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A short spot-weld story.
In an effort to loose weight on my SC I decided to remove the bumper shock brackets (starting with the front) as I would be using glass bumpers anyway. Wanting to make this a very clean removal, I didn't want to drill out the spots. I cut off as much of the bracket as possible and then ground and ground....... and on and on.... down to the sheet metal being very careful not to remove any of the base material. Many hours just grinding away. I'll be doing this to the rears next.
I don't always use this method, but sometimes it makes things easier in the long run. Like when you've got five spot in a row. This way you don't end up with a gaping hole that needs to be filled. Carefully grinding the area down might be easier.
Usually if one of the panels is to be replaced and they are evenly spaced spot welds, I pilot drill through the spot and then run a 1/4" through. In the replacement panel I'll put a 1/8" hole in line with the 1/4" to ensure good penetration. Sometimes it's handy to use a copper backup on the back side of the hole to minimize burn through. You can just use an old mig wire tip held with a pair of vice grips.
I haven’t been happy with the results produced by spot weld cutters. It is difficult to tell how far you've cut and I usually end up digging too far into the base material.
Maybe there is a better way?
I appreciate the time many people take to post their project info here.
Keep your chin up.
Tim K
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