Hi all, I’ve been hammering on my C10’s hood lately and have some questions. I started with the front right of the hood as it, and the grille, had been “pinched” hard in the nose by something sharp. It looks like a piece of flat bar on edge smacked it on the leading edge near where the hood lies on top of the grille. It also seems like this (or perhaps something else falling on it) have created a large dent on the hood’s flat leading surface and on top immediately behind the pinch. I am slowly beating things out and straight using the left side as a template. I’m using cardboard cutouts to ensure the same lines, etc. But here are my questions: The massive (and also little ones nearby) dents I have hammered and dollied near completely out and the hood is starting to look smooth but I have stretched the metal I think by the occasional on dolly blow. The hood is flat, but I have slight mounds where the old craters used to be. They also oil can slightly.
Have I stretched this area? Should I attempt to spot heat and shrink? If so, do I work from the inside out? Or outside in?
Last edited by Fox; 12/02/20194:16 AM.
1970 Chevrolet C10 Grandpa's -- My first truck -- In progress to shiny Follow the build in the Project Journal 1950 Chevrolet 1-Ton Dually "Ole Red Girl" In the Stovebolt Gallery More pictures here 1951 GMC 9430 1 ton dually--Shiny! | 1972 Chevrolet C20- Rusty- the puzzle box lid for the C10 | 1962 AMC Rambler American- my wife's Parts trucks- 1951 GMC 9300 | 1951-GMC 9430 | 1951- Chevrolet 1300
"Is there specific high spots to get out or just and overall area, you mentioned oilcanning so i assume you have a high crown? To get that out i'd use a torch over a biggish area, keep the metal cool enough so it dosn't get to 'blue', then quench with wet rag. Do this a few times and it should tighten right up. When ever you hear a 'hsss' when apply the damp rag then you're shrinking, it is easy to overshrink then you'll have a problem having to both stretch and shrink, keep the metal from going 'blue' because it is more focused on that smaller area. To get rid of a high spot then you'd heat the top of the high spot, about the size of a dime, until it is blue and then quench. To get rid of a silverdollar sized highspot, heat to reddish and work it with hammer and dolly twards the middle gathering the excess metal and then beat the hell out of it with a hammer - well, maybe use some finesse."
I would try to practice this on something for a while first.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
Had a similar issue with our hood. The '54 has a 2 piece hood. While welding the two halves together to make a one piece hood, the metal was overheated and became distorted. Yes, we had oil canning.
Advice on this forum was either do what Bartamos suggested or as several others said "Just get a new hood".
I tried the heat and wet rag approach without success. I wasn't going to buy a new hood.
Solution was to cut out the damaged metal. Two rectangular areas were cut out. Patches were made and the edges flanged to make an overlap. The patches were welded in being careful not to overheat. I then plug welded two lengths of 3/4" angle iron under the hood to act as stiffeners to eliminate oil canning. You could see the patches and the angle iron stiffeners when the hood is up, so I added padding under the hood to hide them.
I did a couple more hours of hammering tonight with the hammer and dolly and have made more progress. I’m going to beat this hood back into shape come hell or high water. It was grandpa’s hood after all. By working over a larger area with the dolly, some of the oil cans have tightened up already. That’s a good sign in my book.
Last edited by Fox; 12/04/20194:39 AM.
1970 Chevrolet C10 Grandpa's -- My first truck -- In progress to shiny Follow the build in the Project Journal 1950 Chevrolet 1-Ton Dually "Ole Red Girl" In the Stovebolt Gallery More pictures here 1951 GMC 9430 1 ton dually--Shiny! | 1972 Chevrolet C20- Rusty- the puzzle box lid for the C10 | 1962 AMC Rambler American- my wife's Parts trucks- 1951 GMC 9300 | 1951-GMC 9430 | 1951- Chevrolet 1300
Hi all, I’ve been hammering on my C10’s hood lately and have some questions. I started with the front right of the hood as it, and the grille, had been “pinched” hard in the nose by something sharp. It looks like a piece of flat bar on edge smacked it on the leading edge near where the hood lies on top of the grille. It also seems like this (or perhaps something else falling on it) have created a large dent on the hood’s flat leading surface and on top immediately behind the pinch.
Any dent, crease, or glancing blow has caused a stretch. Any hammer and dolly work that is on-dolly (you heard ping noises) adds to that stretch. In either case, some shrinking is going to be needed to remove the distortion and oil canning.
I am slowly beating things out and straight using the left side as a template. I’m using cardboard cutouts to ensure the same lines, etc. But here are my questions: The massive (and also little ones nearby) dents I have hammered and dollied near completely out and the hood is starting to look smooth but I have stretched the metal I think by the occasional on dolly blow.
Here you would be better served to hammer/slap into a small shot bag or soft (plastic/Delrin or wooden) dolly that offers more cushion and will be less likely to continue adding stretch as you see from on-dolly. Another good option is to use a donut dolly, discussed elsewhere in other threads
The hood is flat, but I have slight mounds where the old craters used to be. They also oil can slightly.
Have I stretched this area? Should I attempt to spot heat and shrink? If so, do I work from the inside out? Or outside in?
Yes it is stretched, and shrinking is the only way to fix it. the trick will be to know when and where to stop. If you have known stretched spots (high or low only refers to the side you are looking at, a stretch can be either) the metal doesn't really care what side you heat it from, it will shrink regardless. The other caveat is that you may need to do some bumping with a spoon or slapper (spreads the force out better than a hammer for less chance of adding more dents). I find the ding/dent removal is sometimes less of a chore if you use gravity to help, or slap the metal in the direction the high spot (stretch) needs to go. So typically, with an unbolted panel that is open to the back for access from either side, this means the dent/stretch would be facing upward so you can use the slapper downward into a soft dolly/shot bag
Thanks, Robert. I guess I’m taking the plunge. If I screw up too badly I suppose I’ll be putting in a wanted ad!
1970 Chevrolet C10 Grandpa's -- My first truck -- In progress to shiny Follow the build in the Project Journal 1950 Chevrolet 1-Ton Dually "Ole Red Girl" In the Stovebolt Gallery More pictures here 1951 GMC 9430 1 ton dually--Shiny! | 1972 Chevrolet C20- Rusty- the puzzle box lid for the C10 | 1962 AMC Rambler American- my wife's Parts trucks- 1951 GMC 9300 | 1951-GMC 9430 | 1951- Chevrolet 1300
