This is a very interesting thread, and this is something I have pondered over in the past but was too chicken to try it.
I am a journeyman welder, and understand how the welding process works obviously.
That being said, I am also open to new ideas when it comes to joining sheet metal together without welding.
The problem with welding sheet metal is the distortion factor as well as the soundness of the weld when it comes to pinholes and slag inclusions etc. especially by amateurs.
I was under the impression that when you use any kind of panel bonding method, that you would need to flange and lap the two parts together and rigidly clamp it or screw it together so that the fit was as tight as you can get it.
And of course, cleanliness of the two attaching points would be very crucial on the final outcome when it comes to strength and the joint lasting under stress. (The same goes for welding as well)
I for one would like to see pictures of your stress tests that you say that you performed.
If the welded bond failed at the weld, the the welding process wasn't good enough.
The parent material should always fail before the weld does.
If this stuff is all that you make it out to be, I personally wouldn't weld another panel on a car.
Finally, my thoughts are that if you are 100% correct, the advantages to using panel bond would make the bodyworking process a lot easier to say the least and have corrosion of the joint area down to a very minimum long term.
Did the magnetic welding clamp that you used to hold the parts together have a cellophane or plastic covering to keep it from sticking to the panel bond?
Another question that I have is how well do the primers and paint and or filler react with this adhesive?
Thank you for being brave and posting this...........
