Jerry here.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
So essentially the question(s) I have surround the topic mentioned in the title: welding body panels in an automotive application with the TIG process. I suppose that the first question I have is "why is that?" I mean you don't see that done much. Primarily it's MIG that is used; and I'll have to throw myself into that pool as well because I have done that many times over the years. My primary hobby isn't welding actually, it's automotive restoration. However recently I've been doing more fabrication related projects, admittedly. I digress.
If someone were to pose the question of why I don't use TIG when doing auto body work as a hobby restoration guy, my answer would be "time". MIG is just quicker, easier and simpler to use in this particular application context. At least in my opinion it is. The few times I've attempted TIG (using the equipment of other people, I don't have a setup just yet) I remember thinking that I'd avoid doing that in any of my projects.
Yet here I am.
To speak openly, I suspect that I'm merely experiencing a desire to stretch my abilities a bit and to infuse new excitement in pending projects. Not that doing so is a bad thing, 'just sayin'. I don't use aluminum nor stainless much, so I haven't bothered to source a TIG machine. I do lots of stick and MIG, just never ventured down the TIG road. Watched a lot of videos on the subject, to include yours, read a book about it, etc. Just never had my own rig, as the saying goes. And now that I find myself doing more fab work, perhaps it's time to get just such a box.
So this is becoming rather long; I'll cut it off at the pass a bit. I've already posed the first question. The second is in regard to the procedure that I would follow. I would like to get your feedback on the matter.
These panels are your usual automotive type, sheet metal, mild steel, 18 gauge, etc. These two panels in particular will be butt-welded. With the material being rather thin, you can't weld it per se (as y'all likely know) so it's merely a bunch of tack welds until the panel is "sewn up", with cooling-off periods in-between. However the thought I am entertaining is to follow your basic formula of using a TIG box to do the tacking instead; following your formula of increasing the amperage higher than you'd weld it at, then just applying a series of fast bursts with no filler wire. I do have concerns regarding this approach, but again, this is long, so I'll stop there.
Anyway, feedback is appreciated.
Thanks!
Jerry