The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Patch Panel cutting questions

Hi all!

What, in your opinion is the best tool to use to cut out rusty old metal and replacement patch panels from donor cabs? A "nibbler" or a die grinder? sawzall? jig saw? jaws of life? I have access to a generator so corded tools would be OK. I don't have any air tools (yet!)

I've got the front clip off of the '53 to replace the engine, so this is a good time to replace the rusty cowl panels (inner and outer)and a small portion of floorboard and toeboard. Also, the rear cab corners need to be replaced too.

I'm new to body work, but I'm not too intimidated. Slow and steady with lots of advice is my approach.

Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve
All the above. I'm not an expert, but I started helping my Dad nearly sixty years ago and I do body work as lot of people play music. By ear. Generally, you start by looking for spot welds and drill them out and seperate panels wherever you can. Then, check your new panel or piece and mark-off where you want to cut. There is a tool that I find valuable - ordered mine from northern tools (it's air, though but will work with a sears 5hp compressor) that will punch holes to spot-weld through and the other side puts a flange on metal that you can join two pieces to fit flat for a weld. Pop-rivit guns help a lot by holding the metal together while you start the weld and can be drilled back out and the holes welded up. Whenever I can, I will use a jig-saw. Makes the cut go faster. Since I worked in sheet metal about fourty years ago, I learned how to use tin snips and they can be of use in shaping the piece to be replaced. You need a right, left and straight cut (all three pairs). A small wire welder is really a must to stitch panels together and a grinder to grind the welds so it looks as if it was part of the same panel, and of course body filler to smooth over the course places. But, I'm sure that you will get a lot of good advise from people and eventually you will develop a system of your own with a mixture from everyone. Keep up the patience and don't give up. Takes time.

Truck Tinker

Good stuff Tinker
I have to add that I use a die grinder with a 1/32" cut off wheel about 80% of the time. The rest is probably a little air saw-all. Of course that is just for CUTTING where a patch panel will butt up (or lap weld whatever you choose). Where ever spot welds are you drill them. On full panel replacment like in late model car repairs about 99% of it is done with a spot weld driller.

Tin snips for fine tuning, like Tinker said, "all the above".

One thing I have to say, you don't HAVE to use the patch panel in it's entirely. This is one thing I see all the time. A guy will have three inches of rust at the bottom and he uses the whole 12 inches of the patch panel putting the weld way up high on the part risking warpage.

Just use what you need.