I need some help from the experienced lead guys here. I've been tinkering around with leading for a few months now and finally have enough confidence with it that I am going to try it on my 53 Buick. My question is, can you lead to stainless? I believe the bezels on my Buick are stainless. Will the lead stick to that the same as it does to mild steel? Are all the Buick head lights that have been frenched been done by just welding and bondo? Any help would be appreciated.
hey, Are you sure 'bout them being stainless, and not plated pot metal? Stainless can be soldered with 30/70, but I wouldn't use this method to join them to the carbon steel fenders. Stainless, together with the chrome and nickle in contains, in contact with the tin and lead + any flux residue = paint problems in the years ahead! You can silver solder stainless to carbon steel, however. " Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "
I'm pretty sure the 53's were stainless and the 54's were potmetal but I could be wrong. So your saying just weld the bezels to the car and bondo? Thats how the 53-54 Buick headlights have always been frenched in?
Does any-one have an answer for this query....i'm after some info on this too.... the 53 Buick headlight bezels are stainless, the 54 are cast as has been said... what are the process's invovled in frenching & leading either of these in place properly? cheers....Jick
I never bother with using the stock ones. You can't do pot metal easy, or stainless either, compatibility issues, higher chance of failure, etc. Just grab some 1/4, 5/16, or 3/8" tubing and make steel copies of the bezel shape and fill in the rest with strips of sheet metal. It's really not as hard as you think!
thanks Chopolds,thats much appreciated.... after i posted i was gonna edit and add that option, i was kinda thinking that would be my best way to go. i'm certainly more comfortable doing it that way. cheers...Jick
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