perceptions vs reality /don,t freak out, mid process

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
I,m always rather amused at the way new guys freak out mid process, when they see you welding in replacement sheet metal panels on a car, if youve never done it or watched it being done, the stitch, skip stitch, weld process , and required grinding to get the welds flush with the panel, and required panel manipulation, with cutting trimming,bending, and fabrication and manipulation,of the original and newer sections of the sheet metal, tends to absolutely convince new guys that your not only a total incompetent that has no clue how to weld but an amateur sheet metal butcher, intent on ruining their car or truck..
I was helping a guy in my neighborhood replace a damaged door on his truck.he freely confessed, that about 1/2 way thru the repair process, he was 100% convinced he had made a huge mistake not having a body shop replace a damaged panel....and was absolutely amazed, and pleased, , or as he stated "THRILLED" with how the work turned out at the end of the process, as it "looked show room new "AND HE COULD NOT SEE WHERE IT HAD BEEN EVER DAMAGED OR REPAIRED."
this required spot welds and some edge welds o0n the panel that in places caused the welds to damage the fine edge of the thin sheet steel panel as it was welded.
the owner was absolutely convinced the money, parts and process was ruining his car, you could see him freaking out as I used a die grinder to clean up rough spot welds where a bit of extra weld material was above the panels surface.
The truth is that if you have not watched the process the whole deal looks like your butchering the car, and I can easily see where you might think that, was the case the first time you watch it being done.
but the truth here is that, use of ,die grinders, dolly's, hammers, power sanding and solder or bondo and a bit of experience can make what appears to be a total disaster in the making result in a car that looks and works as good as or even better that it was the day it left the factory.

I pulled these pictures off the internet but it tends to illustrate the process
atp1.jpg

atp2.jpg

atp3.jpg

atp4.jpg

atp5.jpg

atp6.jpg

atp7.jpg

atp8.jpg

atp9.jpg

atp10.jpg

atp11.jpg


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Thanks Grumpy, I think I may be needing to know how to do this quite soon...
 
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