- Thread starter Japtastic
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Bit of break for the Skyline to help a mate fit a new sill to his Supra. Went really well and one of my best welding jobs to date. He’s just getting the last of the spot welds off the existing sill in this pic. The welding will be in a visable area so was good practice for my 1/4 panel welding job that will need to be done sometime soon.
Had a chance to put in some more hours this week but wasted a lot of it by doing one particular job twice! Got the inner sill all cut and then a replacement piece of metal made and welded in. This went well but when I went to fit the outter sill, it wouldn’t fit.
I then broke the cardinal rule and reversed it. I measured once and cut twice! Disaster, as I somehow managed to cut 10mm more than I should have. I then wasted half a day trying to fix my cock up before realising how ridiculous it looked having a 10mm strip welded on to the bottom of a panel so I had to force myself to cut off all the work I had done as well as all the spot welds to make it right.
Next job is to fabricate the end bits which are going to be a real pain.
I then broke the cardinal rule and reversed it. I measured once and cut twice! Disaster, as I somehow managed to cut 10mm more than I should have. I then wasted half a day trying to fix my cock up before realising how ridiculous it looked having a 10mm strip welded on to the bottom of a panel so I had to force myself to cut off all the work I had done as well as all the spot welds to make it right.
Next job is to fabricate the end bits which are going to be a real pain.
Blobber
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We all get 1 step forwards and 2 steps backwards some days
This is a fantastic bit of work. I'm sure you're familiar with kalvin malli? He's taken his apart panel by panel.
What's more impressive is the environment you are working in.
I love your selection of tools especially the finger sander. What make is it?
Keep up the good work. I'm watching with interest
What's more impressive is the environment you are working in.
I love your selection of tools especially the finger sander. What make is it?
Keep up the good work. I'm watching with interest
Thanks! Yeah, have binged watched a lot of Kalvin Malli for inspiration and reference pics / info.
The belt file is just a cheap one from Screwfix. I was going to buy the DeWalt one but it was £180 or something and the Silverline one was only £30. I bought it ages ago for a few jobs but ended up using it a lot more and it's survived everything I've put it through so no sense in changing!
Some more small progress. The front of the sill was the hardest and not perfect visually but perfectly strong and functional and will never be seen so I'm happy with it.
I decided, it turns out wrongly, that I would seal/weld the sill up without any epoxy primer beforehand and do it after for maximum coverage. This turned out to be a nightmare and not one I'm going to repeat! Nothing will spray thick epoxy primer reliably down a long tube that I had jerry-rigged together lol. In the end, I attached a pait brush to a pole and did it that way. Again, not the prettiest in there, but full coverage and will last a lifetime.
Got to now figure out the inner arch area, which I made some templates for yesterday.
The belt file is just a cheap one from Screwfix. I was going to buy the DeWalt one but it was £180 or something and the Silverline one was only £30. I bought it ages ago for a few jobs but ended up using it a lot more and it's survived everything I've put it through so no sense in changing!
Some more small progress. The front of the sill was the hardest and not perfect visually but perfectly strong and functional and will never be seen so I'm happy with it.
I decided, it turns out wrongly, that I would seal/weld the sill up without any epoxy primer beforehand and do it after for maximum coverage. This turned out to be a nightmare and not one I'm going to repeat! Nothing will spray thick epoxy primer reliably down a long tube that I had jerry-rigged together lol. In the end, I attached a pait brush to a pole and did it that way. Again, not the prettiest in there, but full coverage and will last a lifetime.
Got to now figure out the inner arch area, which I made some templates for yesterday.
Bit more progress on this pain in the butt corner area!
Lots of weld cleanup on this area next and the area beyond this and where the rear sub frame connects. Then on to more clean up around the inner 1/4 panel area. Getting closer every week to the new 1/4 going on which is exciting and a great milestone to spur me on.
And then on to the other side and repeating exactly the same which is a bit demoralising lol
I may take a break on doing more rust/metal removal/forming/welding after the 1/4 is on and do a bit more on the sub frame resto. This is quite a complicated area with the ATTESA unit for the 4WD.
A few pics along the way.
You can see one of the big subframe bolts covered in green tape there. Had to cut part of that area off and remake. I sprayed Bilt Hamber rust converter in there and then epoxy primed. I have access to from the top to squirt in Dinitrol ML and 1000 after everything is done so will be very well protected.
