Sheetmetal fabrication and replacement mystifies a lot of us because it takes talent and patience to achieve the desired results. It also takes experience. However, every skill we learn has to start somewhere, and panel replacement is something you can learn both by doing and by watching others who know how to do it well. We’re going to illustrate how to patch and replace panels yourself in your home garage. To get there, you’re going to have to invest in, or rent, tools to do the job.

Right off the top is a big one: You’re going to need a light-duty wire-feed MIG welder, which will enable you to stitch and “rosette” weld (also known as plug welding) sheetmetal components using household current. You’re also going to need the tools of sheetmetal repair, and that list can get lengthy — a grinder with a variety of discs, body hammers and dollies, aviation snips, clamps of various types, a 1/2-inch drill and drill index, and a variety of putty knives and spreaders with which to apply filler. Don’t forget eye and face shields along with work gloves to protect your hands. Of course, you’re bound to discover more needs as you go to work.

If you’re replacing entire body panels, it is strongly suggested you stick with the factory seams and avoid creating new “butt joints,” where the ends of two pieces of sheetmetal are butted together and welded. Although this is common practice for body technicians, it takes a lot of skill and experience to know how to successfully conceal a butt joint and to make sure it won’t reveal itself later. For the novice, butt joints can create problems later on, especially if they can be seen in the paint. Overlapping of the welded joints can be easier to execute during the welding phase, but this will usually require more filler work afterwards to conceal, which may also result in problems later.

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