Body / Glass: Bent flange on the 39 grill.

[t walgamuth]

I have an excellent grill for my 39 CE but it has a bent place on the flange that laps over the body. Can I straighten it with a couple blocks of wood and a hammer?

I worry about breaking the finicky pot metal.

[thunderations]

Working with pot metal is always a crap-shoot. Once bent, it rarely will straighten without cracking. If I tried to fix it, I would clamp it between the wooden pieces and take many baby steps to get it straight.............and pray a lot. I would not use a hammer. Just the shock might cause the pot metal to break.

[t walgamuth]

What about adding heat?

[rkapteyn]

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Repai...tml?rmvSB=true

[rockne10]

I suspect adding some heat may improve the possibility of manipulating the piece, but I would be gentle and try adding that heat with a soldering iron rather than a torch, or pass the torch in very short bursts, build the necessary heat as you would layer paint. If cracks develop, which they no doubt will, they can be repaired with silver solder. I've never done it but, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[sweetolbob]

Agree with the folks above. You may want to cut a couple pieces of wood the required shape you want and slowly use C-clamps to apply force. Time is your friend here.

[t walgamuth]

Thanks Gentlemen! Glad I didn't just start hammering it!

I looked again at the grill and found another dent. Neither one is really big....probably less than 1/8" but more than 1/16" deflection at the dent. The edge of the overlap to the painted metal is quite rough in many places too and I am certain it will abrade my new paint over time. I think I'll install some 1/8" single stick tape on the flange before installing to kill two birds with one stone.

Think that will work ok?

Were these originally just installed bare against the paint?

[DEEPNHOCK]

T'were it me, I'd get a dead bug or two and glue them on the dings...

[rockne10]

T'were it me, I'd get a dead bug or two and glue them on the dings...

Where is that "Like" button when you need it?

[t walgamuth]

They really aren't all that visible I don't think.

Thanks for the great idea though!