...can it be done?...is it any different from welding on "good" material?...have you done it?...any tips? I haven't tried it yet, just thinking about trying to fix/save a couple of Model A coupe, and Model T coupe quarter panels...
Sure, torch will be your best bet if you want to metal finish and dolly it. The torch will back off the work hardening. You could anneal it back to a workable condition. Tig would be your next best option. Mig will do it to but you can count on it getting harder and very probable to crack if you want to pound it.
Get it hot almost a grayish red just about where the color starts to change from gray. and let it air cool- slowley. That will soften it.
What's work hardened? Are these areas that have been over worked/stretched? Or, something tempered, like fire damage? Just curious.
Work hardening is a type of metal fatigue. Have you ever bent or twisted a piece of metal or wire back and forth until it broke or cracked? Basically the same thing happens (more slowly) when metal is bent, dented or hammered on a lot when repairing damaged panels/parts. As said above, it can be heated and cooled slowly to 'anneal' (soften) it to improve it's (lost) workability. When fabricating body panels from sheet aluminum the alloy of popular choice is 3003 H11 or so, also called 'half hard'. To gain maximum initial workability the raw panel is annealed to a much softer state before beginning shaping. It will 'work harden' some as the part is hammered, rolled, shrunk, stretched, etc.. Occasionally it will be desirable to anneal again before the final shape is achieved to restore it's workability if it has required a lot of working to get the desired contours. Ray
The Jalopy Journal
