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I have two ends of my trunk floor board that is completely rusted through. Each spot is located at the very end of the trunk floor board (8"x8") by the corner of the stop light and qtr panel.

How to I bend the new sheet metal for the trunk floor board to match the bend of the existing floor board? Should the add-on metal piece be butt welded?

Thanks for the help.
Gar

Truck?

Perhaps he means trunk.

Yes, I know but I was trying to be funny! I’m not Wat so mine often falls by the wayside.

There are just shy of 112,347,523 videos on you tube about how to do such things. I'd recommend Fitzees Fabrications as he does clever thing with simple tools. I never butt weld when I can overlap for strength and ease of welding.

Agreed a overlap/flange weld is much easier especially if your not a master welder. Also a flange backs up the weld area, so less changes or burning through and also gives a surface to put some temporary sheet metal screws into place to pull and clamp the pieces together. Especially in places where you just can't clamp.

I did lots of that style welding on my floor pan and the and the various patches on my dog legs and quarter panels. You can find pics in my project blog.

Youtube has lots of great resources on how to go about this. Essentially cut out all the bad metal, use cardboard to make a mock up of the piece to be replaced, cut out donor metal, bend to shape using whatever tools necessary, weld.

I agree with Ross and BigKev....much easier not to butt-weld. Especially in the trunk area. You're not doing smooth-surface body work. Sheet metal is very thin and burns through very easily. It will take some practice to get it down. Best advice is to tack in one spot, then move to another far away and tack there. Lots of small tacks later you have a completed weld. Trying to do it continuous makes it much easier to melt and burn through.

A continous weld on sheet metal is guaranteed warpage.

Tack weld it like you putting on a tire. One side then the other. Then put tacks in between all those spots. Repeated until its all filled in. Then grind to smooth all the welds down, tack up any holes and grind again.