[dsraven]

also spot tack the panel all the way around before starting to weld,then just weld a short bead and walk away. when the welded area is the same temp as the surrounding metal do another stitch somehwere else, then walk away. its good to have another project on the go so you can get sidetracked and not get antsy about getting the welding done. if you get a seam that has too much gap you can use a copper or brass piece behind as a backer, the weld puddle won't fall through so easily. I have used a flattened piece of copper pipe in the past.