I just recently had the pleasure of watching my body shop guy Jim applying lead to the Kripple Karts running boards/lakes pipe housings, and I must say, I'm in awe of the whole process. Now I could be wrong, but it seems to me, that leading is a real rarity over here, as we never really did the Kustom thing, and it got me to thinking, in this day and age of bondos and super bondos, how many of you Kustomisers use the fancy new stuff, or do a lot of you still swear by traditional leading? Also, how many of you car guys insist on lead, and how many are happy to have the new technology stuff used on your kemps? I guess what I'm trying to ask is is leading a dying art, or still thriving over there in the US? Paul.
I think its a dying art over here in the US too. I tried for a long time to get someone to teach me how to lead with no luck. It is something I want to learn because I would rather do it than bondo on older cars to stay more traditional.
It certainly has been a dying art, at least in this part of the country, but is now making a small come-back, thanks in part to the "traditional movement". Very few "old" shops still doing it, but a few "old-new" shops are re-introducing by popular demand. I intend to give a try on my LAST project.... Robb
Bondo is much easier, faster, doesn't require special tools...especially for the "amateur," which most of us are. My Dad was a bodyman/painter...he leaded with the best of them...but when he was alive, I didn't have any desire to follow in his footsteps (he always told me: "Go to school, get an education, you won't have to do this for the rest of your life."). He was correct, of course, and now I only build cars for the fun of it...and use bondo...!!! R-
I watched my grandfather use lead this summer on my truck. It's a very cool process, and I was able to try it out myself. Not to steal this post at all, but does anyone know a source for getting the correct kind of lead for body work?
eastwood had been carrying lead. have not bought any in a while, so I'm not sure if they still have it. worth checking their website to see. slf
Eastwood sells a lead free body solder, that is supposed to act the same as lead but be safer. Don't know how well it works though, I've never used it. I think they still carry actual lead too though.
well i've only tried leading once when one of my teachers brought his newly chopped henry j to school. It was allot more difficult to apply that he made it seem but he did good work while i um.....it wasn't the prettiest . I've used all metal fillers, plastic fillers, fibergl*** and i've got to say plastic filler like bondo are the most user friendly of them all. I would still like to learn to lead some day though.
I say that body solder certainly has it's place. Sometimes it's easier and even faster than plastic. The up side is that lead doesn't shrink. It's perfect for shaved door handles, hoods, etc. It's really tough on vertical surfaces and separates the pros from the wannbes. Sometimes it's hell to work with but in my opinion it's something that should never go away. I hate bondo. An evil we can't really work without but I truely ****in HATE bondo. And don't start with the pro bondo **** on me...I've spread hundreds of lbs of the **** and we all know it's just "the way" sometimes, like it or not. I hate it. Lead rules.
Funny you brought this up. I just bought a sewing machine from a fella that was building a hot rod like the one he had in high school and was using lead from Eastwood. I need to give him a call and see if I can watch him do it. I'm curious to know if there's another source for lead. It seems like there ought to be, but I haven't searched a bunch.
My grandpa and i used some lead on my cadillac. Its really like a body filling art i like the way it came out and ive tried it a few times. Its just that matter of heating the metal rite and laying it down. To me i think lead is better then bondo but also more time consuming.
I like lead in the fact of it doesn't crack as easy as bondo. So like on a hood or something that moves and gets slammed shut.
I was curious cos Jim explained that as the running boards are now welded to the fenders,only lead would flex with the body and not crack.That just seemed strange in our era of 'space age solutions to everything in a can' Not that I'm complaining, I get to call the old gal a lead sled Paul
Lead is the ultimate way to fill and create body lines. It can be really tricky, but if you gget it down it is sooo worth it. I've used alot of plastic filler but that is simply because of time and cost. As far as the tools go, you really don't need that much. You can make your owns paddles, and you can use toilet bowl rings for the wax ( much nicer than the sheeps fat that you buy) then all you need is a acid wash for the metal surface. The rest of the tools are the same as what you would use for bondo.
