To start the repair of the inside of the tailgate, I cut a piece of 16 gauge to fit the opening. I'd already welded up the opposite-side patch panel from the inside of the hole and primed it to prevent rust. Now I just had grind off some of that primer to get clean metal to weld to. The patch panel was notched, as well, to accommodate the deep bead that runs up the middle of the tailgate.
Starting my stitches, clamping it in place so that it doesn't warp too much from the heat.
Getting there.
The first round finished up.
A bit more in the bottom middle of the patch panel. The original tailgate metal there was exceptionally thin, so I just built up the area with some thicker welds.
Grinding it down helped me see some of the holes in my original welds.
After a bit more welding and grinding, I was able to smooth it out quite significantly. It won't be a hidden patch, but it won't stick out either. And sitting at the bottom of the tailgate on the inside of the rig behind the back seat, I doubt it will get much notice.
Once primered, you can see how it blends in rather well.
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