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.Welding repairs to corroded
panels.
The front panel on this Mk1 ford transit
was weak and holes in the cross member could be felt by pushing fingers
into the gap behind it.Removing the top of the front valence revealed the
cross member behind it had corroded through where it met the front panel.This
is a structural part of the vehicle so had to be repaired by letting in
new metal.
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First job was to tidy up the holes cutting
back to sound metal with an angle grinder.The front panel had been repaired
before by simply plating over the holes,effectively sealing in the rust.The
old repairs were removed.The edges of the front panel were then squared
off.
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A strip of metal long enough to cover the
hole was cut,at the front a 1/2 inch flange was bent over to meet with
the bottom of the front panel.As the section is curved 'V' sections were
cut out and the panel curved to fit,whren the fit was OK the V sections
were welded together and the new section tack then seam welded to the cross
member and front panel.
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A new section of front panel was then welded
into place.The section was formed by hammering a strip of sheet steel over
a wooden block to curve it.Sheet metal that has been shaped is more resistant
to bending than flat section and contributes to the rigidity of the structure.
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Repairing with fibreglass.
Quicker than welding but no
good on structural areas.
A small rust bubble turned into a larger hole when
attacked with an angle grinder.The damage is not in a structural area.The
rest of the wing was sound and I wanted to minimise paint damage so fibreglass
was used on the repair.The hole was enlarged,cutting back to sound metal
and the whole area treated with a rust remover/convertor.The area was then
carefully dented so that a layer of glass and resin could be applied without
standing proud of the original contours. |
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Fibre glass resin and mat was applied to
the cleaned rear of the panel and when set other layers were applied to
build up thickness.The repaired area was strong and will not rust although
eventually some corrosion will probably make its way through elsewhere.
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A skim of filler and the wing is ready for
paint.Most car filler is porous and absorbs water so it should be protected
by paint as soon as possible.Filler should be applied to bare metal or
fibre glass,it will not key well to existing paint.The area behind the
repair was treated with a rust preventer,then painted and this should keep
it sound for a fair time
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Welding repairs to bodywork.
A Merecedes 307D with a rotted
out windscreen surround.
This shows what rust and corrosion can lurk
under rubber mouldings.Taking the cracked screen out of an old merc revealed
this hole.Most of the metal the screen rubber fits into is missing.Rot
round a screen surround is always bad news and a difficult repair
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As the shape is quite complez with various
curves I welded in small pieces of steel to the back panel leaving what
was left of the front in place to give a guide to the shape and length.When
finished the small sections were welded together
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Covered with a skim of filler the panel looked
better and at least should hold the windscreen in place.. |