[my67c20]

I have found that using one of those large red magnets works really good for holding patch panels. Nice and strong to prevent movement, and helps to keep the edges at a consistent gap. Also frees up the other hand to attempt to put out that spark that just rolled down your shirt. The one thing to remember is the size of gap you want between the patch and the original metal. Too much and you will burn thru, too little and you will get no penetration, or if the patch expands it will give you a lip. Use the magnet to position, mark the orientation, grind the edge to achieve the desired gap. This can be done on the bench as well. Take your practice material, hold with the magnet, set your gap using a feeler gauge, tack, check for penetration. This will allow 2 things, the first is you can set your welded to achieve the penetration you need, the second is all you need to do is repeat on you actual part. Make sure you take your time, and move around the panel, to prevent warping. And do not get crazy when grinding the welds down, this creates a lot of heat that can warp things. Also if you can ditch the flux core and switch the welder to gas, it will yield better results. And do not forget some weld thru primer.