Tech week? missed it again...Leadwork!

Yeah, I always seem to miss it, but instead of waiting for another Tech Week, I'll get this out to you now!
Lead work. I won't debate it's merits, or disadvantages here. I will say that there are applications that lead fits better than plastic, so it's a good skill to try and learn. It worked back in the day, and it works now, as well.
OK, I'm leading up the top of a set of pickup bed rails that have been modified. I am choosing lead over plastic here, because we will be fitting up a 'sort of' toneau cover for it, and I would rather have lead up there to take the beating, than plastic filler.
First, Grind down the welds nice and smooth, and then clean up the area to be filled, EXTREMELY well. Grind, sand, wire wheel, whatever it takes to be spotlessly clean, no paint, rust, filler, grease, or oil or water.
Next, the area needs to be tinned. I prefer Tinning Butter, which is just powdered lead in a flux paste. Here, I apply it with an acid brush to the entire area I want leaded. The lead WILL NOT stick to an untinned area, so put it on a bit farther out than you think you need!

 

Here's my instument of choice...I have a Dillon Mark 4, or Cobra torch, and I have installed the leading tip on it. You do not need the oxygen turned on, as the lead tip mixed acetylene with air for a "cooler" flame. Oxygen would make the flame too hot!
Next, I heat up the tinned area until the tinning butter bubbles up and turns brown. I then wipe the burned flux off with an old T shirt, and finish up with some steel wool. Ther area should look clean and shiny.

 

Now the application of the lead. You must use the proper lead mix, 70-30 or 60-40 body solder. It's getting hard to find, but Eastwood carries it, and your local body shop supply may be able to order it. Use the right stuff, though it's easier.
I start by heating the area until the lead starts to melt on it. I push the lead bar down onto the steel to "tin" it even more. Get a good even coating of lead on the entire area. Then comea back and heat again, and start to build up the lead to the proper thickness. How thick depends on the damage of the area. Knowledge comes with practice here.

 

Once you've got a good build up of lead, you can start working it smooth. You need a hardwood paddle, you can buy them, or make them I am using a flat one, as the area to be fixed is flat, but you can get them with various radius', or sharp corners for specialized work.
Start by heating up a tin of beeswax. Dip the paddle into it to get a coating on it. This will prevent the lead from sticking to the paddle. I've heard that some old timers used old motor oil, but I don't know if I'd trust using oil on the steel.
Then you can begin smoothing out the lead, keeping it just under it's melting point. You will have a small window of temperature, where the lead is soft enough to spread around, but not too liquid to run right off the panel! It should be the consistancy of peanut butter to work easily. Again, practice, and close attention to the "shiny-ness" of the lead will help you here.

 

Work the lead with the paddle until you have it pretty smooth, and just a bit higher than the surface you want. You'll need a little extra, to file off until it's level. Here I start filing the lead down. I am using a vixen file, one that's nice and sharp. They are not hard to find, though finding one with holes to mount it to a holder is a bit tougher. Again, Eastwood, or body shop supply should be able to order one for you. The, as well as the paddles, come flat, or half round, as well as other shapes. Back in the day, they came in a variety of configurations for various tasks. They don't make the specialized ones today, you'll have to hunt them out in old tool stares, flea markets, old badyshops, etc. I believe old, dull ones can be resharpened.
Last, the filed down leaded area. I need to go back and add a bit to soem low spots. It's been a while and I didn't judge the thickness quite accurately. You can do this, but it's a bit tricky, as you remelt the surrounding area when you add new lead.
While doing this how-to I explained the technique to both Vic and Ron, my partners in this project. I let them have a crack at doing it on the other bedside, and they did a pretty good job for beginners. Practice is what's needed to become proficient. We even let Joe...57moparford, have a crack at it. he was very impressed by the technique and I'm sure he'll be up to learning it as well!

 

Concluding this exercise, it is very important to clean up the area after leading. You must neutralize the flux, or you'll get the most common complaint about lead...paint lifting. I use a paste of baking soda and water to scrub the area. I then wash it with lacquer thinner, and use an etching wash to clean it again. Now it's ready for primer.
If your work isn't perfect, I advise you to put down a coat or 2 of epoxy primer, and after it cures, to finish up with a bit of body filler, or glaze to get it 100%. It should be only the tiniest amount, though or you need to go back and re do it.
Hope you enjoyed this!

 

Here's a tip as taught to me many years ago by the oldtimer that taught me leadwork, I've never forgot it. He set me up to fill a dent on the side of a 1/4 panel, told me if I could get the lead to stick to a vertical panel I could lead anywhere. Had me sit on an old crate, gave me a torch and some lead sticks. Told me to take my shoes and socks off. I questained what that had to do with it he replied "when that hot lead starts hittin them bare feet you'll learn heat control real fast!".

 

might i say cool tech article but don't forget the safety glasses and respirator!

 

Thanks for the primer on leading. Pictures sure make it look easy!!

 

I like the tech, I've had the opportunity to watch a few old "leaders" in action. the techniques vary so play with it. One technique Ive seen work well for filling holes/ vertical area is to leave the panel cold and tin it properly, use a steel paddle heated dull red hot and melt the lead onto the paddle as you wipe across the area (pinholes/holes) to fill. the hot paddle works the lead into position, that and years of experience.
I havent had the opportunity to try the techniques I saw in action, when I do Ill post some pics.
Ive also seen guys use clay on either side of the area being heated when brazing and or leading to keep absorb the heat and keep panel warping to a minimum, not sure of the specific kind of clay. anyone know?

