Awl_TEQ
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I would spray the whole thing in primer when you get it back. Then you're always working on clean unrusty metal. Plus you can experiment with painting techniques with the primer.
Builds An Accidental Frame Off.................. (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter rkymtnflyfisher
- Start date
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rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
- Thread starter
- #262
Yeah, I am planning on shooting it with a primer, just to protect the clean metal. I have enough rust bullet rust inhibitor left from my frame that I may try to shoot the underneath of the tub, maybe even into the firewall if I can make it stretch. That would need to be done after I finish melting steel together to make it look nice again! I had never planned on a high dollar paint job, more of a rattle can paint job, something easy to touch up if I scratch it up fishing or on a trail.
Sounds like you got it under control, Ryan... with just a little help from your friends!!
You should have it out on the trail and be fishing in the Spring!! Well, if Phil didn't screw you with his bloody shadow!!
You should have it out on the trail and be fishing in the Spring!! Well, if Phil didn't screw you with his bloody shadow!!
rkymtnflyfisher
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- Thread starter
- #264
So far the winter has been unusually warm, until January it was like spring here! Bring on another big snow!
rkymtnflyfisher
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- Thread starter
- #265
Got busy with the sandblast cabinet after work, cleaned up the air filter housing, shot it with a primer coat when I got home.
A set of shocks showed up in the mail today or yesterday, as well as a roll of mig wire, tips and a new roller for the smaller wire.
A set of shocks showed up in the mail today or yesterday, as well as a roll of mig wire, tips and a new roller for the smaller wire.
rkymtnflyfisher
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- Thread starter
- #267
Sure does!
rkymtnflyfisher
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- Thread starter
- #268
I talked to the shop yesterday, the blasting is complete on the tub @$250, he asked if I wanted it primed also! So for another $125-175 he is laying down an epoxy primer so it doesn't rust while I am repairing the sheet metal. I have gotten busy disassembling most of the remaining body parts to get them up to the shop tomorrow hopefully, I think the hardest part will be removing the glass from the hardtop sides and hatch.
The Mud community is pretty amazing, I have received some serious help from some people here. I have been chatting with @Awl_TEQ about some welding tips and tricks, if you haven't read through any of his threads and admired some of the work he has done you are truly missing out.
Here is a message from him he said I could paste into my thread, hopefully others can find it as helpful as I have.
Essentially all I do is tack the seam together enough to hold it in place. Then tack again half way between the previous tacks. Repeat. Eventually you have a string of continuous tacks. A MIG tack is just a quick squeeze of the trigger to make a pea sized round bump of a weld that straddles the seam. Once you have the string of tacks such that they look like a string of pearls you go over one more time tacking between the pearls. That should eliminate pinholes between the tacks. You can shine a light behind the seam to see pinholes.
Shrinkage. You know about shrinkage right? (a line from Seinfeld). Red hot metal shrinks as it cools. It's a fact of physics, no way around it. So if your string of pearls tack job starts to warp the panels there are several tricks to help minimize it.
1) - use a hammer and anvil approach to stretch the metal back out. A good solid piece of scrap steel (like 1"x4"x4" solid) is the anvil. Place it firmly on the backside of the seam and then strike the MIG tacks one stroke at a time. The anvil will bounce off the back as it absorbs the impact and if done right you will not dent the panel. The tack will get squashed ever so slightly and squeeze out like play-dough to restore the shrunken metal.
2) - go slow. That's the whole reason you are tack,tack,tacking rather than just welding a continuous bead. Keep the heat you put into the work at a minimum and you will keep the shrinkage to a minimum. Move around the seam as you tack. Don't tack 1,2,3,4,5 in a row. Tack one on the left, one on the right, one on the top, one on the bottom... then go back to the left side etc.(think about the proper way to tighten lug nuts on a wheel. A five stud wheel is done like a star pattern so that the wheel sucks on tight but straight - if that makes any sense).
3) - use a heat sink to further reduce the amount of heat you transfer into the work piece. A heat sink in this context is a piece of metal clamped usually to the backside of the welded seam before you weld. It must be in firm contact over a large-ish area in order to absorb the excess heat as it is applied with the molten MIG wire. Copper and Aluminum transfer heat marginally faster than steel and have the added benefit that you cannot accidentally weld your heat sink to your truck (molten steel does not weld to copper or aluminum and therefore will not stick to it). A heat sink clamped to the back of a weld seam also has the effect of supporting the two pieces and keeping them flat. It will also stop your wire from shooting through the seam and making porcupine quills on the back side. If a patch doesn't fit perfectly and there is a bit of a gap along the intended weld seam a heat sink will allow you to add in material to fill the gap.
The Mud community is pretty amazing, I have received some serious help from some people here. I have been chatting with @Awl_TEQ about some welding tips and tricks, if you haven't read through any of his threads and admired some of the work he has done you are truly missing out.
