Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

While I've been scraping, I've been thinking: I pity the person who has to remove 2K Raptor bed liner to repair rust in the future.

I also think a lot about life while I do this; I can't handle a "mindless" task. Usually I have personal rants with myself about child-rearing, parenting, and the public school system.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

It's therapeutic for sure. :)

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Spent some time learning the shrinking disc by dealing will the plethora of dents on the passenger side bed fender.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...00-672x377.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...01-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Finished scraping the hood, and crafting a plan to repair the rust:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...2s-672x378.jpg

Crafted a plan for the fender flanges. I think I will repair the flange of the fender itself, using the reinforcement behind to help locate it, then remove what's left of the reinforcement and fabricate new ones. That way I can epoxy prime the join and reduce or at least slow down the return of the rust:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg

I should probably clean this up too:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...3s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Damn--for such solid fenders, they sure have ratty flanges

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Worked on hood patches. Blast tomorrow, epoxy prime, then fit the patches through the week.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...4s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...6s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...5s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Blasted outside in the snow, patched, and epoxy primer:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x364.png

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x377.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x377.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...7s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Had one of those days in the shop where absolutely every single possible thing that could be annoying or go wrong, went so in spades. Hard to describe my enthusiasm without the use of expletives. Awful day.

Having said that...

Back to the panhard, the rod ends, tube ends, and lock nuts came in:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...8s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...9s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...3s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Rod ends are teflon-lined, and I will use some replacement tierod boots to try and keep crap out.

Rod ends will likely transmit more NVH, but will have no binding compared to the poly bushings, especially with a variable ride height on air.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Hood patching:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...2s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...3s-672x379.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Latest video:

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Using the lathe for a tube notcher is a pretty cool trick!

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Not much done today. Familial responsibilities, then made some new 4° pinion shims for my '77 C10 daily out of steel, and tacked the last hood patch in before it was dinner.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...5s-672x378.jpg

Next patch tacked in place:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

great fit on that patch panel!

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Rust holes all patched, warping minimized and finished enough for an acceptable skim of filler. Next to do: hood dents. Don't mind the duct tape on my welding helmet - I dropped the truck bed on it a while back.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...5s-672x378.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...6s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Nice work.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Fixed all the dents in the hood today. They weren't big dents, so they don't show up in pictures well. I have one "oil can" I need to get rid of tomorrow, and the hood will be ready for blasting and primer.

The fender patches are glaring at me.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Tackled the one remaining "oil can" dent.

Kicked my butt for hours.

The portion of the hood that it's on, is slightly crowned. I can make it match the crown, but it oil cans. I can shrink it to stop it oil caning, but then it's flat and not crowned. I put some crown in it, and it oil cans. I shrink the oil can out and it's flat. Rinse and repeat. Not winning.

After HOURS of arguing, I did some shrinking on the bottom side and I now have it mostly the right shape, and not oil caning. It definitely moves a little freer than the other side, but it will hold its shape.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I was fighting this on my roof. that really sucks. hope i have it ok now. yours looks much better than mine I'm sure

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Nothing on the truck this week - had to do some spring yard work.

But I did spend some time improving my blast cabinet.

Previously, I added four 100W LED bulbs, and a shop-vac-hookah-pot out of a 20L pail.

Today I tried to improve a common problem in the operation itself:

The cabinet has a tendency to blast in spurts. Blast... nothing... blast... nothing... I've found if you run a really large nozzle and run very fine abrasive, it's not too bad. But I followed a few videos on YouTube about improving the blast action.

A Floor Plate is attached to the bottom hinged trap door, add a 3" long 1" NPT nipple, a 1" Pipe T with one end capped (for drain), then reduce to 3/4" NPT into another Pipe T, which reduces to a small ball valve (I used 3/8") out the top, and reduced to a 1/2" Hose Barb to feed the gun.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...-s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...2s-672x378.jpg

Frickin' crane operator hit my truck.

I did not ask for the crane operator to use his magnet. I am perfectly fine unloading $45 of scrap metal by myself. Except now I need to get this dealt with. It's possible ICBC might write it off as a total loss. NOT impressed.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Well that just sucks.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

:agree:

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

yeah, that sucks, but with your skills you should be able to fix it and no one will even know...

