going to try and do some cab welding any tips

[mbc9ieII]

I am by no means a good welder. But my cab needs the rocker panels and cab corners i have all the parts and i also have floor parts that can be changed and i have the parts but may be easier to just plate it.

so are there any hints or tips you guys can give me to help figure out how to cut this cab and weld the new stuff in. I really want to do it my self. but dont actually know what i am doing. and help you guys can be will be much appreciated. Thanks guys.

[tranz am]

no problemo dude.
this isnt really that hard to do. it just takes some time and a lot of patience. Oh and you cant be afraid of metal shavings getting everywhere. Its a very messy job and you will be covered head to toe in metal flakes.
Im in no means a great welder and I can do this.
you need the right tools..

air compressor at least a 30 gallon tank.

angle grinder

mig wire welder with adjustable wire feed rate and a minimum of a high & low heat setting switch if not an adjustable dial.

air powered 90* die grinder / sander (also known as a whopty wheel) use
it uses screw in type sanding discs 36 & 80 grit

air powered body saw

eye goggles (NOT GLASSES unless you want metal in your eyes)

ear protection your choice

and a dust respirator (important!)

after you have all this you can start

just cut away the infected area with a body saw, careful to not saw though any gas lines or wiring.
make sure to measure what you are trying to weld in and cut the section out slightly smaller and grind down the remaining metal so your new piece just barely fits. you want a small gap when welding the piece in about a 1/16 if I remember correctly.
you just have to be very very careful when tacking the welds on so you you dont over heat and warp the area. you also dont want to blow holes through either, this all comes with practice and a whole lot of patience.
I would practice on something els first to get the feel for it.
start at one side do a small weld and tack other side farthest away from what you just welded to keep the heat down. If its a small section you may want to take breaks to let it cool down. Compressed air helps to cool it down too.

after you have the piece in place you may want to hammer the welded are in a little and build up the weld to give it added strength.
This is something I do when welding on pieces that might be subject to strain, like roof pillars and such.

after your done welding up the seams, just grind / sand down the weld flush with the panel. Then Clean area with wire brush so all surface rust is gone.

Clean area with silicone wax remover or acetone. let dry.

Apply some body filler to fill in the imperfections. sand and prime with etching primer or a 2 in one primer. Etching primer is your moisture shield. Filler primmer is not for sealing off the bare metal but the 2 in one primer is both.
sand with fine sand paper 400 grit, and then use filler primer to perfect the surface isf less than 1/64 of an inch.
sand 600 grit and paint.

.

[cdowns]

alway have fire extinguiher and a hose thats turned on both within short reach and ready to go

[yellowblazer1969]

I will be watching this thread as i am about to start this process and i am new to welding body panels. I wish you the best of luck with your restoration or build.

[DANTIP]

Spend $104 ($99 plus $5 S&H) and get the 3 DVD set from ebfabman.com The information I have seen looks very helpful.

Check it out!

[my67chevytruck]

efabman had some good info. If i were you i would peruse the project section. rokcrln has a FAQ on rocker replacement as well http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ghlight=rocker. I have done the rocker, kickpanel, and some floor replacement on my sons '67 you can see in the build thread below. I used a 4' and 4 1/2 grinder with cutoff wheels, grinding wheels , and a convesion kit to adapt a 36 or 50 grit pad to my grinder when my compressor died. good luck

[Sinister]

Measure twice, cut once.

[DZL1]

subscribing to this thread.

DZL1.

[pmpski_1]

Don't look directly at the arc without your helmet over your face.


Sorry, couldn't resist.

[tranz am]

yea this too haha!

Originally Posted by pmpski_1

Don't look directly at the arc without your helmet over your face.


Sorry, couldn't resist.

[BigSky71]

Do order the videos from Efabman, you will be way ahead after watching his videos and getting his tips. Also he will tell you and so will I, GO SLOW, don't expect to be welding any beads, all tack welds, hundreds of tack welds.

Think of the metal replacement as a big metal puzzle that you are putting together. Take your time it will turn out fine.

[Jim Osborne]

Make sure your edges are clean so your welds get good penetaration use a 36 grit grinding disc ,make sure not to grind the metal to thin are you will burn through,I am not sure who wrote it but I read it on one of these forum,If you can cut it you can weld it and If you can bend it you can straighten it if you dought your self practice on some scrap metal, and you will catch on before you know it

[tranz am]

dito...
its really not as hard as people make it out to be. Its just dirty and time consuming.

Originally Posted by Jim Osborne

Make sure your edges are clean so your welds get good penetaration use a 36 grit grinding disc ,make sure not to grind the metal to thin are you will burn through,I am not sure who wrote it but I read it on one of these forum,If you can cut it you can weld it and If you can bend it you can straighten it if you dought your self practice on some scrap metal, and you will catch on before you know it

[Mr. M]

I myself is getting ready to put cab corners in my 68' GMC pickup. It's really not to difficult. The only thing you have to remember is "measure twice, cut once." Also, DO NOT cut anything until you have the replacement panels in hand. This is because so you can trace the replacement panel on the OE and it will fit like a glove; of course leave a 1/4" or so around the trace because everyone makes mistakes. Hope this helps.

[slorio]

My sage words of advice:
* Cut your replacement panels to use only what you need to fix damage. Not the other way around.
* Use copper to back up your welds whenever possible. Copper behind where you are welding keeps the metal from blowing out into a hole when you are just starting/learning. A piece of copper water pipe flattened on one end held behind where you are welding is the simplest way to do it.

I hope this is helpful.
regards,
Steve
New Orleans

[gary2232]

I got these videos today will view and see. They are for our style trucks.
http://smartflix.com/store/video/476...-with-Ebfabman