Here is a message from him he said I could paste into my thread, hopefully others can find it as helpful as I have.
Essentially all I do is tack the seam together enough to hold it in place. Then tack again half way between the previous tacks. Repeat. Eventually you have a string of continuous tacks. A MIG tack is just a quick squeeze of the trigger to make a pea sized round bump of a weld that straddles the seam. Once you have the string of tacks such that they look like a string of pearls you go over one more time tacking between the pearls. That should eliminate pinholes between the tacks. You can shine a light behind the seam to see pinholes.
Shrinkage. You know about shrinkage right? (a line from Seinfeld). Red hot metal shrinks as it cools. It's a fact of physics, no way around it. So if your string of pearls tack job starts to warp the panels there are several tricks to help minimize it.
1) - use a hammer and anvil approach to stretch the metal back out. A good solid piece of scrap steel (like 1"x4"x4" solid) is the anvil. Place it firmly on the backside of the seam and then strike the MIG tacks one stroke at a time. The anvil will bounce off the back as it absorbs the impact and if done right you will not dent the panel. The tack will get squashed ever so slightly and squeeze out like play-dough to restore the shrunken metal.
2) - go slow. That's the whole reason you are tack,tack,tacking rather than just welding a continuous bead. Keep the heat you put into the work at a minimum and you will keep the shrinkage to a minimum. Move around the seam as you tack. Don't tack 1,2,3,4,5 in a row. Tack one on the left, one on the right, one on the top, one on the bottom... then go back to the left side etc.(think about the proper way to tighten lug nuts on a wheel. A five stud wheel is done like a star pattern so that the wheel sucks on tight but straight - if that makes any sense).
3) - use a heat sink to further reduce the amount of heat you transfer into the work piece. A heat sink in this context is a piece of metal clamped usually to the backside of the welded seam before you weld. It must be in firm contact over a large-ish area in order to absorb the excess heat as it is applied with the molten MIG wire. Copper and Aluminum transfer heat marginally faster than steel and have the added benefit that you cannot accidentally weld your heat sink to your truck (molten steel does not weld to copper or aluminum and therefore will not stick to it). A heat sink clamped to the back of a weld seam also has the effect of supporting the two pieces and keeping them flat. It will also stop your wire from shooting through the seam and making porcupine quills on the back side. If a patch doesn't fit perfectly and there is a bit of a gap along the intended weld seam a heat sink will allow you to add in material to fill the gap.
good welding advice... go slow doesn't mean go slowly with the torch, though, it means weld an inch, cool, go to another spot, weld an inch, cool... etc. If you simply ran the weld bead on a 48" long seam it'd take a couple minutes. On a body panel, it's not uncommon to take a couple days.
heat sinks.... require a pretty solid knowledge of metal work, your heat sink should simply be time and patience. For me, the worst is when I'm running a nice bead - having to stop. There are putties that you can put on either side of the weld that work pretty well to confine the weld - but all of those are designed for production shops where time is money. They're not cheap.
believe it or not, the side and rear windows come out pretty easily. There's a block strip in the middle of the weatherstrip, pull that out first, unadhere the weatherstrip from the glass (just a putty knife), and the glass should nearly fall out. Bad glass removal are ones with that don't have the 2nd piece to the weather strip.
heat sinks.... require a pretty solid knowledge of metal work, your heat sink should simply be time and patience. For me, the worst is when I'm running a nice bead - having to stop. There are putties that you can put on either side of the weld that work pretty well to confine the weld - but all of those are designed for production shops where time is money. They're not cheap.
believe it or not, the side and rear windows come out pretty easily. There's a block strip in the middle of the weatherstrip, pull that out first, unadhere the weatherstrip from the glass (just a putty knife), and the glass should nearly fall out. Bad glass removal are ones with that don't have the 2nd piece to the weather strip.
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
- Thread starter
- #270
That was how the front glass was, I didn't take much of a look at the other windows yet, hopefully tonight I can get on those.
don't ask about the door glass, it's not quite so simple 
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
- Thread starter
- #272
don't ask about the door glass, it's not quite so simple
Yeah, doors are on the list as well!
I'd suggest banking some of your own blood for the transfusion you'll need when it's done.
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
- Thread starter
- #274
I leave a 6 pack of stout in the garage all of the time, there is a flask of some "local" whiskey, and a small mason jar of some "clear" stuff in one of the cabinets! Just in case I am having a hard time!
ah yes, blood thinners work too
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
- Thread starter
- #276
@SuperBuickGuy what was the biggest headache with the doors? What era were yours?
Good fer' snakebites, rheumatism, Democrats, joint aches, athletes foot, ticks, parts cleaning, Republicans and the occasional bout of chronic marital discourse.
getting the glass out of the door... I have both eras
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sometimes I wonder if you just keep me around for the comic relief. 
