never worked on door skins but have you ever thought of using a bead roller. whats the door go to? is it strait on the enges or does it have a bead rolled around it like a T door?
40 chevy tk, the skins have a rolled edge where the lip is prebent, that needs to be tightened up when i hammmer the lip over, looking for some advice
I just did my first A door skin. Having a couple of body working hammers was helpful. There were several spot weld locations around the perimeter,and depending upon the overall stiffness of the****embly, you definitely want them. I just backed the door skin side w/a dolly, and started in the center of each side edge, and gradually (3 passes?) bent the edge over. Check for alignment and straightness of the hem. Drilling a 3/32" hole at the location of each weld in only the skin flange let me oxy/acyt weld the "spot".
Door skins are good way to get that "Popeye the Sailor" look!!haha The trick is not to just pound it home! take your time working it and it'll come out good. I usually wrap a rag around the dolly until I get the skin completely on. Then without the rag I finish the lip out.
Hey, First off, does the door shell fit the door opening? Is this a complete door skin or a partial patch panel? Not many repop door skins available today fit well, without some "tweeking"! Hang the door shell in the opening and check for a uniform fit all around the shell. Any areas of damage or rust MUST be corrected prior to hanging the skin. If the shell is a go, I like to slide the skin over the shell with the shell hanging in the opening so I can tell if the shell + the skin will have a passable gap, once the flange is ''thrown". If my test fit tells me I need to adjust the shell to get a good fit, I do that before any tack welds are done. Sight with any character lines on the quarter or cowl , and compair them to the door skin's lines. If this is a go, I put two small tack welds at the belt line. This will keep the shell and skin in index until I can remove them both from the vehicle, and place them, door skin down, over an old tyre ( unmounted, jus' the tyre) on the bench. The tyre absorbes shocks, and keeps you from denting your new skin, whyle your throwing the flange over with the hammer and dolly. I like a large heavy toe dolly and a large round faced bumping hammer for door skin work. With the door laying on the tyre, skin down, I check for skin to shell fitment at the flange. Clamp the skin at the bottom center with "C'' Vice Grips, and use paint stirring sticks between the skin and the clamp. This will keep ya from puttin small dents in the skin, from the clamps. Start at the top left or right next to the tack welds you've placed at the belt line to upper door frame and with the dolly held firmly against the outer skin( don't let the dolly bounce whyle your hitting the flange, or you'll dent the skin) and strike the 90 degree of the flange with the hammer to a 20-30 degree angle. Don't drive it to a 45 yet! It's hit, slide the dolly, hit, slide the dolly etc. when you reach the bottom of the door switch sides and bring the other side down. Now throw the bottom flange to a 20-30 degree angle, but again, don't drive it over jus' yet. Now , again return to the first flange you started, and drive the flange to a 45, Again the other side & the bottom. Now stop and look at the skin the tyre side, does the skin and the flange area still look good? If so, rehang the door and check, one last time for your fitment. If it still looks good, remove the door and drive the flange over to a 90. Any where , where the skin has pulled and caused the door gap to widen can be corrected by "on dolly" hammering. Go easy with the hammering or you'll stretch the skin. Tack weld the skin at 2',1', 6'' than 1'' apart, WATCH your welding heat! Grind fill , prime and seal your reskinned door. Swankey Devils C.C. "Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Compassion!"
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