Filling holes with any welded can be difficult as the edges of the hole tend to burn away very quickly and you can very quickly make the hole larger and put too much heat into the panel. We’ve found that sometimes small little tools will make a world of difference when fabricating and welding. Filling or shaving holes on your project car are no different. Below we list some of our favorite accessories for hassle-free hole filling.
Copper Magnetic Weld Backer
Copper backers are the best for helping to fill holes in metal; especially for beginners. If you tend to work alone a set of magnetic copper backers will allow you to stick them to the back side of the panel and weld up the hole. We suggest using the largest size backer you can fit in behind the hole as it will also work as a heat sink and reduce the heat affected zone.
Adjustable Copper Weld Backer
Life is never easy and neither is repairing your project car. There is likely going to be a time when you’ll find a yourself with a hole that needs to be filled on a curve or odd shape on the vehicle and you can’t get a standard copper backer behind the hole. That’s where an adjustable magnetic copper backer comes in to play. The thumb screw allows you to adjust the angle of the copper plate. The copper plate is small so it can fit in tight curves so it won’t absorb as much heat as the other backers but it still helps and can’t be beat for filling holes in the center of a curve in a panel.
Handheld Welder’s Helper
Handheld Copper backers or “Copper Spoon” is the original weld backer and we’ve been offering it for many years. The kit comes with multiple copper spoons that attach at different angles to fit many different shapes and positions. These are must-have for a beginner welder and will last almost a lifetime.