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Had a few minutes this evening so I hung the fender on the car to have a better look-see...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture073-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture075-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture076-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture077-1.jpg
Did you have to replace the eye brows also , the style of press at manufacture causes so much stretch and thinning there .
.
Sorry so long to respond, been out of town. Yes the eyebrows above the headlights have been replaced. Still have some hammer and dolly work there to do.....well actually, in a lot of places... :D
One more piece to finish up the shave, the inner flange for the grille opening needed connecting together after trimming the bolting flanges.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture081-1.jpg
Trimmed and holes drilled for plug welds....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture083-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture084-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture085-1.jpg
All welded and dressed out....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture087-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture088-1.jpg
Looking good, Robert!
Thanks for all the likes and comments guys. I was going to start the shave on the driver's side, but a few stumbling blocks along the way...
Mocked up all the front sheet metal just to see it together again.. Gotta love that hood bird..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture089-1.jpg
Here's the factory seam to compare to the shaved version...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture090-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture091-1.jpg
Bumper filler panel had been tweaked at some point in the past 50 years, so let's see what we can do to straighten it out some....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture092-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture094-1.jpg
Used a combination of the flat and crowned body hammers, the donut dolly, the 5" dia shot bag, and a round hunk of steel.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture097-1.jpg
Much better...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture096-1.jpg
Next on the list before the next shave, a bit more rust to attend to...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture098-1.jpg
Used a wide sweeping radius on the cut to minimize any extra shrinking that occurs inside tight corners.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture099-1.jpg
To get a good, consistent profile on the patch, I used the go kart wheel...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture100-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture101-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture102-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture103-1.jpg
Laying out the pattern..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture104-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture105-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture106-1.jpg
One last test fit before tipping the flange...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture108-1.jpg
Dumb mistake number one....don't cut the patch so small you can't get leverage to force the flange to tip...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture110-1.jpg
Well, we do have a good crease to work from now. Some hammering on the 2" round anvil will work
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture114-1.jpg
Trimmed to fit...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture115-1.jpg
Welded and dressed...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture116-1.jpg
Hey...the light even fits
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture117-1.jpg
started the prep for shaving fender number two.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture119-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture120-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture121-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture122-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture123-1.jpg
Then the top of the seam was trimmed....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture124-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture125-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture126-1.jpg
When trimming along through the center, I noticed a weak spot on the back side....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture127-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture128-1.jpg
This is where some dirt had been trapped behind the bolting plate on top of the flange, and looks like it wouldn't have been long in coming through paint. To be able to trim the pitted area out, the lower section was trimmed with about 3/16 extra... see the scribe mark...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture132-1.jpg
Planished flat..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture133-1.jpg
Clamped over fender and scribed....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture136-1.jpg
Trimmed for tight fit. Note that butt weld clamps are used to hold for fitment only, joint will be butted tight when welding...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture139-1.jpg
until next time....
That is some nice metal work, Robert!
Thanks! Well after the 390 valve cover diversion, time to get back to work on the 55's driver fender. The two pieces have been trimmed for a tight butt joint, shown here clamped together...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture141-1.jpg
It was then I noticed the crease just above the seam..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture143-1.jpg
Ahhh, the dreaded fender bump. I believe this is caused by someone bumping into something with the corner of the bumper, which in turn forces the lower portion of the fender backward, thus forming the inward crease (red line) and outward crease (yellow line). Always better to fix the body damage before attempting to weld panels together.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...icture144a.jpg
Another view of the outward crease....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture146-1.jpg
A 3" roloc disc scuffed across the lower crease on the inside of the panel quickly shows the area that needs to be bumped outward...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture145-1.jpg
The tools used will be the donut dolly, a small shot bag, and body hammer.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture097-1.jpg
The area was worked using the hammer and dolly, with progress checked by scuffing with the roloc disc.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture148-1.jpg
Needs just a bit more cleanup, but shows a much more repectable crown, as shown by the #32 sweep
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture149-1.jpg
Back to welding... All clamped up, again...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture150-1.jpg
First set of tacks...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture151-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture152-1.jpg
Weld penetration, the back side....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture153-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture154-1.jpg
I had someone asking about the process I used with the mig, so I took the close ups to show it a little better... Weld, planish, grind, overlap, repeat...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture156-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture160-1.jpg
Planishing as you go helps to keep the panel's shape in check...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture162-1.jpg
Still needs a bit of bumping but not too bad overall..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture163-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture164-1.jpg
Tonight's accomplishment, back to the driver fender. I still had the inner seam to finish up...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture165-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture166-1.jpg
Bridging the gap where the flanges were cut out...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture167-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture168-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture169-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture170-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture171-1.jpg
Installed....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture174-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture173-1.jpg
A look from the front...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture175-1.jpg
Great work, Robert!!! I always look forward to your posts!! I know I'm going to see really nice work and I know I'm probably going to learn something. Thanks!!
Started back in the wagon tonight, the rear hatch was a bit snug for the opening the factory provided.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture182-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture186-1.jpg
Rather than risk certain chipped paint, we'll work to get the gaps more consistent...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture190-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture191-1.jpg
Then the edge was ground to our mark and some c-clamp vise grips held all three pieces snug while they were tacked in place.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...cture193-1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture194.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture196.jpg
Then the top and bottom sides of the weld are ground flush with the panels. This removes the bulk of the weld and makes it easier in trimming the side....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture197.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture198.jpg
Marked again....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture199.jpg
....and ground to yield a much better gap. One down......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...Picture200.jpg
So that's how you do that.....:cool::3dSMILE: Nice!!!
This is shaping up to be a beautiful, custom handmade '55 wagon.