Love the work you're doing. Both encouraging and inspiring. I'm doing similar things to a 57 Olds. My rear bumper ends are pretty rusted and searching for them has proven as fruitless as your search. As rusted as mine are, they're still in better shape than the ones you repaired. Thanks for showing how it's done. If you had planned on chroming them, would you have done them any different?
Thanks for the kind words, Rocket Man! To answer your question - The bumper ends are not done to what I personally believe is an acceptable standard - They just look "OK" for now, because I needed to get her all buttoned up and put together before the end of class, so I could drive her to storage. I intend to finish them to an acceptable standard while attending the next class. As far as the details required for chroming - I'm not sure about prep requirements, with the exception of ensuring they are flawlessly metal finished - Because chrome MAGNIFYS flaws, as opposed to hiding them. Hope that helps somewhat - Keep wrenching!
OK - Back in school at the Hot Rod Institute in Rapid City, SD and I just drove the Caddy back into the shop today ~ Can't wait to get started on all her bodywork!!!
Also gonna nose the hood and punch some louvers in it - Can you believe the plastic emblem that fits in the bezel on the hood costs $299.99 for a reproduction? Crazy...
Notes from the first week of class: Hot Rod Body Fabrication 20160627 TOOLS OF THE TRADE Sheet Metal Cutting Tools - Aviator Snips – Used for small intricate cuts Straight Snips (yellow handle) Right Snips (green handle) – For curved cuts to the right Left Snips (red handle) – For curved cuts to the left Beverly Shears – Ideal for cutting outside curves Foot Shear - Ideal for cutting large sheets of metal Provides perfectly straight cut edge Electric Shear - Ideal for cutting shapes out of large sheets of metal 3” cut off disc Not recommended for thick metal or very long cuts Ideal for removing a section of metal from the center of a panel Hack Saw Hole Saw – Ideal for cutting large holes in the center of sheet metal Blair Tools is a good supplier Chassis Punches (Knock out punches) - Similar to Dimple Dies Hand Punches - Allows punching of precise, clean and accurac wsmaller hoods Drill - High pressure – Low speed Bead Roller Reciprocating Sawzall - Air Hammer Air Punch/Flanger Plasma Cutter Hammering and Dollying Tools Hammers – Martin and Snap-on High Crown = high contact patch = “Inside Hammer” Low Crown = large contact patch = “Outside Hammer” Dinging Hammer = Flat face used to flatten metal Pick Hammer = Pointed – Used to bring up low spots Domed Hammer = High crowned face, used to form curved surfaces Shrinking Hammer Slapping Hammer Mallets Plastic, for forming metal Leather Wrapped, to limit marring the metal Wooden, for compound curves – Make your own from baseball bats Ball Peen = Not designed for sheet metal shaping 5 pound Sledge = Not designed for sheet metal shaping Dollies - Deep forged, hardened and tempered alloy with highly polished working faces Toe Dolly = Long and thin for accessibility to narrow areas Heel Dolly = Designed to reach into sharp corners General Purpose Dolly = “Railroad Tie” Unlimited application Wedge Dolly = High Crown Dolly Comma Dolly = Large radius face ideal for high crown panels Leaf Dolly = Many uses on low crown panels Stake Dolly = Designed to be clamped in a vise Post Dolly = Used for planashing metal Bulls-Eye Pick = Ideal for raising low spots Nail Gun – Pulls out dents without needing to drill holes Spoons - “Dolly on a stick” Sheet Metal Shaping Tools Planishing Hammer – Pneumatic hammer designed for smoothing lumpy sheet metal and creating crowns in panels – Planish means “Smooth Out” - MUST USE HEARING PROTECTION Shrinker/Stretcher – Pneumatic, Hand and Kick Ideal for fabricating curved flanges and channels, braces, wheel well openings, etc. Capable of stretching or shrinking up to 18 gauge steel Much easier to stretch than shrink Sawhorse – Home made excellence Sheet Metal Brake – 6' is the best size Slip Roller – 2 rollers on the bottom and one on top – Puts a curve in it w English Wheel – Takes the shape of the lower wheel Power Hammer – More powerful than a planishing hammer Louver Press – Punches individually in up to 16 Gauge – 3” is the normal Hot Rod type SANDING TOOLS Disc Sanders High speed, rotary 3”, 5” and 9” sanders, 24 and 36 grit Vixen File – Used to ID highs and lows – Mark the metal – Use a 30 degree slide Bastard File – Diff shapes and sizes Die Grinders – Used for polishing, grinding and de-burring SHEET METAL RESTORATION Learn to “read” the metal Don't always need to strip to bare metal Reasons to strip the paint Cracked, crazed, peeling, stone chips, wrinkling, excessive fading, excessive film thickness Damage Analysis Contours and contoured