The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop welding new panels in the '49

hi bolters, i just bought a nice little millermatic mig welder with the gas. now i need advice on how i should go about replacing panels. do you guys butt weld the floors in or overlap them? on the outside definelty butt weld them right? i don't want to have a place where moisture can sit underneath panels so i need srious professional help. just if you could explain how maybe you did your replacment parts like on cab corners, rockers, floors and cowls. thanks for all your help, since i really need it seeing this is my first restoration. thanks again, mike

Most restorers will try and duplicate the arrangement of the metal, exactly as it was. Some others like to creat a flange and overlap instead of butt welding. The original panels were mostly spot welded along the joints but a lot of patch panels require some kind of new flush joint.

1949chev34,

This is my first restoration as well. I purchased a Millermatic same as you. Never welded in my life so took my time and did quite a bit of practice first. If you've never done it before it takes time to learn the thin stuff. I started with thick metal and went progressively thinner, read alot and consulted some experts.

I had to replace cab corners (inner & outer), rockers, and inner & outer cowel panels & wheel house. I cut everything out with a grinder & cutoff wheel. Only cut out what you need to remove. On my first outer cab corner I butt welded and it was a bear so I flanged the other side and found it much easier. I drilled out the spot welds on the rockers and cleaned up the metal and welded at the holes. Metal finished everything with a grinder. Cowls actually went pretty well except the fits at the inner wheel house between the inner & outer cowl were terrible. The most difficult part was joining the upper cowels at the top where the joint was originally leaded.

I'm going to have someone else paint the truck so had a guy come buy and price the job. The guy is a pro and commented that the weld job looked better that many he has seen in the past so I guess I'm not too bad. Just take your time, read and ask questions and have a plan. Good luck.

hi jss1956, what do you mean by flanging the other side. how do you make it look good espiecially being on the outside? i also had the same problem with the inner to outer cowl panels and i thought it was me. so i went to the firehouse and i got a mini jack and i spread the two apart until i got it where i wanted. thanks again. mike

I would like to know how you make a flange on a curved surface. I can picture the method on a flat surface but not on a curve.

I used a air flanger on the cab corners of my 4t6 with no problems. It may have pinched the metal up a little but nothing a grinder couldn't take care of. I prefer to flange myself as it seems to allow a little more room for error. Pics below.
Dan
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2724501520071274430uodQBL

I use what is called the backing strip method. See the attached link for a step by step discussion with pictures. I use a seam sealer on the back side of the strip to ensure no moisture/rust.

Regards,
Steve

http://www.autobodystore.com/door_rust.htm

Most restoration experts well recommend spot welds were orignal and butt welds every were else. Take your time, practice on like metal before welding the the patch, utilize heat dams(wet towels) to reduce warping and were posible use a light source to eluminate any pin holes. The butt weld when done right well not allow mosture in from the back side as well the lap joint. even when seam sealed lap joints are suspect. just my opinion, good luck.

sclor,
how do you take photos of the welding tip in action? I have seen this on TV but I am curious how it is done.

Truckernix:
I don't know. I didn't write the piece, I just referenced to it because I thought it was well done.
Regards,
Steve

1949chev34,

What I meant was when I finished the passengers side I went to the "other side" and proceeded to weld in the drivers side. I flanged the joint instead of butt weld. Chev4t6 has it right. You can flange a curved surface and clean it up with a grinder just fine. Good luck.

The best way is to butt weld them if at all possible. No moisture will ever get into the "seam". There is no seam. It's all one beautiful solid piece again!(almost) Use "twenty gauge" brand wire with gas. Always use gas. And butt means Butt Tight, no gap is necessary. Sometimes there is some due to not-so-good matching. Use flattened copper tubing in the back because you will blow thru until you get real good. the weld will not stick to copper, so it "fills". If you don't go slow and jump around and wait for some cooling, then you WILL warp it and be in deep do do. The final weld look (before grind)is overlaping spots. See my tech tip on fix a crack. If you don't grind slow and jump around you WILL warp it and be in deep do do again! Then epoxy prime, A small amount of "glass fibered" filler, then regular good quality filler and so on and you will never have a re-rust.

Practice on some scrap metal that is the same gauge first.

Can anyone tell me what gauge steel is used in the body panels of 55?

I figure I should do some practice welding but I do not have any spare parts to practice on.

55.2 is 19ga

Hey Dan, did you have to do any rust repair on the back of the cab below the window on that bubble that runs from left to right.I noticed on your patch repairs on the lower cowl where the fender mounts. The fender bolt holes were missing, I was wondering how you were planning to mount the fender. James