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Rust Repair - Part 2

Started by _Unidentified_ , Nov 14 2006 11:34 PM

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17 replies to this topic

#1 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 14 November 2006 - 11:34 PM

Step 1
Cut through 3 tack welds and remove ill fitting panel.

Step 2
Thought I'd go through forming up the panel. Here we start with just a flat piece of sheet. With the section removed, I've marked it out onto the new bit of metal (prolly can't see that).
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Step 3
Cut out the shape using tin snips (they are more accurate, and so long as you keep the start of the jaws up tight to the preceeding cut, no jaggies. Note that it is curved the wrong way from the snips. Just roughly straighten again using hands.
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Step 4
Make tight curve first along the bottom. Although the bottom tight angle is marked, I've just put a couple of snips in at each end in case I loose the line along the way. For the tight curve, I've used the base of the engine stand, slowly moving the metal over the edge and tapping it. Repeat process till you get the desired curve (slow process).
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Step 5
Form up the larger radius curve. Again I used the engine stand base, and just used body weight and moving the metal along to get a smooth flowing curve. Don't use too much force, or you'll get lines. Dolly out lines if you end up getting some.
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Step 6
Next is the tight return angle. I said the world was your dolly, and in this case, I used steel angle on the boat trailer. The straight hard edge on top to get the line first, then the openside to tap the metal for the acute angle.
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Step 7
Test fit the panel and adjust as necessary with grinder/snips.

Step 8
I placed the panel and scribed the return leg, prior to cutting with tin snips.
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Step 9
Tack the panel in place, dollying as you go to get the best alignment.
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Penetration of the tack welds looks OK. Couple a holes already!!!
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Step 10
Weld away in 25mm steps, letting panel cool between. Can't see it in the photo, distortion isn't too bad. Might need a few heat shrinks towards the front and rear above the new panel, but nothing to die in a ditch about just yet.
Posted Image

Step 11
Run out of MIG wire, and too late to grind. Pack up and wait for pay day.

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#2 355LX

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Posted 14 November 2006 - 11:55 PM

Nice work Pat. I just picked up a pair of rear 1/4 replacement panels for the hatch, will be having a crack in a couple of weeks.

How do you do the heat shrinks that you talked about to fix or improve distortion?

Dave

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#3 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:04 AM

I'll show those later, cause you almost always have to do a few to get it all sitting flat, unless of course you have an easy-beat (I don't).

Basically, you introduce heat preferably using an oxy (don't have one of them either, so I use a small napthane?? torch, yellow cylinder), create a hot spot (orange), then with a welding glove on, place the dolly behind, and hammer the metal in toward the hot spot, then quench it with a wet rag. Draws the metal in.

Downside is that it makes the metal brittle, so best to try eliminate the need for them in placing the panel.

Tried the high and low setting on the MIG. High was too hot and getting holes, low wasn't getting penetration. Was just getting some nice good penetrating welds, sitting fairly flat by pulsing the trigger on high.....then ran out of wire!!!!

Oops ^^ Final bit of heat shrink is to actually dolly the hot spot flat, prior to quenching, otherwise you'll get a high spot. Only needs a couple of hits though.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 15 November 2006 - 12:08 AM.

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#4 355LX

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:11 AM

I'll just have to be careful then not to get it too hot to begin with....

I've got a Cigweld 200, and have similar problems. Either just too much, or just not enough. But I need more practice, and have to keep an eye on my gun angle. I'll try to remember to take my camera with me when I try and burn in these Rare spare 1/4's, will be amature hour plus 10!!

On a similar note, have you tried an auto-darkening helmet? I'm thinking of splashing out, using the drop down pisses me off.

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#5 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:18 AM

I'm with you. Last time I looked they were spensive, but they seemed to have dropped heaps in price of late.

Think that's how I flashed myself, flipping gave me the shits last time putting the tacks in, cause you got to hold the panel in place, while you tack. Sooner or later you run out of hands.

Have a go, most things can be fixed. If not, there is always a thin smeer of bog to consider. Most repairs need a little bit anyways.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 15 November 2006 - 12:19 AM.

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#6 355LX

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:22 AM

For me the thin(!!) smear of bog will be a given, but worth the satisfaction of doing it myself, and saving some $$$'s on the way.
Had to do some repairs up near the rear shock tower supports, at places 3 layers thick of steel, absolute nightmare!! Got it sorted though....

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#7 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:39 AM

Does feel good when you achieve a result, specially when you come across a few unexpected surprises along the way.

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#8 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:51 AM

Rodomo just suggested recutting the panel at each end with a thin cutting blade and rewelding to pull the panel in. Good tip there, I might do that, as I like to avoid heat shrinks as much as possible.

Thanks for that Rob, good thinking.

Thin cutting blades are the bees knees.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 15 November 2006 - 12:51 AM.

