What would be the best welding method to fill the low relief Chevrolet logo on the upper grille bar on a '51-'52 Chevy? Is there copper wirer for a MiG welder or a good filler rod that can be used to fill the bar? I'm looking to have a clean custom bar for re-chroming. CRUISER
I have heard Silver solder is used to fill low spots before chroming. Definitely not a Guru but thats what I have read. Maybe someone else will chime in..
If that part is made of stamped steel, first have the chrome removed so you get down to good clean steel. Then fill the depresions with br***. The old guys could braze with very low heat so as to not warp the metal, and a good braze job is better than a poor weld. Anyone with a oxy/acetalyn set can do this, but practice a little on a like thicknes metal first.
If you have a beat up version to practice on, you might try just using a hammer and dolly to flatten out the letters, then a shrinking disc. Go slow with the hammer and dolly. Don't try to make the area flat to fast. John www.ghiaspecialties.com
Yup, flatten 'em out don't try to fill 'em you'll warp the hell out of the bar, even brazing will. They will hammer out easily.
I braze almost everyday being in the custom chrome plating biz, and would never braze on the center of that piece; it is too thin, and would be asking for trouble. I would first strip it, then flatten it out as best I could, then use silver-bearing solder to fill in any remaining imperfections. Then i would put a couple hours of copper on it. Then sand it down and say "what letters?" I do that kind of stuff for a living, so I hope I know what I am talking about. Depending on your metalworking ability, you may want to have the chrome plater take care of the modifications for you.
ChromePlaterJosh - Thanks for the information, I will follow your advice and look for the cool smooth bar without the Chevrolet bias relief. CRUISER
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