The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Replacing Lead ? ?

I'm wondering if there is "the" right way to handle the lead patched(like A pillar)seams on my 50 Suburban. I've seen a couple of TV shows and they always melt out the lead. What next? A glob of Bondo or a thin metal patch? Have any of you long time body guys found the best way? We all want something to last! Maybe leave the lead or re-lead?

Thanks, Buddy

I use body solder. Eastwood carries everything you need and it's not hard to learn how to do it. Bondo will crack after time and mess up a nice paint job. Do it the right way the first time. The ONLY time you'll see bondo on these joints is in older vehicles when a vinyl top covered the joints of the body and roof. When we resto these vehicles, the bondo is always cracked and broken. Lead was outlawed (in factories) due to EPA issues years ago.

Eastwood Body Solder kit

rsgs:
Do you use any bondo at all, or do you generally use body solder whenever possible?

bondo is for flaws in sheet metal - lead is for joints, as in the factory leading - they use lead [body solder] there cuz the 'cosmetic' fillers can't stand up to the flex stresses at those points

Buddy - leave the original lead work there - if it's too cracked, redo it w/ lead, if it's just scored up from yer rough paint/rust removal, then smoothing w/ filler will prolly work fine - welding might work, but I'd rather trust the original designers, whose work has already stood the test of time!

Bill

DONSZ: I try not to use filler at all. I prefer to metal finish if at all possible. First choice for filler if needed would be body solder. That would be for dents and such I cannot reach with a Stud Welder and/or a hammer and dolly. It's permenant and you will never have to address it again. If I have to use a spreadable filler, I use Duraglas by USC. It's reinforced with filberglass. It's waterproof, rustproof, and will not crack. For smaller problems, I use a Glaze Coat from Evercoat. Some guys like to just slap filler on everything. I like to take my time and do it right and never have to worry about it again.

AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I CONCOUR COMPLETELY!!! I HAVE USED BONDO IN THE PAST, BUT DON'T LIKE IT. dammit-caps lock! learn to work lead, and body solder. you will not regret it! with practice you can work lead/solder into a tough surface that will stand the test of time.

this from a guy who has "frenched" headlights and tailights with nothing BUT lead. i really like working the stuff, but was taught by a master when i was young.

Koolkar,
did you use the irons that heat up in the gas fired torches? I saw some at a swap meet a while ago and the seller was good enough to explain their use to me. I just wanted to learn how they were used.

I see the guys doing leading on TV and they use a flame on the work.

Thanks for the replies rsgs & Koolkar: I'm going to order that Eastwood body solder kit. It's just something I've always thought made sense & I just want to learn. It's the type of thing that makes working on my truck more fun for me.

i have a gas fired torch and old soldering irons. ihave never used them, just mostly for antique value. most leadding i've done has been to build a framework, mostly like a metal screen, and work bars of lead into a semi-molten state and begin to apply the lead to the framework. i use a #1 tip on the torch. as with the body solder, it requires patience, and practice to make work right. you actually melt each strip together with the torch until you have the basic shape you want. working the lead requires much the same tools as working plastic body filler. i like the feel of lead as it's being worked. i also like the shiney result as the metal blends into the lead.

the down side is, it's lead. my clothes get washed separate, and the shop would be swept again and again, until i was comfortable all the lead was gone. then came washing the floor.

my grandchildren play in that garage on rainy days. i take lead in the enviornment, my grandchildren, and your children quite seriously.
the lead left over goes to the recycle joint.

leadding is a lost art. one of many in the auto industry. the body solder replacement is an excellant alternative, and i highly recommend you learn how to do it. the result will serve you well for years to come. (with PROPER PREPARATION)

Yes, soldering is a lost art. EPA, enviro, and just plan lack of interest are the culprits IMHO. rsgs, koolkar, have you ever tried a heat gun for final shaping? While indeed this responder and yourselves know the "art" of lead is torch control and shaping, a heat gun is a neat and safe (no open flame) "cheat" to getting the final shape. I`ve said before the downside to lead is cleaning the tinned area of all flux residue which some newcommers to the craft neglect just enough to ruin the work in a short time. It`s my humble opinion that properly applied modern joint fillers do a wonderful job and also are pretty easy and reasonable to work with. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING looks better than a metal-finished panel, and fillers should always be for surfacing, not repair. You can always tell the over-filled cars/trucks at the shows even with great finishing. They're just to thick looking.

never though of a heat gun, but that sure is a good idea, especially for finish work. personally i think there is way too much bondo ing going on out there. the goop has become a band aid for lazy folks and people who take the easy way. time is usally the ruination of the job. some guys are extrememly good with the bondo, but that comes after quality metal work.

i watched a guy glob about 3 pounds of the stuff on a badly dented door, then run it down to a local shop for a paint job. he finally replaced the door the next spring after his patch job cracked from winter and jarring around. i have seen guys do extremely good bondo work that has held up very well. new fiberglass strand stuff seems to be the way to go. i do have some leftover lead for the cabover, and that's where it gonna go. the will, no doubt, be my last lead job.

I am 16 years old and really admire experienced bodymen and mechanics. I know that leading is a lost art, and I hate most new technology. I like to do everything the way it was done back in the day. A few weeks ago, I redid the leading in the A-pillars of my '39 Chevy truck and used a torch and the solder you use on copper tubing. It came out fine. Is this an OK lead to use? If not, no biggie, just melt it out! Thanks.