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#9 355LX

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 01:13 AM

Thin cutting blades are without doubt, the ducks nuts. I only discovered them this year, and will never go back. Always have some spares in the bottom of the toolbox too.

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#10 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 01:21 AM

Actually, thinking about it (dangerous I know), I'm going to finish welding the return in before doing any corrective actions. I've got a sneaky suspicion the return panel is going to pull the indent in the middle (or is it high on each end) out. These return panels do weird things.

Actually also discovered that when those panels either side of the rear number plate buckle in, it is usually because the return inside the boot has suffered a hit, not from extreme horsepower twisting the body like some have suggested.

Return panels do weird things, especially when heated up.

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#11 Peter UC

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 11:06 AM

A couple of things I have found is when you are making sections, mocking it up in cardboard first help as it gives you an approximate size when cutting and where and how to bend the metal. The other thing I do when first tacking the section in is to tape the section in, 2 or 3 tacks (where the tape isn't obviously) and you can pull all the tape off to continue your job.

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#12 TerrA LX

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 12:12 PM

I'll show those later, cause you almost always have to do a few to get it all sitting flat, unless of course you have an easy-beat (I don't).

easy-beat rules supreme on panel work.

it looked like in your earlies pics that you did not clean back the area of the body that you were welding was that just decieving pictures?

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#13 _Leakey_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 01:42 PM

Thanks Pat, I am creating a printed "Bible" of your work to take out
to the car with me when I attempt this myself..

- good replacement metal and bog is better than thin as shit anti-rusted metal
with a lot of bog!!!! LOL

Really appreciate the effort you have gone to here.

Cheers, Leakey

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#14 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 15 November 2006 - 02:25 PM

easy-beat rules supreme on panel work.

it looked like in your earlies pics that you did not clean back the area of the body that you were welding was that just decieving pictures?

Yes it does, but not everybody that dabbles has access to an easy beat, therefore you gotta take it back to basics (pre-easy-beat days), and simple tools.

Mmm, don't know what cleaning the back of the panel will achieve. If your welding is anygood, it will burn off anything there. Just got to keep an eye out every now and then for strange orange glows where you don't expect them, and unusually large amounts of smoke (something's on fire. Heat on leg usually means it's you and not the car on fire). Refer to blowing out flames, smothering rag, and wet rag & bucket kept handy in Part 1.

It will get ground down flat, be primed and painted as part of the boot resto (there's more rust in there yet, but that is a piece of cake compared to the lower rear quarter).

Peter UC, I think making carboard cutouts is futile in this situation, as it does not hold it's shape. If you make the panel first and scribe it onto the panel, then your pretty much garranteed a good fit. Only complication with this particular repair is the return, which I've found is best to be scribed out seperately once the front is a neat fit.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 15 November 2006 - 02:27 PM.

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#15 _Oldn64_

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Posted 16 November 2006 - 06:41 PM

I suppose it is about now that we do a little bit of OH&S stuff..

Firstly when welding or grinding do not wear anything with polyester in it, this includes your dandy best tracksuit pants, and cheap ass flanel shirt (I suggest a complete set of cotton colthing and also a wool blanket (blanket to put onself out as cotton will go up eventually but not anything like polyester.)

Shoe are a must, unless you do not like the hairs on you toes or the toes on your foot.

Gloves when welding are a must, as is full length coverings. Welding produces 100% UV light, so you are sunbaking when welding so cover up, and no suncream will do very little.

Gloves when grinding are dangerous do not wear them

Amoung all easy have fun, but do it safely...

Cheers

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#16 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 17 November 2006 - 09:23 PM

Rodomo, that cutting with a thin disk, and rewelding worked a treat. Pulled the ends of the panel in nicely.

Got some more wire, so all going nicely. Decided to have a play with the wire feed, as the MIG was doing shit welds (means more grinding). Got it good now, and getting some nice flat welds.

More pics shortly, after some grinding.

Boilermaker mate dropped over during the week, welding flash is 10 times worse at night, so make sure you have some decent lighting if welding at night.

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#17 355LX

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Posted 18 November 2006 - 01:50 AM

Pat, what do you recommend I buy to use for removing the old paint from panels. Something that does'nt leave huge marks in the steel.
Air powered sander that takes those stick on pads? Are they enough to take off the old paint and other shit that is probably hiding underneath?

Thanks

Dave

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#18 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 18 November 2006 - 09:55 PM

Yes, sanding disks. Same as the grinder though, control the heat or you'll end up with buckled panels. It's easy puting the buckles in, harder taking them out.

The correct technique is work from one side to the other in long strokes working down the panel. Never go over the same bit twice. Repeat till all the paint is gone. You should end up with horizontal stripey pattern if done correctly.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 18 November 2006 - 09:56 PM.