What: Repairing rusted panel damage or installing panels like gas filler doors can create a lot of panel distortion and necessitate a lot of additional finish body work when the seams between the panels are butt-welded together. A flanged panel that overlaps where it is welded creates a double-thickness of material and a seam with little distortion or vulnerability to water penetration. Most patch panels that are purchased have a flange on them so that they can be joined securely at the weld point without a lot of heat distortion.
However, when working with sheetmetal modifications or raw sheetmetal panels you have to create your own flanged joints or work with butt-welded seams.
How: Air powered flangers are available and they create a nice clean finished flange on sheetmetal panels. A good investment for a shop that is doing this kind of work on a regular basis. For the do-it yourself rod builder having all of these trick tools can be more than the budget can stand though. A more affordable alternative is a special purpose hand tool like the panel flangers (item#31092 & item#31090-extra wide for up to 18 gauge metal) offered by The Eastwood Company.
They have special jaws in vise grip pliers that create a flange in small increments. The process creates a professional type flange that provides tight distortion-free joints where the panels are welded together. They create a .040 offset flange for clean welding with a limited amount of grinding. Both models retail for about $29.95. We used one to create the flanges while installing a gas filler door. The process is shown in the accompanying photos.
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