My 36 chevy truck is comin apart at the seam it seems to be lead or somthing like that. could I just get all this soder out and weld it up? Or would it start to crack around the welds?
I don't see why you couldn't gently melt the solder out, and replace it with a nicely ground weld. As long as the body is mounted securely to the frame, you shouldn't have much stress at that part of the body... if any at all.
You'll probably have to get all the lead out first, use a respirator! cause the weld won't stick to lead....
clean it all out first. if it is lead, looks like it is, do not breath however you do it wear a mask or 2 , ie grinding it out. or melting it out, either one. looks like a hell of gap to begin with? weld it up & fill & smooth to your satisfaction...
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is more rot behind that that you will want to address. The door jamb and the sill across the cowl are wood. That wood traps moisture and rots the metal from within. Back in the 70's I did 3 or 4 of those. The first two I did like you are trying to do...I brazed in new metal to fill the holes. Within a year they rusted out again. The repairs that lasted involved pulling the cowl all the way down, replace the wood and cut out the rust back to good sheetmetal and refab the rest. I had to do that for my '36 suburban and my '36 produce truck. I've heard of guys injecting the wood with epoxy to firm it up then repatching the metal, but I've not seen it work. Good luck!
The wood is long gone and I will need to fab all new stuff. The rust is surface only the cowel is in great shape.. I was thinking of useing that trex fake wood stuff for the door jamb I have a waterjet at work and was going to cut it to shape I have one templet to copy. So it sounds like I should melt out the lead and use my resporator when I do so. Then clamp and can weld it up? or should I resoder (I would rather weld I could do that myself) Thanks for all the info keep it up.
1. Put mask on. 2. Melt the lead out. Clean it up. 3. Keep mask on and wire wheel the gap clean. 4. Weld (I wont go into s***ch and heat distortion). 5. Grind smooth. 6. Filler or spend the time to metal finish (not me). 7. Prime. 8. Paint. 9. Sit inside and make "Vroom" noises until you get it running.
does that cab have any rubber mounts between cab and frame. its got rust,no doubt, but if the cab is mounted solid to frame that thing will rip it self apart again.
My 36 came apart just like that! Looks like i'll be going through the same process. Thanks for the advice!!!
1. Put mask on. 2. Melt the lead out. Clean it up. 3. Keep mask on and wire wheel the gap clean. 4. Weld (I wont go into s***ch and heat distortion). 5. Grind smooth. 6. Filler or spend the time to metal finish (not me). 7. Prime. 8. Paint. 9. Sit inside and make "Vroom" noises until you get it running. 10. Drink a beer.
Be sure to wear gloves and welding jacket when you weld it up, if there is any lead left in there it will pop real good. Don't ask how I know this.
I was working on my uncles 39 chev coupe & got to see a lead water fall right before I yelped in burning agony. Be extra careful were you sit or stand when the lead comes off it goes right through cotton jeans!
I've had a problem sandblasting metal, then T.I.G. welding it. I think sand particles get embedded into the suface and pops out when heat is applied. I usually grind or use a flapper wheel after I sandblast. I don't know if it's a problem with M.I.G. Del
Yep your right the gl*** or the sand will pop and f the whole thing up I will sand then probbly use a rough scotch brite style pad on a air grinder thingy to clean it all up . After I melt the lead out.
It looks in the photos like there is a return flange on the cowl and pillar, that are then presumably spotwelded together inside? If so, and the flanges and welds are sound, just melt the rest of the lead out, blast the groove clean, then maybe add a few extra tack welds on the outside for strength. You can then either fill the rest with lead again, or bondo.
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