Bumps on my 78’s rear tub/fenders?

[twoturtlesracing]

Thanks twoturtles - how did your rockers turn out - any progress?

Thanks for asking! Unfortunately, I haven't made any progress in that area just yet. Mechanical issues and a spring over have taken up most of my cruiser time, plus two moves and my wife's and my first baby on the way. But as of last night I finally got all my tools organized in the garage and got the cruiser in where I could work on it. Hope to make some progress before next summer!

 

[Gusb]

Bolting my running boards back on and noticed my passenger-side front fender had been POed in the past. Funny I never saw it before - something slammed the inside at some point. Note the gap...

Decided to pull the fender to bang around on it. Might be time to also do those little rust bumps on the turn signal mounting supports.

 

[Gusb]

Pulled the fender...

Going to try and be as conservative as possible with the turn signal mount fix.

 

[Gusb]

Funny how it always looks a lot better on the surface than what's underneath.

This is a good example of slapping a patch in real quick and the resulting shrinking and deformed fender. Kind of hard to see in the photos but note the big concave area. It's tempting to want to just start pounding it back out but I think grinding down the bead a bit and planishing the welds will make that area pop back in. Had I taken more time it probably would have deformed less.

Used a copper plate clamped on the outside, tacked the inside up and then welded up the outside without any hammer work (at this point) on the welds.

 

[miker]

I always have trouble trying to get large flat areas like that flat again. I'm watching to see how you do it so I can learn.

 

[KY Longhunter]

If you hammer and dolly the raised crease then heat it and then cool it down with a cool wet rag, won't it shrink back to original shape?

 

[Gusb]

If you hammer and dolly the raised crease then heat it and then cool it down with a cool wet rag, won't it shrink back to original shape?

I'm thinking the shrinking has already happened - from the heat of the weld. There's no "oil canning", etc. at this point. Have'nt had the time but I've ground the weld a little and banged on it a while - and I think the big concave area is coming back - still needs some more. There's a nice curve there that comes down from the top of the fender that I don't want to put a hammer on.

The general idea (from my understanding) is if I continued to bang on the patch (hammer on dolly), the metal will stretch (thin) removing the shrink - too much and it would in turn, oil can. Then heat could be used to shrink it back. Right now there's too much shrinking (from the weld heat) - shrinking IS the problem, and it's warped a larger area away from the patch itself.

 

[Gusb]

The attached photo is not great - but you can kind of see that area coming back in. I haven't banged on that area - just on the patch and weld bead. There's a nice curve there from the top of the fender and I don't want to mess it up. When I finish the welding I'll be putting in more heat, which means that warped/radius area will no doubt start to come back. At this point it's just about gone - I'll try to get a better photo up going forward - if I don't screw everything up

BTW Longhunter, I don't do the wet rag thing any more when trying to shrink with the torch - just let everything air cool... I've had pretty good success with a small torch and no radical cooling (with potential heat treating, etc.).

 

[duffontap]

Beautiful, inspiring work as always.

 

[thecrazygreek]

Just work the weld bead down and I bet your metal will get straight...

You can also cold pick the outside around the edges from the top. Light taps with a pic hammer and she will pop up.

My dad taught me that trick. Took a dent out from the top side with a dolly on the back. Weird but it worked! He did use some minor heat when done to finish.

 

[Gusb]

Tool update

Christmas means Snapon updates - 1 or 2 tools at a time.

New 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch (flex-head) ratchets. That's the old Craftsman lying in the back.

 

[Gusb]

Got a few hours in the garage.

Patching up the turn signal support bracket.

 

[miker]

Hey Gus, Looking good, as always! And I'm glad to see someone is making progress and posting updates to their build thread.

If you've had a chance to use them much, what do you think of the new vs. old craftsman ratchet handles as they feel in your hand?

I have a few of the old style and like them. I also have some kind of knockoff swivel ratchets that looks to have a similar round handle design of the new craftsman you are showing.

The knockoffs I have tend to feel like they are slipping out of my hand all the time, even when they're not.

 

[Gusb]

... you've had a chance to use them much, what do you think of the new vs. old craftsman ratchet handles as they feel in your...

Thanks Mike,

I'm not anywhere close to the mechanic you are but I'm always ready to spout off my opinions on tools.

Those are new Snap-on, not Craftsman.

The only tool "sets" I've picked up in the past have always been Craftsman. Then a few years back I began buying a few Snap-on tools, piece here, piece there and only the stuff that was used a lot (10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, etc) or special in some way (Flare Nut wrench, puller, etc.). I did buy a small 1/4 inch drive complete set from Snap-on at one point (still have my 1/4 in Craftsman set - 30+ years old). If I need say an 18mm deep socket I just fall back on the Craftsman stuff I have - but my tools don't get that much use in general. My much older Craftsman ratchets are kind of worn/loose these days.

