Welding cracks in sheet metal

[hodge]

It's interesting that coat hangers have been mentioned- down in Haiti, where resources are scarce, that is usually what's done when no electricity is available. They have carbide tanks to make acetalyne, and they use coat hangers for filler wire. It works.

 

[yomax4]

You have the welder, weld up the cracks and be done with it. Good practice and you will enjoy the project.

 

[Gary Fowler]

In pre-electric light days (and even later in houses off the grid), some houses had acetylene lights. To make it even more dangerous, some of those houses (maybe all) generated their own acetylene. Also, way back when .... car headlights ran off self-generated acetylene. And then there were the miner's helmets that had headlamps that ran off gas created by dropping water on to Calcium Chloride rocks.

QUOTE]
I think you mean Calcium Carbide. Calcium Chloride is what is mixed with water to prevent freezing when putting in tractor tires in days of olde.

 

[Gary Fowler]

As long as your gas tank doesnt have a leak and you are sure no gas lines are in the way, just weld it up then wet it down to cool off everything. As said you may want to do this outside away from your shop, just in case of fire. A car fire is hard to put out and goes from small flame to large one very fast. There is so much rubber and foam on it used for insulation that can burn hot and fast one has to be extremely careful.
Drilling the holes as you have done then putting on a top sheet with poprivets would be safest route and likely be as go or better than welding. You could also put some type of adhesive similar to car mfg uses between the sheets to bond them all together for super strong joint.

 

[sandybeach]

"I think you mean Calcium Carbide. Calcium Chloride is what is mixed with water to prevent freezing when putting in tractor tires in days of olde."

You're right. It's hard to get Calcium Chloride hot enough to braze, much less weld ... and acetylene in the tractor tires would not be a good idea.

 

[Jim in ICT]

The small cylinders of Acetylene are commonly known as "MC" and "B" for Motor Car and Bus service.