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Possibly. I have two weeks for spring break, and I wanted to get all the rust repair finished on the '61, not repair some damage somebody did to my '77.

I'm still just a rookie at shrinking.

Estimates from most shops are 12-14hours. That'd be 24-30 hours for me, I'm sure. That's a week's work that I don't really want to do.

I've debated pocketing the compensation money and just do it myself, but I don't want to lose the time in my shop.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Outsiders perspective w/a positive.... There are no holes so there's no breach that will lead to further damages. This buys you time.

Option #1= Have someone repair the damages now. That gets it done now. But, will 'how' (they did the repair) be a looming concern for you?
Option #2= Take a settlement & do repairs yourself when you can. This adds to your 'To-Do' list but you'll know the quality of the repairs.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Waiting on compensation on the roof repair for the '77.

Intended to distract myself with work on the '61, but pops came over with an exhaust leak on his mini van, so I welded up the slot the ragamuffins made trying to steal his cat. Did some other maintenance as well as popped out a parkinglot-induced dent in his bumper.

Got SkinnyKid1's Civic on the lift to plot out 2" exhaust and a fart pipe.

Big sweep and tidy in the shop, and we'll see what I get done tomorrow.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Recycler's will issue a check. I'll try to pound out the roof myself and gain some skill. Or more hatred of autobody.

Air Ride kit arrived. Except the tank....

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Just to update y'all....

I'm probably 60+ hours into fixing the roof. I've learned a lot.

Pulling the dent is one part of the challenge, but the other part is 1) eliminating
oil canning" while also 2) maintaining "crown" yet 3) keep the skin "tight."

The best work was done with a heat gun to raise the low spots and compressed air to tighten the metal. Shrinking disc worked good to smooth the skin, but tended to "loosen" the panel quite a bit. Heat bun tightened it up. And ALL the defects in the skin DIRECTLY relate to the whole dynamics of the skin.

The silver lining here is 1) my air ride suspension is paid for courtesy of the recycler's, and 2) I have grown significantly in my sheet metal skills which will help me fix the stepside fenders and hood on the '61.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Bonus!
1977 what kind of truck?
Also, I like "ragamuffin" lol

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

1977 Silverado. The Daily - shortboxed & dropped, "potato-potato."

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

While it's a squarebody, it's still learning a crap ton about roof skins that might be useful here:

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

I wonder how many get this immediately? LoL...

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

It's just as obscure as posting "11:1,231°@050,108°LSA" :D

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Back at it.

Replaced the entire fender flange, and repaired the fender's leading edge rust hole. Still need to fabricate the reinforcement flanges, which will be blasted, epoxied, then welded in:

Rear section replaced:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x378.jpg

Complete flange done:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...1s-672x378.jpg

Repaired a rust hole, zero-filler TIG-welded:

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...4s-672x378.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

My body work looks like I left King Kong in my garage with a 5lb hammer and told him to have a go....

Very impressive.

P. :D

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

awesome work there sir

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Got all the dents and creases taken out of the RR fender, with all my new-found "crushed-roof-adventure" metal-whispering skills. Also prepped the fender edge to re-attach the brace brackets - one had broken, and one has to be moved.

Fabricated the reinforcement flange for the fender mount, just some minor trimming and it will be ready to epoxy and attach.

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Also welded up the step-bumper holes, and got rid of all the dents and oil-canning.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...0s-672x504.jpg

Re: SkinnyG's '61 Apache
 

Spent today scraping undercoating and stripping paint off the driver's rear fender. Not as caved-in as the right side, but certainly repeatedly hammered.

Driver's side looks to be in better shape. I'll only have to repair the flange, not fabricate a whole new one. Interestingly, the right side of the whole truck is the rustiest.

I'm finding very inconsistent primer throughout the truck. In most places there IS primer, but in others there is clearly zero primer under the paint.

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...14-672x504.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...03-672x504.jpg

https://www.gwellwood.com/wordpress/...43-672x504.jpg