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Door progress. I have been trimming and prepping the reproduction outer door skin for welding. It was a lot of hammering, bending, and tweaking to create the "pinch weld" that folds over itself on the underside of the door. I'm not sure if that's the way a shop would do it but I want it to be "original-ish" looking. I'm not sure either how it should properly be done. I used my "sharp" (I discovered tonight it's called a wedge dolly) dolly and locked it in my vice. Then I hammered and dollied the snot out of that panel to start the fold over. It took a while and once I got it folded far enough over I slowly began to pinch it in the vise. One thing I hadn't accounted for before I started making the lip was "curving." As I worked that pinch lip the piece warped on me and deflected over 6" in the middle. I had to coax it back into shape. When I cut out the rusted piece it sprang out into the arc I have now in the patch piece. I figure this might encourage the door to maintain its outward bulge as opposed to sinking in more during welding. Hopefully, my thinking is clear on that. It was a pain to fold that 75° angle lip that the reproduction had in it but it should work out well once I set the inner tub in place.
Slow but good progress. Gaps aren't too bad either...for now. 😬

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YTfa6gT2wtuitkan8