The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop lead body repair..

does anyone out there know if lead is still available,,,i would like to try and work with it . i have worked with bondo and glass...i would like to broadin' my horrizons.....so to speek ...(learn a lil' ole school)...hanks ...gary

You might try a sporting goods store. Not really sure though, haven't bought weights for fishing in a 100yrs. Use to be made of lead, not sure what they use today. Cecil....

it was available last year at a paint supply store locally. i have used the stuff for years for seam work, and once for frenching headlights.

i was taught by a man who was, in my opinion, a master. i am not nearly as gifted as he was.

lead is expensive, and remember to recycle or reuse whatever you can. patience--patience--patience. a very clean work surface, properly roughed. small tip torch, and not too much, or too little heat. i always put down clean cardboard when i start to work it down to shape. i save the shavings and have remelted them providing there is no contimination by shop floor dirt.

this is an art that's fading fast. good for you for wanting to give it a whirl!

yes get the rosen also and a wood paddle well vented area wire brush also

Eastwood has all the stuff.

Buddy

Does using soder make any sense? I've often thought about using Lead myself ,but what about sodering?

As Buddy said; Leading and Body Solder

Lead is truely a lost art, but, and as much as I admire the talent, it's not always the best way to go. Expense, toxicity, tools required, today it doesn't make sense. However, it still exists. So,if you're going to do it remember these few tips...never use a power wire brush bit to clean the base metal. It will deposit some of itself on the metal and make it nearly impossible to tin. Keep your tinning fluid in a small spritzer bottle. I always liked a product called "Ruby Fluid" for tinning. Use only cotton rags for wiping during the tinning process...polyester and nylon stuff also deposits itself on the work. Pay close attention to the tinned area making sure you've "boiled out" ALL of the tinning fluid or your work will rust out from behind in a couple years or less. Getting the idea that the tinning process is a major key to sucess? While a torch is the heat source of choice, once tinned, try a commercial grade heat gun for application of the lead filler. Lead melts at like 450deg give or take. A heat gun goes to 750+, or at least mine does. Very handy for final shaping, and less hazardous as well. The rest, well, if ya wanna make an omlette ya gotta break some eggs. Best neutalizer for tinning fluid is still water and baking soda. Use it liberally to clean the area. Use it until it stops "bubbling". I like distilled or purified water as it buys a little time before oxidation sets in. Have fun. I hope this was helpful.

I used to work in a sheet metal shop. Tinning solution was made up from sulphuric Acid that was neutralised by adding zinc. If there was no zinc readily available, the old guys used to throw in a proprtio of galvanised nuts or bolts, until it stopped fizzing. It was painted on to the area to be worked and the lead then applied over that.

Where i get lead is from tire stores... the old wheel weights... theyre either free or cheap... and melt those down... 5 gal bucket weighs about 250lbs at least...LOL