Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Hi Allen just wanted you to know that IMHO your build thread is the best,and has inspired me and I'm sure allot of us Truckies to hang in there an keep going on there projects. Not only the great pictures, also a wealth of info on how to get things done and done right. If I ever get mine done you will always be a part of it for sure and thank you for that....Vernski:metal:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Hope it all goes well and they take care of you.

I hear ya. ;) I get sad sometimes when I think of all the money it will take to get the truck on the road. Can't pay the bills as it is with the tiny checks I've been bringing home. A good paying side job would help out tremendously right now.

I hear ya brother. ;)
It's not SADD now it's MADD "Money Account Drained Down" :lol:

:haha:

:thumbs:

Thanks Vernski!!

The fuel door is ticking me off. The door install is OK, but the bedside was lumpy to start with and the welding aggravated it. I've been chasing highs and low spots. I don't have my shrinking hammer at home. I'm not very good at shrinking yet. I've done some but need more practice.

First I tried putting some pressure out at the fuel door while drawing the wheel arch in with a rachet strap, while I welded the rest of the fuel pocket up. It didn't help.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02433.jpg

The profile looks good until I put a straight edge on it.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02434.jpg

This is the high spot was was chasing around. Had some tin canning going on. You can see some heat spots where I tried to heat shrink some by quenching it. It helped with the tin can some.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02438.jpg

I cut slits in the BS to remove the tension on the metal. I got it tacked to gether and it helped a lot. Still not the way I want it, but it might stay that way.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02440.jpg

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02444.jpg

Storms rolling in time to get off the computer.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Do you have a pin pull gun at home?
the bodyman I used to work with would use his pin pull gun on high spots to shrink them.
we welded in some flush mount door handles on a firebird, and I bet he put 50 shrinks in a 4X7 area..

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I've been working on my truck this past week. I needed to finish the drip rail shaving and flaring. I ground some paint off the roof and found an inch of bondo. I ground it off, and started to shrink it. My friend that owns a Body Shop and is a master in metal work gave me some tips on shrinking. He said don't get it cherry red, and start from the inside of where the low spot is. Then spot cool it a little at a time. It seemed to work and took some time. Now it's only about a quarter of an inch low in only one spot. I think it OK for Bondo now. I'm impatient. My friend said he'll come up and give me a lesson. I'm going to hold him to it. :lol:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I gave him a FORD tailgate that I was installing on a FORD bed that was on a Chevy Truck. He shrunk the FORD raised lettering to a flat panel. He blew me away. It looked like he replaced it with a new metal panel. :metal:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Mine is at work and it does seem to work good as long as you know what to do. I guess I need to practice and get on youtube to see how people do it. I've had 3-4 people show me and each one had a different wayof doing it. Like body work I've seen different ways people do things and adapt it to my style. I just don't do enough metal shrinking to get good at it.

I might need to fly out for that lesson.

Got any pics of that. Maybe you could video it if he schools you.;)

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

That's a good idea. He's always in a hurry though. If he does, I'll try to do a video.
Or you could fly out. :lol:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Sunchaser Tools. Shrinking Disk. Has anyone tried it. He offered a 3 day course for working metal. If you can't get it the first time your invited back till you do. He was booked unfortunately when I had a layover in Ca. couple a years back.
http://64.78.59.162/merchant.mvc?Scr...tore_Code=STOS

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Alan, every time I catch up on your thread, you add weeks to my build! I wasn't going to use a fuel door in the bedside, but I like how yours turned out so now I might cut one in too. Exceptional work once again!

I am glad to see you keep your head straight when you get bummed out. much better to go to the shop and do nothing if you have to, than turn to the bottle or a fake fix, keep it up man your truly an inspiration...

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Alan, looking good! I have a question; on your patch panels, what are you using to sand the weld seams down? I'm getting ready to tackle patch panels soon, and need all the help I can get!

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Alan,

It has taken me a long time to finally get to the end of your thread. I love all of the detailed information you are providing. So many times while I have been reading I remember having the same if not similar problems to tackle. That is one aspect of building I have enjoyed the most is the problem solving. Sometimes trying three to four different things before you get it right.

I hope knowing that we are all truly enjoying your thread will help keep you excited and motivated to work on your truck.

As I read through your thread I was so sorry to hear about your dad and I have kept you and your family in my preyer's. I lost my Grandpa in November which is one reason I have not spent much time on the forum since I joined. I spent all of my free time this winter helping my parents get my Grandmas' house in order so she could move into my parents house before the Arizona heat arrives.

One thing I did get from my Grandpa was his '66 Ford (excuse the bad language) one-ton truck that he bought new in 66. This helped me deal with his loss knowing I will always have this truck that he loved so much. Now, I have to figure out what kind of build it should be.

Hope this reply was not too long. I wanted to chime in many times while reading but it took me months to get through this thread with the little time I have had lately.

Michael

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I've got some vacation coming up.

I would like to try one of those. Thanks for the link. I've seen videos of it being used, but there is nothing like seeing it in person.

Sorry for creating more work for you. ;) Don't send any hate mail if it doesn't flow right. :lol: It hasn't been tested yet.

