I have some stainless steel trim from my 59 Caddy that is bent and I was wondering if it's possible to repair it. Can it be "smoothed" out with a roller or something?
S.S. repair is part of restoration. You need the skills to do metal perfect finish work as well as polishing skills. Very little is done with standard body hammers or the like. Also S.S. trim is generally a thinner gauge material than body metal, read that "less forgiving". If you don't have the skills search out some one that does. It's just part of the trade. The Wizzard
it is possible but it does take a lot of skill and proper tools. you can do it but dont expect perfect the first time. unless you are a natural
If you don't know of someone go to your local Chrome Shop. They can generally steer you to someone they work with. The Wizzard
Absolutely. You have a choice. Do it yourself...lot and lots of time. Pay someone to do it...lots of $, cuz it takes lots and lots of time. Or, weld and smooth all the mounting holes and call it "custom"...lol. Bend, bend, bend...press, press, press...hammer, hammer, hammer...pick, pick, pick...weld, weld, weld (if split)...file, file, file...sand, sand, sand...polish, polish, polish. Done. Basically, that's it. But...(and that's a big butt) there are little tricks and safety issues. Hand-shaped wooden or steel or nylon or plastic dies in the proper shape to hammer or press against can help. You can make fiberglass dies using a good section as a mold. Use your bench vice or press. Even a set of pliers or vice grips ground to the right shape are handy for "squeezing" to shape. Ya gotta get the shape and surface as near to perfect as possible before filing/sanding...as stated, the material is thin. The first filing operation is only to show the high and low spots...then more straightening...gotta be meticulous and have a good eye. Finally, be aware that a fast spinning buffing wheel will rip your newly straightened piece of trim from your hands.
And every guy that just read that, and has done it, remembers the last piece that found the edge with the wheel My last one grabbed my face shield, tore it off and broke my glasses ino 20 pieces. Spent 4 hours BLINDLY looking for one of the lenses.
Louie, your location just says "California". Where are you located? We have a guy up in the SF Bay Area that does work for us. I swear that you could leave a piece of trim in a busy street for an hour, and then give it to him. He'd come back with it looking like new.
There was no reproduction stainless trim available for 36 Fords when I got mine many years ago. Sometime in it's history the front bumper was shoved back into the "chin" molding on it completely crushing it flat. I had nothing to lose so I got out a couple of chisels and started to straighten it myself. I amazed myself by restoring it. I discovered through practice that it was easier to clamp the chisel in the vise and hold the part in the right location than to clamp the part and hold the chisel and hammer. There are several posts on straightening stainless trim on the HAMB as well as You Tube. Do some reading and you might want to try it yourself on a few scraps first. My chin stainless was just scrap to me back then. I really did not think that I could save it.
If you can pick body panels and hammer them you can restore stainless trim. My Olds has a lot of Stainless that I restored myself. I bought a trim hammer and anvil from Eastwood, plus the polishing compoungs and cloth wheels for using on a bench grinder. It is very time consuming, but can be done in your garage at home. Good luck
I don't plan on doing it myself. I'm in southern California. Anybody know of a good shop that can tackle some bent SS trim?
Stainless Trim Repair Bring Your Trim Back From the Dead Photography by Richard Prince Hot Rod Magazine, February, 2009 Read more: http://www.hotrod.com/howto/3401_stainless_trim_repair/#ixzz267KojHif
G.E. Antique Creations a.k.a. Gonzalo's 10721 Forest St. Santa Fe Springs, Ca. 90670 (562) 946-2664 There just east of Mooneyes
__________________ I used to be a chrome plater. Go to any good plating shop. They may have someone with the skills to fix it for you. We used to to a lot of it. Although, it does take a craftsman. '' Real hot rods don't have fenders "
this is exactly what I was looking for.. I live in los angeles and I need some trip repaired but I will ask this, is it more cost effective to repair the trim you have or replace with new?
The last time I had work done (minor ding's repaired and polish on one 1/4 molding for example) it cost 60 bucks for the largest piece. Now as far as new stuff. It's never the same color or shines as well (even with repolishing to make em better) and there very wavy.
You might want to check out this old thread,,a lot of good information. HRP http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392068&highlight=stainless+steel
I always tell my daughter she never would have made it back in the day without a smart phone and here I am telling myself what the would I do without the jalopy journal? Working on these old cars has been a lot easier with this here interwebs
A couple of my friends had their Stainless done at D&L Metal finishing in Riverside,Ca.The phone number is 951-359-0427.
I bought a trim hammer and anvil from eastwood also....first of all, the anvil flat part is CONCAVE....NOT FLAT....and if you turn the trim hammer with the thin head toward you, you will find it at an ANGLE OF ABOUT 15 DEGREES....not straight across. I did a REVIEW on their site and it was NOT posted....I also wrote them an email and it was never answered....so buyer be aware. Seems the quality by this company has gone to China now.
What a rewarding task, taking that stuff and making it new again. However, it's also one of the most hazardous jobs as well once you get to buffing. I know the OP said he was looking for someone to do it, but for all the rest contemplating their own, TAKE THE TIME TO FIXTURE THE PARTS FOR BUFFING. I and a few others here know a guy (who has passed away a few yrs ago) that essentially lost his nose polishing a piece of stainless sidemount trim. Those buffers have no conscience. They'll rip that part outta your hands so fast and turn it into the most vicious ninja you can imagine, slicing and dicing everything in it's way. That goes for almost anything headed for the buffing wheel. I've spent nearly 2hrs just to fixture a part that took less than 1/2hr to polish. PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN POLISHING NEARLY ANYTHING. As precious as some of these cars are, they're not worth even a broken finger nail. Of course we get hurt, burned, scarred, and all in between, but especially around this task the risks are much higher. Soap box vacated, carry on...
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