panels Provide strength and rigidity Must be restored to regain panel strength Fenders typically have high crowns and very rigidity Roofs/hoods have lower crowns and tend to have an “oil can” effect due to less strength Elasticity A panel's flexibility Elasticity allows a panel to return to its natural shape and contour without signs of stress of distortion “Reverse the Damage” to return panel elasticity Direct Damage: Point of impact Indirect Damage: Buckles created by the damage **Dolly on Direct Damage, Hammer on Indirect Damage** Sanding Start with 40 grit, go to 80 grit until bare metal, then 180 grit FOUR STAGES OF RESTORATION STAGE 1: Analyze the Damage Accurate analysis will simplify and shorten the remaining stages Ask yourself: How did damage occur? What is preventing it from returning to original shape? What type of damage exists? In what order did the damage occur? What was the point of impact? What was the extent of the indirect damage? STAGE 2: Rough Out STAGE 3: Smooth Up Most of the time is spent in this Stage Hammer and Nail Gun Advantages No holes to fill access to back of panel not required Pull dents with large slide hammer or t-handle Can shrink with it – Use gun without nail to zap it Can also install molding clips Disadvantages Nail Gun cost – Approx $600ish Nail cost Good brand: spitznagel dent fix Hammer Off Dolly in this stage Stretched/Displaced Metal “Oil Can” effect Metal pops in and out Stretching Shrunk Metal Hammer ON dolly Metal is between hammer and dolly Used for smoothing metal and removing sharp wrinkles Creates a “ringing” sound **EASY TO STRETCH – HARD TO SHRINK** STAGE 4: FINISHING Returns panel to original shape Condition is – Ready for paint Finishing is achieved in one of 2 ways: Metal Finishing – No use of filler, goes straight to a filling primer Finishing with Filler – Restoring panel to within 1/8” of original contour and using lead or polyester filler to achieve the final contour and smoothness Polyester Body Filler – Used only AFTER the smooth-up stage of panel restoration **Use a metal applicator** Apply over welded or leaded seams, to fill pinholes Cannot be used to create a body line Golf Ball of Filler to 1 inch of hardener Don't mix and walk – mix when next to the work OXY-ACETYLENE WELDING Settings Welding – Acetylene = 4-5 psi Oxygen = 5-7 psi Shrinking – Acetylene = 4-5 psi Oxygen = 5-7 psi Cutting – Acetylene = 4-5 psi Oxygen = 20-25 psi (Oxidyzing flame w/extra pressure to blow the molten metal away) FLAMES Pure Acetylene Bright orange-yellow Wavy, smoky, producing carbon soot Not hot enough for welding Neutral Equal amounts of oxygen and acetylene Approx 5900 f White, blunt inner cone is present No visible acetylene feather around inner cone Nearly colorless, envelope with bluish to orange edges Used commonly for welding. The flame consumes all the oxygen in the atmosphere around the weld to provide an un-contaminated shield for the weld Carburizing More acetylene than Oxygen Approx 5700 f Long, intensely bright inner cone Whitish acetylene feather around inner cone White envelope with light orange edges Used for heating and leading **TURN THE OXYGEN OFF FIRST**
She's got a new brake system now - Caddy Daddy's power brake kit for drum brakes Gotta test drive her, and fill the new hole in the floor - But those are good problems to have!
Been steadily working on learning how to TIG weld - Finally getting it, after a month of training and practice!!!
Metal shaping and TIG work with this gas tank competency test - Pretty good way to check your skills!
Generator is gone, because it wasn't charging. In its place is a 140 Amp, 1-wire alternator - Works great, too!
New Carburetor - 600cfm Edelbrock - Performance tuned Had to fabricate a bracket by flipping the "ear" on it - Not beautiful, but it works!
Hi Johnny, Just found your thread and could you help me with how you handled the transmission rod connection to the Edelbrock? I want to convert my carb as well and cannot get the bracket correct? Did you notice a difference when you went to the Edelbrock? Thanks mark
Hey, Mark ~ Actually, I'm still trying to get the new carb and linkage dialed in properly. I had to modify the bracket one more time to lengthen it, and it's still not 100% The problem is compounded by the "Push-Pull" difference between the old carb and the new one. Best advice I can give is - Look at how the stock brackets are set up and use them as a template. Check out the attached pic of the original linkage hooked up - Be sure you figure out a way to get the new linkage on the Edelbrock to PUSH BACK - Like the original did. Good luck!
OK - Diving in to the body work now, and Emily Jo appears to have a bit of a bondo problem - Unfortunately!!! But - That's why I'm in this class, I guess. Gotta knock these dents out!!!
The Jalopy Journal
