For grinding your welds think about using a die grinder with a used cut off disc ( 1 mm) around 2 inch diameter, I find it easy to control and don't generate much heat but takes off plenty of metal. fwiw I don't leave any gap between my panels when welding, I just weld hot enough to get full depth penetration. use a scrap of whatever your welding and practice on that, then flip it over and check the weld from behind, should be good full penetration. copper paddle is good but I almost never use one unless I'm weld filling a hole, (guess I'm just lazy).
701 when I was taught to gas weld panel steel ,the story was if you have one end of the panels touching ,one foot away if the panels wernt joined there should be 1/8 of an inch gap per foot along the line as the metal expands when heated and the gap closes thus you don't get as much warpage , you then tack the panels every 1 1/2 inches then hammer in to shape ie flat or curved to suit the application . then weld the first 11/2 inch then use your hammer and dolly to PLANISH the welded seam then weld the next 1 1/2 inches planish that section and so on . water was used for drinking and wetting a rag for shrinking not for putting on hot welded sections lesson 1 over
Yep I was taught that too, never could get it to work tho. Not a fan of quenching panels with water when welding or shrinking, no real reason just happy to let things cool in their own time, gives me time with hammer or flipper to planish the weld area to stretch it back to shape. Must admit that all my patch and panel fabrication is tacked together with the mig (coz I can hold and align parts with one hand and tack them with the mig torch) them tig them together and hammer as I go.....works for me.
oops sorry if I started a thread segue drylake lol thanks for all the tips guys but let's get back to the awesome pics of rusty tin and that sweet roadster
Swap meet score today! Came with a spare speedo. It just had the look I'm after. No brand on the face, nice era look and cheap. Ticks all the boxes. I'll probably find they're stuffed! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The AC on the face may point to some sort of GM truck... good pick up by the way. Was that the Clare swap? Sent from my SM-G920I using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yeah, bit of a drive. Grabbed a couple of headlights and a small light I might use as an emergency light. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Got my gauges, sold my pair of headlights from the swap meet and came out $110 in front for the day. Fun! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Scored a rad shell trim, picked it up tonight. Original... Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sqeezed half an hour in the shed tonight, before dad duties kicked in.... rummaged through my patch panel bin to repair my dash. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
relieved the radiuses a bit, and flattened them out. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
clean it up and hopefully weld the patches in tomorrow night. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
passenger inner door skin arrived today! Needs a few adjustments but it will work! Did a little more on the dash but I'll chuck a photo up when it's in! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You know Aussie roadsters had a timber inner structure right? US inners are more user friendly though. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yes mate, i know they had an inner timber structure. I removed what was left by the white ants. I'm a cabinet maker and the temptation of creating some nice exposed timber frames is pretty high. But steel has much better structure and long jeverdy. Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I don't plan on putting a timber floor back in it either, sorry! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
To my knowledge, the only reason aussie 32's (amongst many others) had timber structures was to avoid import tax on arrival to Australia. A chassis and a bunch of crates would arrive with running gear etc. Inside. Crates would be used for door and cab inner structures as well as floors. Interesting history, but sagging twisting doors from heat and moisture fluctuations and fixings working loose doesn't appeal to me. Thanks for bringing the topic up though, so i can clarify my plans. I appreciate any positive input thanks for commenting ozyrodder! Sent from my SM-N910G using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Dont forget, the termites will bust their teeth trying to chew through 1.6mm mild steel! Good work so far! You must get to those swaps mighty early, when I get there all I get is a bacon & egg sandwich!
drylakes , do you have the original steel bits that go into the door skins ? if so willyou sell me some bits ? I will have a look at my doors tomorrow and see what I need I think I'm only missing one but will buy what ever you will sell regards scott
You eat worms??? Are you related to crocodile Dundee? All jokes aside you are a great hunter. I love seeing what you find. All it takes is hard work and you can still find old iron. If you hunt you will find.
The Jalopy Journal
