Ok I have some questions bout lead work , What all can be done with lead ? Is it just a early style of body filler or can you use it to join two pieces of metal together like in the seam of a hood or to shave a gas door ? How does it hold up ?
Hey, Lead a.k.a. body solder is/was used to fill voids in vehicles starting from the begining of the last century. It can be used, just as plastic filler, to fill small dents, welding seams and to join two or more pieces together, although there are better ways to join pieces of metal together. If a lead repair is properly cleaned after tinning, and all the flux and padle lube removed from its' surface, it will outlast most plastic filler repairs. If poor clean up or bad tinning job over dirty or rusted metal, expect problems with the surface in the future. Today, lead doesn't see the use it once did due to cost, skill required to apply, and the misinformation (usually spoken by those who have never used it) about it being inferior to today's plastic fillers. A search of the archives will yield much more info on lead. " The ice cream truck in his neighborhood plays Helter-Skelter "
Like plastic, lead needs something solid to attach to. If you try to use it to fill in cracks or seams that are not firmly welded together, it'll crack. Look at factory lead seams on old cars...they usually are fine where the lead is used as a thin filler, but they usually crack at stressed points like windshield pillars and such. So, to answer your original question, no lead won't work well for what you want to do with it.
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