Lead Repair

[studehunter]

How many people still us lead in thier body repair? Here are some photos of some lead work on my 54 coupe.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2657783720096870370DvvqwT?vhost=good-times

Let me know what you think.

Thanks


Domenic Manera
1954 Regal Starlight Coupe

[bams50]

Thanks for posting that. I have quite a bit of experience doing lead work, although I haven't done any in maybe 5 years. Toughest part is prepping the metal correctly- shrinking any oil-can areas and making sure there are no high spots, and roughing out the lows to assure the lead doesn't have to be too thick. Then filing the lead level without thinning out the surrounding metal. I'll be dusting off my lead skills in the near future, and look forward to doing so.

Do you use lead, or have you tried the new lead-free body solders?

BTW- This thread should have been started on the tech page; but we'll live

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that parking is a pleasure, traffic is a breeze, turning's no trick at all, and happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[bams50]

Thanks for posting that. I have quite a bit of experience doing lead work, although I haven't done any in maybe 5 years. Toughest part is prepping the metal correctly- shrinking any oil-can areas and making sure there are no high spots, and roughing out the lows to assure the lead doesn't have to be too thick. Then filing the lead level without thinning out the surrounding metal. I'll be dusting off my lead skills in the near future, and look forward to doing so.

Do you use lead, or have you tried the new lead-free body solders?

BTW- This thread should have been started on the tech page; but we'll live

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that parking is a pleasure, traffic is a breeze, turning's no trick at all, and happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[JRoberts]

I have a good Studebaker friend who was quite good with lead. He says nowadays that he is through restoring cars so has not done any such work in quite a while. However, he did give my son some lessons in using lead to fill the holes when he removed the fins from his Hawk. I stood around and watched and found it an intriguing process.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[JRoberts]

I have a good Studebaker friend who was quite good with lead. He says nowadays that he is through restoring cars so has not done any such work in quite a while. However, he did give my son some lessons in using lead to fill the holes when he removed the fins from his Hawk. I stood around and watched and found it an intriguing process.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[52 Ragtop]

I can do lead work, I learned it backin the early 70's at vocational school. Then went to work at LA Metal Stripping & Restoration with Dick Scrtichfield and George Munson. Once yo do it, it,s like riding a bike! you just don't forget.

Jim

[52 Ragtop]

I can do lead work, I learned it backin the early 70's at vocational school. Then went to work at LA Metal Stripping & Restoration with Dick Scrtichfield and George Munson. Once yo do it, it,s like riding a bike! you just don't forget.

Jim

[David]

Are there any special steps to prep it for paint once it is feathered out?


Dave in IN
1964 GT Hawk

[bams50]

Nope- just prep as you would bare metal.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that parking is a pleasure, traffic is a breeze, turning's no trick at all, and happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[bams50]

Nope- just prep as you would bare metal.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that parking is a pleasure, traffic is a breeze, turning's no trick at all, and happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[stude freak]

Yes i can do lead work.A 75 year old truck mechanic taught me 35 years ago.This old guy hand built old model t fords in a shop in his back yard till he died at 91 .He had a 40 ft house trailer full of NOS motor n body parts.He would not use bondo for nothing, if it wasnt metal it would go in his cars.Truly a remarkable ole guy,hes probably forgot more than i will ever know.I miss the ole guy.


David Baggett '53 coupe

[stude freak]

Yes i can do lead work.A 75 year old truck mechanic taught me 35 years ago.This old guy hand built old model t fords in a shop in his back yard till he died at 91 .He had a 40 ft house trailer full of NOS motor n body parts.He would not use bondo for nothing, if it wasnt metal it would go in his cars.Truly a remarkable ole guy,hes probably forgot more than i will ever know.I miss the ole guy.


David Baggett '53 coupe

[JRoberts]

quote:Originally posted by 52 Ragtop

I can do lead work, I learned it backin the early 70's at vocational school. Then went to work at LA Metal Stripping & Restoration with Dick Scrtichfield and George Munson. Once yo do it, it,s like riding a bike! you just don't forget.

Jim

A few years ago I took some auto body courses at our local community college. One of the first things I heard was, "we will NOT be using, or teaching how to use, lead in our body work." In a later discussion with the instructor, who is really pretty good at body work, I learned that the school was afraid of liability of using lead. Go figure.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[JRoberts]

quote:Originally posted by 52 Ragtop

I can do lead work, I learned it backin the early 70's at vocational school. Then went to work at LA Metal Stripping & Restoration with Dick Scrtichfield and George Munson. Once yo do it, it,s like riding a bike! you just don't forget.

Jim

A few years ago I took some auto body courses at our local community college. One of the first things I heard was, "we will NOT be using, or teaching how to use, lead in our body work." In a later discussion with the instructor, who is really pretty good at body work, I learned that the school was afraid of liability of using lead. Go figure.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[wally]

Decades ago, I was in a vo-tech autobody class. The instructor brought in his "ride", a 1966 Valiant with a rust hole in the top of each fender. He cut out the rusted area on each side, and leaded in a steel plate on one side, and used fibreglass filler on the other side. One year later, the leaded side sill was fine, the fibreglassed area was coming through again. That said, lead lends itself to filling in very small areas. It went by the wayside in the late fifties, and for good reason: it is expensive, highly toxic, requires a high degree of skill to use, and is very labor-intensive. It also has a tendency to cause paint-adhesion problems. If it was the only means available for repairing body panels, it would make repairing/restoring a majority of our old cars absolutely impractical.

"You Can't Have Everything--Where Would You Put It?" ---comedian Steven Wright