The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Is there and easy fix for Stretched Metal

I have managed to work away on my cab for a year or so now and I have learned quite a bit. The one area where that I not progressed in is dealing with stretched metal and panels that "oil can". Are there any techniques other than the difficult shrinking methods that work. I am wondering if cutting a slit and then welding up would help.

don't cut it...... i've read about, and also heard from body men about a method of heating the spot with a torch. I think there was a link to a metal working site around here somewhere, try doing a search. This topic caught my attention because I will soon have to do this to a spot on one of my fenders.

oldcarandtrucknut,
thanks, and I have read and tried that method and to me it was quite difficult. I was wondering if there was an easier way.

I found the heating impossible until I kept a wet rag close and pressed it against the hot spots and watched how it moved after heating with a small propane torch. After some practice I could tell where it would go with the cooling. With the rag you can see it move unlike the heat that slowly softens it and does'nt really seem to do anything. Keep at it...you'll figure out the technique.

Curt B.

Easy???? I guess it depends on what you call easy. The way I learned in trade school is to heat a spot about the size of a nickle red hot. Place your dolly under the spot & using your body hammer (usually the flat face of a pick hammer) with fairly light blows work the metal around the red spot toward the red spot. Quench with a wet rag & feel with your hand for contour. Repeat as necessary.

Truckernix, I suggest (if you havn't already) read the post below "Door panel warpage". I recieved some good tips there. Good luck,
Cliff

I looked into metal shrinking for awhile. The best tool that I found was the sunchaser metal shrinking disk. I called Ken who developed this tool and talked with him for over a half hour one day. I was convinced to get the system but I had to cut back on my spending so I haven't purchased the kit yet. Give Ken a call he will talk your ear off on the phone. He even provides class on how to use the tool.

The web address is:
http://www.sunchasertools.com

If anyone has used this or went to any of the classes please let us know how your experience was.

Here is good information on different methods of shrinking.
http://www.autobodystore.com/ms15.htm
I have many hours invested in using a shrinking disc. I found it to be a very slow process. Best used by the perfectionist who does not want to use any body filler.

Rusty46,
thanks for the information. In my particular case, I reached the point where the metal is stable and the low area is small enough for filler. However, the frustration remains, at not understanding what is going on in the process. One of the really difficult things that happened to me was as I worked the area, the problem seemed to spread and get larger very quickly. I now know what was happening but it was very difficult to figure out at the time. Of course, I am an amateur and a professional would know how to tackle it right away.