Dear dead, I spun 180 going backward doing 60.
New fender and hammered out the rest. I could have just replace the whole assembly. Don't know why I didn't. Maybe twenty years ago I figured decent parts were hard to find. It probably would have taken as much time to fetch and recondition a rusty old front clip. Wisconsin salt is unkind to old cars.
No argument about the quality of the modern fillers; the discussion of lead came up only as an option.
Also I agree that lead is not without potential problems, one being the issue with trapped flux, but if the correct materials and procedure is used the likelihood of future issues is nil.
There are still a few instances where lead is still a good option, and there are also folks who like to maintain using traditional repair methods on these cars.
I'm not gonna ask how the deer made out, that's a nasty one!
Looks like it got fixed up and got a hardtop too?
Nice!
Glen
2nd attempt to post photo of deer damage
[img] [/img]
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using aluminized filler. I have pristine 30 year old all-metal repairs. I also have had lead repairs bubble from trapped flux. Lead as filler belongs in the past when it was all they had.
Soldering holes closed is still the preferred method. Also tinning the backside of the hole when soldering will last forever.
Doug you don't need OA to do it, a propane torch works fine.
Getting started in this isn't a huge investment, ironically the cost of the lead is a large part of it...
Glen
My problem is that I am cheap and I never invested in proper equipment. A gas welding outfit would have delivered a better flame than the propane torch I had. (That said... I now have a propane torch that delivers a broader, less focused flame that might work well). I also was too cheap to invest in the tinning butter, paddles and beeswax. Tinning was limited to small areas where I could work with acid flux and stainless scratch wire brushes. Therefore I only worked on very small areas and small hole patching.
Regardless, I have used lead on small areas and chose it as the filler on areas that might be subject to flexing. I did buy the Eastwood solder YEARS ago for some of my work and it was much better than any plumbing solder. I have also used it in a few cases to patch pinhole leaks in fuel tanks.
Doug L.
Good advice Doug, I haven't looked at Eastwoods catalog recently but I suspect that they do have a good inventory and good products.
This process is literally no more than basic soldering, if you can sweat a good joint, you can likely spread a lead fill.
Cleanliness.
Thorough tinning.
Proper heat control.
Spreads like butter, literally.
With a good vixen file it cuts down easily.
It grinds & sands well with a sanding disc, with the associated health risks, a good particle mask at a minimum...
Glen
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