I am replacing the lower 4 inches of the bottom back panel on my 30ccpu and this panel is flanged. Now the lower cowl patch panels are not flanged. Need advice and opinions.

08-26-2011, 08:49 PM	#2
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: Patch panels Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Well what are your goals? Do you want to become a better metal worker or just slam it home and glop bondo to level it? The flange is quick and easy. Little chance of burn through and you do not have to carefully match the panel to the patch. The problem comes from trying to level the metal, especially on such a large flat area such as the bottom of the pickup cab. The important concept to understand is every weld is a shrink point. You correct shrinkage with hammer on dolly hits. You can not do this properly with an overlap seam. With a little bit of knowledge, practice and a shrinking disk you can do some pretty amazing repairs. See my website for more ideas and places to go learn more.