Way i understand it is it's just a 20-80 or 30-70 mixture of tin and Lead mabey someone else can chime in
I did a quick how-to on doing lead work here a ccouple years ago Eastwood sells it, but as usual, there are places to get it cheaper. try searching Johnson MFG. Co. They sell lead and leadworking supplies, as well as the "lead free" lead. I haven't tried the lead free stuff yet, gbut it needs a slightly higher working temp, and I believe the window of workability is smaller? I don't use it often, but there are times when it is a better choice than plastic, as well as other uses (soldering on plates for pulling panels, for example)
It is a dying art. Back in the early 70's I used to work for a shop that had a contract to repair racing Porsches for a local owner/racer. He always wanted all repairs done using lead, actually a requirement of the leaque he raced in. Lead didn't come off bodies like bondo would in subsequent collisions. Bondo could become a missile if struck just right. Since then not many people I know in the trade continue to use lead on a regular basis. Many know how, they just don't take the time. Time is money to them which I understand. I learned the trade, but it's been decades since I used it last.
My body man was taught by his dad during the restoration of my 40 Coupe. They did the seams at the rear pan. Ford did those at the factory for a reason. I understand body flex. I was impressed with the process also and didn’t think it was much harder than bondo. But what do I know!
I buy my lead supplies from Johnsons here in Iowa. I use it on a fairly regular basis in areas that I feel need durability and no shrink. Working with it isn't rocket science and I could demonstrate to visiters. Using it always brings back memories of learning how at Dunwoody Tech in Minneapolis in the late 60's. We had to demonstrate that we could straighten panels without filler before we were instructed on how to lead or spread the " crutch ". Plastic is ok as long as you recognize it's limits. JW
I was taught by my school teacher whom has a 99 point Model A. He drug out a bakers tin, lined it with a brown paper towel out of the head, poured ****** fluid enough to soak the bottom of the tray with 1/8 of fluid and fired up a propane torch and used home made wood paddles to play in the ****** fluid while he warmed the bare metal fender with the torch. He checked the heat by scratching the end of the lead stick like a pencil and when the lead melted enough of a 12 inch ruff area he started tinning the area by using a wire brush to scartch the lead and introduce tinning acid for it to stick. after he got it tinned he then run the lead stic end wise into the fender and then used the wood paddle to ****er his bread until he needed to cool the paddle in fluid. He moved the lead around to a ruff shape and then took the vixen file to it. If this is a spark enough of interest, there are alot of utube video's on the web to get enough info to try it out... The reason I think its harder for some is evedent in they're forearms.....heheheeehheeheeeee
I too have used lead. about 40 years ago! the reason it isn`t used as much now,besides cost, is the health issue...lead poisoning!!! just like indoor pistol ranges no longer allowing lead bullets...only jacketed or bullets made of lead free lead... most of the reloading bullet manufacturers have stopped making lead bullets in favor of solid br*** or copper. or copper coated lead... gimme that can of bondo!!! Tom
Yea, lead might be unsafe, just like nonpower brakes, open top roadsters, cars with more lbs of torque than weight, slicks, chopped tops, open hoods, straight axles and uplift shocks...but it's the real thing. just like the belt/chain harley debate, or flintlock vs cartrige Give me the real deal, if that stuff was good then, it's surely good enough now BTW the 2008 ridler rambler was leaded where needed, with a skim of mud, so it aint dead
Its kinda weird, me and a buddy of mine are into doing leadwork, because its real, bondo is gay. We are only in our 20's which is a bit of a rarity for leadwork, but there is absolutly NO market for it in out part of the country, not even the old farts know anything about it here. But, we do everything old school, lead, laquer, siphon feed, I even have a gasoline powered leading torch that is kool to use. I wish there was a market for it so i could get paid to do lead work for people who appreciate it, but missourri is lame like that.
In Gene Winfield's sheetmetal fab cl*** he showed us how to lead, then said plastic filler is a lot easier and works just fine. I appreciate the traditional aspect of it but I believe it would be completely impractical for me to try to lead work a whole car when modern plastic filler is available. Ask yourself this question: If plastic filler was available in the 50's would they have used it? You bet.
try lead wheel wiegths i use to get then for .00 and melt then down to bars,cut a pipe in half and make a mould i the size you work with jim
I dunno about PA guys but if there would be an interest in a leading cl*** I'd be willing to do one. I was taught by an old timer who had me slinging lead overhead and everyoner position you can think of. I have been doing a lot of it lately on a buddies car so if anyone would be interested one weekend I'd be willing to have a group over to the garage and teach some.
Did some lead work on my model A back in the 50's, wasn't much in bondo then. Started at the top, got every thing looking good, then I moved down, so did all of the lead, to the floor. Lesson well taught.
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