i hate body work

[mark '87 930]

I did my first patch panel (right front fender bottom), and i HATE IT. I practiced some welding, but you need a good amount of experience to get a nice weld. Grinders are you friend, that's for sure.... but man , even with that... having to go with filler, make it all nice.. .yuck, not for me. Give me a motor and transmission any day... Glad my truck is a driver. She's gonna be GREAT from 10' away! lol

[Maximus]

in the same boat... feel your pain. my trucks been in primer for 4 months waiting for me to attempt to either repair the corners or just bondo/sand/bondo/sand/sand/sand... not lookin forward to it, but mechanical parts are top notch! lol...

[OKGMC4]

I'll do paint and body for myself, but hate it as well. I'd rather be eaten alive by ants than be a body guy for a living. Hats off to those very patient and talented men.

[bk2life]

been doing body work for the last 20 years or so.

its just like pickin up chicks, you either have the skill right up front, or it's learned over time. and then some just can't get it at all and rely on either their bank accounts or huge "shoes"--

[mark '87 930]

I certainly don't have the upfront skills,and I don't have the right attitude to learn so I just remove rust, botch it back together and ***** about it.....:-)

[mknittle]

It really isn't that hard. most of the problems That I see is guys fight it. attitude plays a big part.

That said don't try to run bead like welding thick matal! do spot welds, first align the parts and spot them then check for alignment.If it looks good what I do is start putting the next spots roughly centered between the last spots checking as I go. I do this untill I have no more room for spots.
Skip around and don't get the metal too hot or it will warp!!!! i take short beakes and do another part so nothong gets too hot.
grind the same way don't let it get hot or it will warp.
If the metal gets too hot it will shrink when it cools.

[Kabwe]

Aw body work is fun guys. Its all in now you look at it. Its nothing like saving a ate up piece of crap fender or cab and making it look great. But I agree about doing it for a living, that would take the pleasure right out of it for me. I don't like timelines and due dates.lol

[meter swinger]

Originally Posted by bk2life

been doing body work for the last 20 years or so.

its just like pickin up chicks, you either have the skill right up front, or it's learned over time. and then some just can't get it at all and rely on either their bank accounts or huge "shoes"--

You guys are too sober. Bodywork and chicks both look better with beer.
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[meter swinger]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Aw body work is fun guys. It all in now you look at it. Its nothing like saving a ate up piece of crap fender or cab and making it look great. But I agree about doing it for a living, that would take the pleasure right out of it for me. I don't like timelines and due dates.lol

Kabwe if I had your skills I could charge people to watch.
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[meter swinger]

Check out this dude's work

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=424368

[mark '87 930]

Kabwe, i don't disagree.. i should have been drinking.. although i didn't think that welding and using a grinder would have been a great idea.. ladies and booze mix though!

Great work on your truk btw. I'm too impatient for body work. I'm not going to take any pictures for you guys either..

[Kabwe]

Originally Posted by mark '87 930

I'm too impatient for body work. I'm not going to take any pictures for you guys either..

LOL. Now thats funny.lol

[Speedbumpauto]

I have some luck doing trade out work. I'm a good automotive machinist/engine rebuilder with a few machines in the back yard and a half decent welder/fabricator. I don't have the "knack" for metal work and body work when it needs to be really good so I stick to my skill and trade for the things I don't do as well. I find that keeps me somewhat sane and my tools last longer because I don't throw them as much.....and the truck is meeting my expectations.

[mark '87 930]

"I find that keeps me somewhat sane and my tools last longer because I don't throw them as much"

i haven't done that in years... in fact i think i was a teenager the last time i did that. I sent an adjustable wrench right through a wall.

[Speedbumpauto]

I may be forced to grow older....but I don't have to grow up!

[meter swinger]

Originally Posted by Speedbumpauto

I find that keeps me somewhat sane and my tools last longer because I don't throw them as much.

LOL. we would all love to throw some tools from time to time though we may not want to admit it.
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[_Ogre]

i had a pond 100 ft from my shop when i lived in north carolina
a couple of tools ended up in it, i learned to turn towards the pond after i threw a couple into the side of my truck
usually after smashing a finger/hand

[OKGMC4]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

i had a pond 100 ft from my shop when i lived in north carolina
a couple of tools ended up in it, i learned to turn towards the pond after i threw a couple into the side of my truck
usually after smashing a finger/hand

I stopped tool tossing long ago. Instead, I believe in cursing...loudly and with enthusiasm. Colorful combinations of words within a creative context is a must.

[Kabwe]

Yeah I guess we all have anger issues at times.

Originally Posted by OKGMC4

I believe in cursing...loudly and with enthusiasm. Colorful combinations of words within a creative context is a must.

I do the same thing and it comforts me like a warm blanket. My wife and kids don't like to hear it though. So I learned to curse low.lol

[itstheshu]

When I was young I was told by an old timer you had to learn to curse to be a mechanic.

[Mr-Jack]

Originally Posted by Kabwe

Yeah I guess we all have anger issues at times.

I do the same thing and it comforts me like a warm blanket. My wife and kids don't like to hear though. So I learned to curse low.lol

Same here...my wife gets nervous if she hears me getting loud and mad in the shop...so most the times now, I just bear down and grunt.

My bodywork isn't "terrible" but i have a lot to learn for sure

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by OKGMC4

I stopped tool tossing long ago. Instead, I believe in cursing...loudly and with enthusiasm. Colorful combinations of words within a creative context is a must.

my barn/shop in michigan is 250' from the house
i can scream and curse all i want

[Speedbumpauto]

And I think a lot of the frustration comes from ignorance, and I mean that in the best possible way. Sometimes when you're not well versed in something you are trying to do what is impossible. Case in point, the last time I tried to do upholstery.(and I mean the LAST time) It was a simple job of covering a simple dash panel I made for the roadster. I went to the local fabric shop, got the vinyl, the foam and the contact cement and proceeded to tackle the job. I absolutely could not get the fabric to fit arount this radius along the bottom of the dash. After a day of serious frustration, I finally called a shop that had done some work for me before. Took the dash to him and explained what I was trying to do. He laughed and said "that's impossible. You need two pieces of material and a seam right here." He did it and it looks good but the lesson was that for a day I was convinced if I just made the correct cuts in that fabric, it would work the way my mind thought it should. How often does that happen?

[msaintg]

That is so true. There are a lot of things that anybody with mechanical skills can do, but there are many things that require practice to develop the 'art' of a fine craftsman. You just have to accept and live with what you are capable of doing.... and keep trying. I can't tell you how many times I tried in vain to build something that I could see in my head but turned out to be impossible in real life. When I was building my wifes mobile gym, I was hell bent on putting up 4x8 sheets of paneling on the ceiling with only glue so that it would have a clean look..... no screws.... after struggling with it for days..... it has screws holding it up now. Mike

[Dan in Pasadena]

People have asked me how I learned to work on cars? I tell them it was self defense!

My Dad would work under his succession of '48, '52, '59 and '66 Chevy trucks on a creeper and would tell me (I'm like 7 years old at this time), "Danny, get me a 5/8" box end wrench". Of course I didn't have the SLIGHTEST idea what what that looked like so I'd go grab a few things I thought were wrenchs. He'd curse and throw all the ones he didn't want out from under the truck - CRASH, BANG, CLANG, flying metal.

Self Defense.

Hence I NEVER throw tools. I've found that age makes you either chill out - What the EFF, it's all good. OR it makes you imaptient, negative & cynical and I hate those kid of guys so I try to be cool. Emphasis on the "try"