Lots of weld cleanup on this area next and the area beyond this and where the rear sub frame connects. Then on to more clean up around the inner 1/4 panel area. Getting closer every week to the new 1/4 going on which is exciting and a great milestone to spur me on.
And then on to the other side and repeating exactly the same which is a bit demoralising lol
I may take a break on doing more rust/metal removal/forming/welding after the 1/4 is on and do a bit more on the sub frame resto. This is quite a complicated area with the ATTESA unit for the 4WD.
A few pics along the way.
You can see one of the big subframe bolts covered in green tape there. Had to cut part of that area off and remake. I sprayed Bilt Hamber rust converter in there and then epoxy primed. I have access to from the top to squirt in Dinitrol ML and 1000 after everything is done so will be very well protected.
Been working on my mates Supra in November/December so mine has taken a break but managed a bit over the last couple of weeks.
Top tip, if anyone ever asks you help remove a wrap that has been on for over 10 years and has gone all crusty, say NO! This took flipping ages and pulled off some clear coat with it so we are going to have to respray the bonnet, roof and other small areas before the new wrap goes on.
On mine, I managed to get the inner arch in to a shape that fits the rear quarter, again took so long. The new 1/4 was on and off about 50 times to get everything lined up perfect. Knocked back the welds a bit more after this pic and then epoxy primed the area. Then moved on to removing the few bits off the old 1/4 and welding it on the new one, then prepped the new 1/4 and epoxy primed it. Next step is to grind back the areas I will either plug or spot weld and spray copper weld through.
Then on to the scary task of actually welding it on! I'm kind of putting this job off! Need a kick up the **** and some time to just get it done.
Pics to follow.
Top tip, if anyone ever asks you help remove a wrap that has been on for over 10 years and has gone all crusty, say NO! This took flipping ages and pulled off some clear coat with it so we are going to have to respray the bonnet, roof and other small areas before the new wrap goes on.
On mine, I managed to get the inner arch in to a shape that fits the rear quarter, again took so long. The new 1/4 was on and off about 50 times to get everything lined up perfect. Knocked back the welds a bit more after this pic and then epoxy primed the area. Then moved on to removing the few bits off the old 1/4 and welding it on the new one, then prepped the new 1/4 and epoxy primed it. Next step is to grind back the areas I will either plug or spot weld and spray copper weld through.
Then on to the scary task of actually welding it on! I'm kind of putting this job off! Need a kick up the **** and some time to just get it done.
Pics to follow.
galooph
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Years ago, my brother drew one of those on the white board in my office. I cleaned it off, but you could still see it very faintly in the background for years!
Let's hope this one doesn't show through on the new wrap, lolYears ago, my brother drew one of those on the white board in my office. I cleaned it off, but you could still see it very faintly in the background for years!
jo1010
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You mean using a tig as a spot welder? It's interesting and I haven't used it much but it could be good ......consistency is helped by a spot function on the machine and ability to set duration of weld. There is argument about the technique the video above shows - some say modify the cup to allow gas to escape, and use a blunt tungsten 1/16" below the tip of the cup - have a look what this guy shows....
Smallfry
HE's Spartacus.
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I don't look at these threads much, so new to this ........
Had two Datsun 240Zs back in the eighties, and out of all the cars I have had, they, and the Sunbeam Tiger, are the only ones I wish I still had. I scrapped the Tiger, wrote off one of the 240Zs and sold the other for a couple of hundred quid ......................
Anyway, re the spot welding. I actually have a hand held spot welder, but I have never been happy with it, so don't use it. I usually plug weld, which is OK, but I like the idea of not adding any extra material and the cleaning up it entails. I like stuff to look as factory as possible ....... even places that will never be seen.
I am thinking of trying this method with my MIG when I have time. By cobbling in a TIG tip ....... what could possibly go wrong ?
You could have done with my old mate George, who I did my apprenticeship with back in the seventies. He was an old school coachbuilder. If you had given him any of those repair pieces, he would have looked at you over his half moon specs, shook his head, and walk off to his bench and the English Wheel etc, and come back later with a near perfect panel. He was heavy smoker though, and keeled over and died before I got the real benefit of his skills
You seem to be doing OK though. Keep it up !