 

Great tech,Mark! Im glad to see the Project coming along.As for my galaxie project the next "tool" for me will be a fire extinguisher.A piece of dirt must have lodged between the secondary needle& seat on the Holley & gas gushed out the secondary fuel vent setting the intake ablaze.Got the fire out but the holley is trashed.Im running the autolite 4100 now.Later Mike

 

Well written description of leadwork. I also use lead and leadwork tools available from the Eastwood Co.

I'd like to add a "trick" that I use to lead holes shut when there is access from the back... put a cutout piece of an aluminum can (cut from the side of the can) over the back side of the hole and hold it in place with a magnet. This makes a much neater job of filling holes, especially when the holes are in a horizontal panel.

 

A couple questions, Chopolds...
1. For my fund of general knowledge, why not use oil on paddles? What's untrustworthy about it?
2. How thick can you put lead on? I know you want to work the metal as close as possible, but what is the maximum you could fill with lead?

I tried my hand at this at the Gene Winfield seminar I attended, and I agree with Chopolds...it's not that hard to do...it's just hard to do well!!! Practice will make perfect.

Tucker

 

great tech mark! how.s the kart come i must stop over soon

 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I want to try to learn to lead, this will help

 

Great post. I'm really looking forward to learning this skill...fillersled just doesn't have that same ring.

Bryan

 

i noticed you said to use the right mix, ie. 70/30 60/40, im looking into doing some leadwork on my project, and ive noticed that eastwood carries a product that is 100% tin I believe, anybody use this? and if so what are your comments/critiques compared to normal lead?

 

About the oil, I just feel uncomfortable putting oil on bare steel that you intend to paint over eventually. I know it could wash off, but I don't know about the heating of metal, and dripping oil on it, what sort of contamination may occur.
I feel the same about plastic filler as lead, I try to stay under 1/8", and definately under 1/4". Lead does add additional weight, if used on large areas!
Burgy, I haven't used it, so I can't critique it, but it does have a higher melting temp, and a larger window of plasticity. So perhaps it may be easier.
As for safety...use your vixen to do the shaping of the lead. You really shouldn't grind, or sand it. Doing so makes smaller particles of lead that could become airborne,and breathed in, or land on your skin..smoking eating, you might injest it. VERY BAD! The vixen just shaves off big pieces, so it's safer.

 

Bees wax is good for the paddling part of it, but i have found something cheap and easy for it. Buy one of those toilet bowl wax rings and melt that down. They are like two bucks each and you get a lot wax for your money. They work the best out of anything I have used.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&sa=N

 

Hey,

Motor oil, atf and even tallow were used in the days of old, to
lube solder paddles. The big problem with all of these is they are
all tough to kill, meaning they'll bleed back from under the lead,
if trapped below layers, and cause major paint problems. I've
used parrafin (candle wax) in a pinch, but it doesn't have the
working properties that good ol' beewax has.
Keep in mind that higher percentages of tin, in the solder will
require more heat to melt. That's not a big problem on high-
crowned or flat work with several bends and shapes, but the
whole game changes when ya start in on a vertical or flat, low
crowned panel. These areas will warp from the higher heat neces-
sary to melt higher percentages of tin in the solder bar. That's
why the 30/70 bar was so popular for auto body use, a good
window of workability, in the semi-moultin state, with a fairley
low melting point.
A penny placed between the file holder and the blade itself, of
a wooden handled vixen file, will crown the blade and prevent
the ends of the file from digging into the lead, and thus damaging
alot of your hard work. Also, a little 200mph. tape, placed on the
ends of a new sharp file blade will, also help to prevent damage to
your fresh work. There is nothin' worse than doing a good job of
leading, paddeling, and filing a lead repair only to carve a big gash
through the last pass, with the file.


Swankey Devils C.C.

 

what would you recommend for the channel that runs down the middle of my hood where a strip of chrome trim used to be? weld a metal strip or fill with lead?

also...

i am very DIY and wondered if there is a way to make your own 70/30 mix of lead. where can you find tin?

 

I give this tech TWO THUMBS UP! Mark is the MAN!!! Watch out Hines!

 

Hey shark,

Unless you're pretty good with welding sheetmetal, and low
crowned at that, I'd lean towards leading that seam up.
Clean the seam deep into the joint and wash with acid, if
possible. You could, in a pinch, solder this up with plumbing
solder 50/50. Go slow and watch the heat. I've done low
crowned panels before with a large soldering iron, flux paste,
and 50/50 solder. It came out great with no heat damage.
As far as making your own solder.......I knew an old boy
use to melt wheel weights and old trophys down to make
his solder. I suspect the mix had more zinc than tin in it,
but he found a way to make it work.
Be careful melting lead!

Swankey Devils C.C.

 

good tips

 

Thanks for the tech

2 thumbs up

ITS A DYING ART

 

I'm glad to see this tech! I'm just doing leadwork on a '50 chevy pick up door. I've finished the filing but some deeper pits stayed I'm afraid to reheat. Now I'll try it, and take some pics.

 

This is a lost art. Glad to see some still hold the knowledge. I need to learn to do this.

 

I've done the leadwork on the pickup door.

I spreaded the flux a littlebit wider than the lead will be, and wiped well in the welding groove.

I don't have any picture of the freshly applied lead. I used much more lead to avoid the pits after the shooting.

I spent hours with the shooting of the lead, and saved about 3 leadrod from the paring. I used 13 and a half of a rod to the whole work.

The result is not perfect, but I contented with it.

 

Manoka, could you edit your photos so they are vertical, then we don't have to scroll back and forth? Nice work.

 

Mark -- thanks for the tech article. I will want to lead some seams on on Falcon someday in the future. Are you working on a Dream Truck type project there?

Manoka -- your lead job certainly looks good to me. Thanks for posting photos. PS: my dog is Hungarian.