Patch panels
#1
Patch panels
Well I am trying my hand at patch panels today. The whole ps front corner of the cab needs rebuilding. Surprisingly the rockers are in great shape though. I have everything cut out and getting ready to try to put it back together. Did I mention I have never welded before. This should be interesting. Pictures to follow.
#2
Unless you need to sell the truck for top dollar to pay for a life-saving operation, I'm sure the results are going to be just fine. You'll get better with experience so I would suggest you do one patch completely before moving on to the next. Go slow and practice just a bit before going 'live' on your truck.
DW
DW
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#5
If you're looking for pre-made patch panels Northern Classic Trucks makes pieces the entire corner of the cab. Since you've never welded before I'm assuming you have never made patch panels:
Ford Truck Parts and Repair Panels for your classic truck at Northern Classic Trucks
Ford Truck Parts and Repair Panels for your classic truck at Northern Classic Trucks
#6
I couldn't find the pic in your gallery. Which album is it in? I won't pretend to be a master welder and give you advice in that arena. You may already know this, but be cautious when you repair a panel anywhere new a moving part or important body seam. "such as a door". Things can really move around when you are welding in patches, if they didn't already when the panel rusted out.
#7
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#8
Just make sure you square things up, tack in a temp brace, install the door, use clamps, whatever it takes to line stuff up before you finalize panel welds. Just checked out the PIC. Not a bad first attempt at all.
#9
My one bit of advice. Don't butt weld panels together, especially if you've never welded panels together before. I've doing body work for many years, some professionally, mostly on my own stuff. I've always lap welded panels. What I mean by this is I overlap the sheet metal by about a 1/4" and then spot weld about 2" apart and then spot weld in between each spot weld until you pretty much have a solid weld.
In my present project I read a bunch of posts about butt welding was the best way so I decided to try it. Yeah, if you have a whole weekend of 10 hour days or get paid by the hour to do one stupid panel. The argument is that butt welds are easier to work with and lap weld are places for rust to form. This, IMO, is total BS. After blowing through the metal numerous times the inside panel has a thousand bits of welding wire jutting through the other side and no way to get at them. There is a place for rust to start.
In my present project I read a bunch of posts about butt welding was the best way so I decided to try it. Yeah, if you have a whole weekend of 10 hour days or get paid by the hour to do one stupid panel. The argument is that butt welds are easier to work with and lap weld are places for rust to form. This, IMO, is total BS. After blowing through the metal numerous times the inside panel has a thousand bits of welding wire jutting through the other side and no way to get at them. There is a place for rust to start.
#10
My one bit of advice. Don't butt weld panels together, especially if you've never welded panels together before. I've doing body work for many years, some professionally, mostly on my own stuff. I've always lap welded panels. What I mean by this is I overlap the sheet metal by about a 1/4" and then spot weld about 2" apart and then spot weld in between each spot weld until you pretty much have a solid weld.
In my present project I read a bunch of posts about butt welding was the best way so I decided to try it. Yeah, if you have a whole weekend of 10 hour days or get paid by the hour to do one stupid panel. The argument is that butt welds are easier to work with and lap weld are places for rust to form. This, IMO, is total BS. After blowing through the metal numerous times the inside panel has a thousand bits of welding wire jutting through the other side and no way to get at them. There is a place for rust to start.
In my present project I read a bunch of posts about butt welding was the best way so I decided to try it. Yeah, if you have a whole weekend of 10 hour days or get paid by the hour to do one stupid panel. The argument is that butt welds are easier to work with and lap weld are places for rust to form. This, IMO, is total BS. After blowing through the metal numerous times the inside panel has a thousand bits of welding wire jutting through the other side and no way to get at them. There is a place for rust to start.
#11
Have you read AX Racers article on MIG welding
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-practice.html
Read this, get some scrap metal and spend a day practising
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-practice.html
Read this, get some scrap metal and spend a day practising
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I had to patch the same corner on my 50 (never done body work until this truck). I bought the patch panels (I had to do the hinge pillar too) from Classic Haulers. It went fairly smoothly. I had to re-contour the angled portion that will be behind the front fender ( had to cut a wedge out of it to get the angles right), but it went pretty smoothly.
Also, check the other side closely. They collected all kinds of crud when the drain holes got plugged. I thought my driver's side was solid until I started sanding, then I found the pin-holes. I had enough material left over from the passenger side panel to make a panel for the driver's side too.
Also, check the other side closely. They collected all kinds of crud when the drain holes got plugged. I thought my driver's side was solid until I started sanding, then I found the pin-holes. I had enough material left over from the passenger side panel to make a panel for the driver's side too.