Thanks for the comments. It's hard sometimes to stay focused, but so is getting up and going to work at times. We get up and get the job done anyway.;) One thing I'm proud of is that it's been over 3.5 years since my last beer. It's too the point now I don't even think about it. It's a good thing cause I couldn't afford it anyway. :haha:

Here are some weapons of destruction. I use the 1991 (in left of picture) to grind the weld down almost even with the sheet metal. The I use the 1407 36 grit the finish it out prior to filler. BTW thanks for the comments.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Progress is progress Alan.. Im sure you will figure out the shrinking issue. thanks for posting the wheels and rolocs you use. keep at it my friend!

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Thanks, Alan! How do you grind the weld down, with the grinding wheel 90 degrees to the weld, on the edge of the wheel or does it matter? Also, how and what is your 1407 grinding pads attaching to? As you can tell I am a greenhorn to the tools of the trade.........

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

[QUOTE=Bkndsdl;3943274]Thanks, Alan! How do you grind the weld down, with the grinding wheel 90 degrees to the weld, on the edge of the wheel or does it matter? Also, how and what is your 1407 grinding pads attaching to? As you can tell I am a greenhorn to the tools of the trade.........[/QUOTE]

They are called Roloc Mandrels.... the 1407 are roloc discs so they screw onto the mandrel via a plastic nub.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Ok, so what does the mandrel fit into? It looks like it'll fit into a drill, but I know that's probably not what's used in the industry......

Sorry, like I said - green, green, green...........:help:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

You put them in a angled die grinder.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

thanks guys........sorry for hijacking, Alan.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I wouldn't call it hijacking. We are all here to help.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Thanks Strodder. Won't know if you don't ask!

BTW, I found the angle grinder, the mandrel, and discs at Harbor Freight, so I'll be making a trip there sometime this week. It's fast becoming a weekly event for me, much to the dismay of the boss!

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

There's no end to buying tools. :lol:
Sorry Allan, now we are hijacking. :haha:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Alan, you might try using a slapper shrinking file rather than the hammer. My "old goat" (he's 72) uses this, and he can fix dang near anything. They come flat, so he heats it up to make a handle. You hold it fairly loosely do is slaps the metal to shrink it, and use it off dolly.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Can a guy pretty much use any type of file if he wants or do you have to buy a shrinking file.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

This file isn't exactly something you would drag across metal as you would a regular file. You might be able to, but I couldn't vouch for the results you would get, other than ruining a file. The teeth on this are pretty large.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I was just wondering if a guy could use a regular file as a shrinking file, but I'll just look into buying an actual shrink file.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I have a shrinking file, and a shrinking hammer, but don't know how to use them.:lol:
That reminds me, I have to call Mike to come up and give me a lesson.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Sorry Alan

But Dennis what you do is take the shrinking hammer to a big guy and hit him over the head to get him down to your size, then slap him across the face with the shrinking file for good measure. I think that would help you.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Yeah and if you make it out alive he will actually help you fix that high spot on your forehead

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

:haha::haha::haha:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Thanks Heath, practice, practice and more practice

I grind perpendicular to the weld. Stay off the sheetmetal if you don't need to be there. Once I hit sheet metal I go to the 1407 to finish it out.

Thanks for the help Heath.

It's not hijacking if you are learning. ;)

;)

Amen brother to the tools.

I got a couple of those from an old timer that retired and haven't used them yet. I got on youtube and couldn't find any demonstrations yet under "slapping file" or "metal shrinking". Did find some on the shrinking disc.

That makes 2 of us. Don't forget to call Mike. I wish I started out young as a bodyman I would really be dangerous. I could have learned a lot from the old timers. There's not many around now, at least where I work.

:haha:

This guy has some good ideas on basic body work tools. It's not me haha


This is another choice of mine. It's actually a 5" grinder, but I got the adapter to use the 2" and 3" roloc disc. I prefer to use it instead of a die grinder. It's a little heavier than a die grinder and more stable. Just my personal preference. There's nothing wrong with a die grinder just throwing out more ideas.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

I always enjoy reading your thread Alan. You learn something new every day.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Me too! Thanks again Alan.

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Thanks Guys!! :metal:

Brought home my stud gun with a shrinking tip and used the slapping file and water.

I started with this.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02471.jpg

Here it is close to being done. I thought I took another picture before filler. It was closer than this before I spread filler.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02473.jpg

During the shrinking process had more low spots develope. I used the pins in conjunction with the shrinking process.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02474.jpg

In hindsight I don't recommend this process of cutting and welding to reduce tension. Even taking my time it gave me fits. In this pic I ground the welds to see where I missed.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02475.jpg

Ready for filler

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02476.jpg

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/t...d/DSC02477.jpg

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Very nice work Alan. I tend to loose patience when dealing with those issues. I guess that's why mine has taken so long. Just have to walk away before I get pissed and smah something :rolleyes:

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Man thats going to look awesome!!

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Looking good Alan!!!

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Nice job Allan :metal:

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Wow coming along nicely and making it well over a hundred pages Congrats lots of information in this build that I know has help me with a few things. Keep up the great work!

Re: Project Vitamin C-10
 

Dang Alan, very nice work.