Welding repairs to corroded
panels.
The front panel on this Mk1 ford transit was
weak and holed. The cross member behind it was also rotten and full
of lose scale and debris which could be heard rattling about
inside the box section.Removing the top of the front valence revealed the
cross member behind it had corroded through at the front edge where it met
the front panel.This is a structural part of the vehicle so had to be
repaired by letting in new metal.
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First job was to tidy up the holes cutting out
the rust and getting back to sound metal with an angle grinder.The front
panel had been repaired in the past by simply plating over the
holes,effectively sealing in the rust.These old repairs were removed and
the edges of the front panel were then cut back to sound metal and squared
off. |
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A strip of metal long enough to cover
the resultant hole was cut,at the front a 1/2 inch flange was
bent over to meet with the bottom of the front panel.As this section of
the front panel is curved 'V' sections were cut out and
the replacement section curved to fit,when the fit was OK the V
sections were seam welded together and the new section tacked into
position.A few adjustments and then the new section was seam welded
to the cross member and front panel. |
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A new section of front panel was then welded
into place.The curved section was formed by hammering a strip of sheet
steel over a wooden block to shape it.Sheet metal that has been
shaped in this way is more resistant to bending than flat section and
contributes to the rigidity of the structure. |
Repairing rust holes with
fibreglass.
Quicker than welding but not
suitable for structural areas.
A small rust bubble turned into a larger hole when attacked
with an angle grinder.The damage is not in a structural area.The rest of
the wing was sound and I wanted to minimise paint damage so fibreglass was
used on the repair.The hole was enlarged,cutting back to sound metal and
the whole area treated with a rust remover/convertor.The area was then
carefully dented so that a layer of glass and resin could be applied
without it standing proud of the original contours. |
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Fibre glass resin and mat was applied to the
cleaned rear of the panel and when set other layers were applied to build
up thickness.The repaired area was strong and will not rust although
eventually some corrosion will probably make its way through
elsewhere. |
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A skim of filler and the wing is ready for
paint.Most car filler is porous and absorbs water so it should be
protected by paint as soon as possible.Body filler should be applied to
bare metal or fibre glass,it will not key well to existing paint.The area
behind this repair was easily accessible and treated with a rust preventer
then painted,this should keep it sound for a fair time |
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Welding repairs to
bodywork.
A Mercedes 307D with a rotted
out windscreen surround.
This shows what rust and corrosion can lurk
under rubber mouldings.Taking the cracked windscreen out of an old merc
revealed this hole.Most of the metal the screen rubber fits into is
missing.Rot round a screen surround is always bad news and often
difficult to repair. Before removing the screen and again before starting
to remove the corroded metal lots of card patterns were made to provide a
record of the shape.As the windscreen and rubber fit into the recess it
needs to be accurately shaped to avoid causing still more leaks.I found
similar corrosion when taking the screen out of an old taxi,water leaking behind screen
rubbers usually finds its way into the interior of the vehicle causing
corrosion to spread in other areas. |
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As the shape was quite complex with various
curves small pieces of steel were welded to the back panel leaving what
was left of the front in place to give a guide to the shape and
length.This was easier than trying to form the missing section from a
single piece of steel.When finished the small sections were welded
together |
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Covered with a skim of filler the panel looked
better and at least should hold the windscreen in place.Repairs should be
primed,then covered with a gloss paint for complete protection as quickly
as possible and this should be done on a dry day.Damp steel corrodes very
quickly and metal that has been welded corrodes at an alarming rate if it
is not covered and protected.. |