tires and wheels Basic metal fab info

[mattmcginn]

Figured some of you metalheads wondering what to do with the rust could use this information, look at it as "experience and patience, not expensive tools" determine what you can accomplish:

Here are the most basic tools to start any serious body restoration with, excluding, of course, safety equipment and a good air compressor to run the cutoff tool.

I only use SAIT brand cutoff tools, 3/8" arbor (center hole) size. There is an 1/8" thick wheel (SAIT PN 23075) I use for grinding welds, and an .035" thick

wheel (SAIT PN 23069) that is used for cutting panels off.

They are more expensive per piece than no name or cheapo cutoff wheels, but they last MUCH longer. The key is to travel left to right (or follow the way the grinder turns, most are clockwise looking at it from the handle) you will wear out wheels much slower. Also dont "bury" the wheel, just put about the lower 1/4" in.

The thinner wheel, because it takes less material out, takes less energy to run, ie, less air. It is excellent for roughing off panels quickly. IT is also good for the rare times when you need to remove a panel (to get at something behind it to repair, etc) and replace the panel because you can usually fill the gap it leaves.

The thicker wheel is also good for grinding out spot welds, its loud and annoying to use versus a spot weld drill, but its faster, cheaper and can yield excellent results with a little practice. I bet 100 or more welds can be ground with one disc, costing about $3. The key is to save wheels as they wear down, because often, you are working in a corner where a small wheel is necessary to use to avoid damaging surrounding good metal.

Here is a rocker panel lower spot welds being ground off with the thick disc:

Here is the result, just a little nugget of the original spot weld, with no grinding of the inner rocker panel, just grind the weld only, not the base metal...sorry for the bad photo...

Here is a complement of tools and random blocks of metal that were used to form this driver's side floorpan for an 02:

The most expensive tool was the die grinder, then the Snap On body hammer. This is my favorite hammer of all time, and is known as, "The My Favorite Body Hammer"

The rest of the collection is either cheaper tools or things I have bought at steel yards for scrap prices. Indispensible stuff. In fact, I used the above tools, and no others (except a sheet metal brake, which I could have not used) to form this floor pan.

Here is where the pan is going:

[brad_c-ville_VA]

thanks matt! the one thing you left off that i need...a bigger garage! i use a lot of those same tools when i attempt to do bodywork. something tells me i spend a lot more time grinding than you do though!

great info, thanks for sharing.

[madpaddler]

Thanks for posting this. I know very little concerning metal finishing and fabrication, but this helps us amateurs understand a little more. Keep sending this kind of info out as it helps me get the nerve up to start fixing the little rust spots I am seeing in my 02.

[Tommy]

Thanks Matt. If you have effort you could also give some brief tips how to use the tools. For example how to form the groove on the pan piece or other basic shapes needed.

[AndyS]

Hey Matt. You getting my emails? I sent you a link to something for possible use in the Estate Wagon. No, Les. It is definitely not a touring! he he.

[MikeinNC]

But I still think I need a one year apprenticeship at SCR

See you in a few weeks

[AndyS]

Take the "new" project up there, Mike. ask Matt for a small coner to work on it!

[mattmcginn]

Hey Tommy I thought I took pictures of the pan when I was driving the ribs into it-I will take and post some when I do the other side.

Basically, what I do is to clamp down the pan over a couple 1/4' thick pieces of steel. SPace the steel as far apart as you want the rib, then use a driver (my favorite is the aluminum one becuase it moves the steel better without work hardening it...) and hammer into the space you created with the steel pieces...hard to explain but easy to do..

[JohnH]

Thats fantastic Matt. I was just getting into it when it finished! Prehaps you could tell use what you use some of the less obvious tools for. For example the broken G-clamp or the the piece of plate with the large hole, or the long vise-grips with the sharp ends.

[TobyB]

You left out one of the more basic,

backyard metal hatchets...

t

[mattmcginn]

Then imagine using the stick to drive the metal down into the form...

[dlmrun2002]

Great info Matt.... Way to rock the Casbah. Wood is for Wussies Metal is for men !!!!

Doug M NY

[mattmcginn]

allright here is a shot of the framerail and floor being separated. The welds that hold the rail to the floor (or vice versa) have been ground almost all the way through, then chiseled very lightly to separate the floorpan, which will be scrapped. I roughed out the floorpan, well, what was left along the rail just to gain access.

For reference, this pic was taken peeking over the driver's side rocker panel just under the lower door hinge looking inward to the framerail.

[mattmcginn]

Here is a shot of grinding the mig weld at the front of the framerail...I attacked it straight in, but not cutting into the framerail flange. Keep the tool at somewhat of an angle to keep a good contact area and to prevent gouging in too far...

Here is the rail with the floor pan removed.

Amazingly enough, on this car the ziebart treatment seems to have worked as the framerail is totally solid, and this is the driver's side which also had to face up to leaky brake master cylinders and all teh evils that brake fluid can do to paint. For all you dry climate guys, ziebart was a company that "rustproofed" cars in the rust belt-and generally though a good idea, the execution was far from perfect more than likely due to the low skill and/or lazy people actually doing the work.

[bmw1602.com]

nice post........but easily the most used tool in my restoration...by far is my harbor freight 4 1/2 " grinder......using the wire brush, cutoff wheel and grinding disk.

I bought 2 of them when they were on sale for $12.99

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91223