I have a few 3/8 ratchets from Craftsman that are somewhat newer and really nice - but what i see at Sears these days I don't like that much (in ratchets anyway). One is a short/chopped flex-head, quick release and the other is a longer, bent QR/flex and they both seem every bit as good as the Snap-on stuff. I think the ratchets at Sears have changed a bit from these 2, even though they're not that old. That 1/2 in in the photo I've had forever.

Those 2 new Snap-ons in the Christmas photo seem smooth and better than the older 3/8 Snap-on I've had a few years. Can't believe the tooth gears - so much nicer I may replace my older 3/8 ratchet at some point.

Can't help it but I like the Snap-on stuff - I know lots of people think it's all branding/hype. That new little 1/4 in flex ratchet works great... and is like a little piece of fine art

 

[My wife said no FJ!]

 

[miker]

Thanks Mike,

I'm not anywhere close to the mechanic you are but I'm always ready to spout off my opinions on tools.

Thanks for that but you underestimate yourself.

Those are new Snap-on, not Craftsman.

That right there shows you I have no idea what I'm talking about. and that I need to read better.

Can't help it but I like the Snap-on stuff - I know lots of people think it's all branding/hype. That new little 1/4 in flex ratchet works great... and is like a little piece of fine art

I wish my tools were Snap-on or Mac but I've mostly bought Craftsmas because of the price and local availability.

I'm sure the Snap-On tools are a much better quality than the Craftsman, especially true I think with new Craftsman tools. My luck with them is not very good lately. Broken sockets, ratchets, etc. I have a 1/2" Craftsman torque wrench, only a few months old and only used a few times, that the handle came loose on. That doesn't sound like too bad of a problem, but the handle (plastic by the way) also adjusts the torque setting and contains the setting marks. Now, I have no way to know if the handle marks are actually lining up with the right torque settings on the wrench body. Totally junk at this point. Need to take it back to Sears and see what they say. They used no lock tite or lock nut or locking mechanism on the handle. A really poor design in my opinon

Your description of the Snap-on ratchets sound like they are nice. And my apologies for calling your Snap-on a Craftsman. That's kind of like calling a Cadillac a Chevy.

 

[twoturtlesracing]

I have a 1/2" Craftsman torque wrench, only a few months old and only used a few times, that the handle came loose on. That doesn't sound like too bad of a problem, but the handle (plastic by the way) also adjusts the torque setting and contains the setting marks. Now, I have no way to know if the handle marks are actually lining up with the right torque settings on the wrench body. Totally junk at this point. Need to take it back to Sears and see what they say. They used no lock tite or lock nut or locking mechanism on the handle. A really poor design in my opinon

Miker:

I too have one of these Craftsman torque wrenches and the exact same thing happened on mine. There is actually a nut that hold it all together, but you have to pry off the plastic cap at the end of the handle to get to it.

I took mine into the local Sears, and they weren't very cool about it. They said that they wouldn't warranty it and that I would have to pay them to have it re-calibrated. This torque wrench, although it was probably 4-5 years old, had only been used maybe 4 times-max! The folks in the small town Durango sears were kind of jerks anyway, so I may try taking it to a different store in a larger town and see if I get a different response.

Hope your luck is better than mine...

Btw, my Dad had a Snap-on torque wrench, was used all the time, and it never came apart. And the handle was metal. He bought it used so he didn't have to pay the premium price it would have otherwise gone for. Great tool at a good price.

 

[miker]

Miker:

I too have one of these Craftsman torque wrenches and the exact same thing happened on mine. There is actually a nut that hold it all together, but you have to pry off the plastic cap at the end of the handle to get to it.

I took mine into the local Sears, and they weren't very cool about it. They said that they wouldn't warranty it and that I would have to pay them to have it re-calibrated. This torque wrench, although it was probably 4-5 years old, had only been used maybe 4 times-max! The folks in the small town Durango sears were kind of jerks anyway, so I may try taking it to a different store in a larger town and see if I get a different response.

Hope your luck is better than mine...

Btw, my Dad had a Snap-on torque wrench, was used all the time, and it never came apart. And the handle was metal. He bought it used so he didn't have to pay the premium price it would have otherwise gone for. Great tool at a good price.

I also removed the cap and saw how to tighten the nuts, but like you said, its no longer calibrated to the marks. I plan to take it back and see what they say. I'm pretty sure they won't be able to calibrate it so I'm guessing that they will either do nothing, or swap for a new one. Not sure I really want a new one vs. a refund since this seems to be a class problem but I'm sure that is just wishful thinking.

 

[todt]

Gusb, not trying to hi-jack but wanted to say thanks for the helpful tips etc.
I like to read thru your thread beore I get knee deep in welding and grinding.

I have gotton alot better.

Thanks,
Todd

 

[duffontap]

I'm sure the Snap-On tools are a much better quality than the Craftsman . . . .

Your description of the Snap-on ratchets sound like they are nice.

Dad and I won a Snap-on 3/8" ratchet as a door prize at a Super Bowl party years back. It's is almost unbelievably superior to the tools I can actually afford.

You are a lucky man to have such a collection Gusb.