This is kind of a shot in the dark, but is there anyone in Tucson who uses lead to do bodywork? My understanding is that this is a dying art in some respects, and not too many people know how to do it. If anyone does, would you mind letting me watch sometime? I am an amateur in all respects to bodywork, but still, it would be nice to know how to do it properly....

-Patrick

 

Body leading was common before body putty and the general rule of the less you have to apply the better applies. Check around some of the vintage restoration places, the real purists insist that body repairs have to be period style repair so if the vehicle was pre body putty manufacture body putty is unacceptable. I've seen it done and they used the bars that are about an inch wide which are still available and acid flux. It works like soldering but the trick is to heat it to that just the right point where it acts like putty and the steel has to be tinned almost like regular soldering, and a little too much heat and it drips off, It takes practice.