Panel repair / replacement Question for the Big Dogs

The tin snips are awesome if you can master them. I will watch the video. I assume its about right and left cut snips. I have never invested in a nice set of snips but maybe its time I do.
 
I watched the video and it was pretty awesome. The idea of being able to use them with no heat distortion, triming less than the thickness of the material, and easily within the capability of the range of sheet metal guages found in our projects, makes them a really nice optiion.
 
I cut the replacement piece to the exact size I need and trim the old panel so the new overlaps the old by 1/2-3/4", position it well and place some screws or clecos to hold it in place while I use a bodysaw and cut along the edge of the new panel, trim off 8" and peel back the excess, align the two pieces for flushness and apply a few tacks space 2" apart with plenty of time to completely cool before progressing on. Trim off 8" more and repeat untill the complete panel is in place with tacks spaced 2" apart. Adjust as needed with a hammer and dolly. Grind the majority of the tack welds down before progressing with more welds. Have a helper hold a piece of copper on the backside and take your time welding and grinding and bumping as you go untill the entire panel is welded. With a large panel is is almost impossible or very difficult IMO to scribe and cut to perfection and then install, when I hold the panel in place and use the method described I end up with good results. I've tried the butt weld clamps and not so good.... I'd rather have a few screw holes or cleco holes to weld up-it is no big deal. If you hold the saw at a 45* angle as you cut there is almost no gap when the pieces come together.
 
Bob, so you basically start your tack welding at one location and tack every two inches until you get to the other end? In this process, you grind and hammer the welds as you go and perfect the fitment as you go? Am I understanding correct? Also, I assume the heat from a body saw is much less than a cut off wheel?
 
yes, as you trim off the excess the two pieces just naturally align themselves, the bodysaw also cuts a smaller gap and follows curves well if you trim the width of the blade down-I can cut a 3/4" radius with no problem. Sharp 90* corners should be avoided if possible... when you have a sharp corner a lot of shrinkage gets concentrated in a smaller area and makes for more work controlling or correcting distortion-example: a circle shaped patch will have less warpage and that warpage will be uniform compared to a square.
 
Good to know, thanks Bob. Any good suggestions on a good body saw?
 
I've got a blue-point that has lasted a long time-I rebuilt it once. I had poor luck with IR. There are some really good ones available now but you are going to pay $200-$300
 
I use inexpensive ones and the only problem I've had is from applying too much pressure on the blade, and it slowly cuts into that part of the saw.
 
I tried one from Horrible Freight and it wouldn't cut butter let alone metal. Cost to ship it back was more than I would get for a refund so I threw it in the trash. Never did get another one.
 
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