How to Plug Weld
Plug welding is an alternative technique to spot welding where overlapping metal plates are joined together by a series of small circular welds. This method commonly is used in automobile manufacturing and restoration, where spaces are too small to fit a spot welding machine's electrodes. Instead, a metal inert gas (MIG) welding torch is used to weld in a hole drilled into the top plate to melt the lower plate and fill the hole with filler metal to create a plug.
Instructions
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1
Drill holes every 1/4 to 1/2 inch along the width of the top metal plate that you are welding with a drill fitted with a 7.5 mm drill bit.
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2
Place the top piece of sheet metal over top the base piece of metal and clamp it in place so it does not move while you are working.
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3
Place the wire electrode from the MIG welding torch in the center of the first hole so it touches the lower metal plate.
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4
Pull the torch trigger to start an arc weld for 4 to 6 seconds until the hole in the top sheet fills with liquid metal. This will fill the hole with a plug and join the two sheets together at that location.
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5
Repeat step 4 until all the holes are welded.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear protective gloves and a welder's mask when welding.
Do not weld near combustible materials.
Always weld in an area with good ventilation.
References
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
