Going to be taking rockers off and the Sawzall would be a massive and difficult cut. So I'm thinking cut the spotwelds and sawz the pillars/ends. What I don't want is a two bit method where I'm chucking a pilot bit and then the cutter bit I might have 50-80 to do. The "pin type" seem to have pin issues ranging from durability and also requiring a pilot hole or center punch. That Amazon $16 deal w/a dozen double sided replaceable cutters is functionally enticing but seriously, how could anything be made more cheaply? BUT this job is a one-shot deal so maybe I should buy 4 of the cheap Harbor Freight ones and return the ones I didn't need??? ......need to check my haphazard collection of counterbores - if I have one may not be keep to sacrifice it (but since I haven't worn it out by now, might as well use it up.)
I like these bits and this chisel finishes the job nice But if just saving the outer piece, a regular drill bit and the chisel will getter done
50-80 spot welds? That will take all day to do properly without ruining the panel your trying to save.Can you get a gas powered chop saw ,it will be a lot easier to drill out the welds at home,ive done this stuff for 30 years in a bodyshop,using used rockers and doglegs for collision damage,never a nice job under any circumstances.Cut the piece bigger then you need and trim up at home,trust me you dont want to be outside trying to get the last few welds. Harvey
Maybe take a cordless side grinder and a cordless sawzall. The zipcut would take care of the long run on the floor and some of the ends. Then use the sawzall to cut floor braces and to free the ends. I have a Milwaukee cordless sawzall that is a beast. Use a good Milwaukee or Diablo blades and take spares, This house had boiler heat and it had to go so a furnace with all new ductwork could be installed to replace it. I told the installer that as soon as the gas and water was shut off that I would make the boiler gone. The cordless sawzall didn't take 2 minutes to cut the boiler free then I went about removing all the visible piping. My brother-in law cleaned up the Milwauke sawzall and with a fresh Axe demolition blade made quick work of quartering a moose. Its one of my favourite tools as it makes quick work any task that its put to.
Not allowed any grinders/cutoffs - anything that produces sparks. Since can't make Sawzall plunge cuts through double wall, have to use big step drill holes to "change course" of cut. Step drills work great but need to get an extension to drill through 3 layers of metal in places. Also heavy unibody "frame" would have to be cut - a lot of cutting. And then there is trim, etc' in the way if I take the inner rocker wall. Taking all day sounds like pushing a 3/8 or 1/2" drill bit. Step drills with the small tip can make a 1" hole in sheet metal in about 3 seconds. Curious, how can ruin panel drilling out spots? It's a spot weld flange that can be pounded out - they get bent during the spot welding. And they are rocker panels behind plastic trim so it can be some real fast, coarse work. This is not a resto, just a repair mostly for state inspection. Not planning on saving inner flange so drilling hole would also work. I do have some smaller step drills that would push through a lot easier - might be best to "use them up" (and they won't break)
Went to yard specifically to check all the potential donors. Unfortunately, most are supported on their rockers - chances are less than 50/50 a car will have an unsupported rocker and given that 90% are rotted, might as chase a wild goose for dinner.
I bought this kit earlier in the year and it works great. I have over 200 spot weld cuts on a single bit, and the kit comes with 3.
Another option maybe is a nibbler tool to fit your drill. It cuts fast and no sparks. I use it for sheet metal and it can scroll round complex shapes.
Nibbler would work in some areas and the scrolling is a huge advantage - close double wall might be a problem. Oscillating tool circular blade for plunge cuts or long conventional blade for double wall plunges.
Just a thought, but how about a deep throat portaband, a drill, and a large diameter step drill. I think I would try to practice at home, though.
I had to do outer wheel houses on a T/A a few years back, I buzzed the fenders off a wreck with a sawsall, then used a Rotabroach (the one with a spring-loaded center punch) once home to separate flotsam and jetsam from the piece I required. The trick is to use their waxy lubricant, 100's of uses later it still works like a knife through butter.
I have rendered entire body shells small enough for each piece to fit in a pickup bed, with a sawzall, with a few blades, with a tooth-count that everyone says won't work for what I just did. If the car is supported by the rockers, remove the roof, and drop the front and rear clips first, leaving the floor on the supports. Work from there.
For plunge cutting I take a big chisel and big hammer and drive a slot big enough to slide the Sawzall blade thru then go back to cutting. When I do tight spots in a corner I use a smaller sharp chisel and use that the actually cut the corners. I've even keep a couple broke off big screw drivers that I sharpened to do this very thing in really tight small corners.... .
I agree with Anthony Myrick, I have used the Blair, I have used the sawsall trick but drilling out the spot welds with a good spot weld cutting bit or a regular drill bit works best. A small chisel, a wood chisel and a gasket scrapper are good to have. Just cut the cowl out of a 55 chevy by drilling out all of the spotwelds. took half a day. Should have just bought new. Hateful job.
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