One of the most important parts of doing a restoration and holding new metal in place is how well the panel fits. If the metal fits well then the entire project will go more smoothly. The goal when lining up patch panels is to have the two separate pieces of metal sitting flush and on the same plane. So unless you’re an octopus or a mythical creature with more than two hands you’ll need a hands-free way to hold sheet metal in place when welding.
This is where the Eastwood Intergrips come into play. These innovative panel-alignment clamps make it easier for you to position flat or curved panels for precise butt welds. Intergrip panel-alignment clamps work like miniature butt-weld clamps that align panels edge-to-edge and surface-to-surface, leaving an ideal 0.040″ gap for full weld penetration. Clamp the sections together, tack weld, and remove the Intergrip welding clamps for final welding. The result is a clean butt weld that requires little grinding, and is less likely to trap moisture.
We have found these clamps to be superior to overlapping patch panels as they give a fully penetrated weld seam with no overlapped metal that can rust over time. While these come in sets of four we suggest getting enough to hold an entire quarter panel at minimum as you will find you’ll never have enough once you find out how handy they are!
To see all of our welding accessories visit our website HERE.