On this current project I have been working on a rather wavy rear cab wall. It was flat before it went to the sandblaster so either there was a lot of filler on it under the paint or the sandblaster got a little over-zealous or both. Whatever the case I have been fighting "oil canning" on the rear wall in an effort to get it smoothed out again. I needed to stiffen the cab wall so that it would not bow so much while I was trying to block sand the outside surface.

I found that 3/16 hardboard fit the spacing between the stamped vertical stiffening bars in the cab wall perfectly; in fact, I was able to slide the hardboard up under the horizontal support which held it in place nicely. I used commercial grade "Liquid Nails" adhesive to hold the panels in place and to fill in the spaces along the edges. I usually fill these areas with insulation anyway to smooth out the rear wall prior to upholstery so these panels are now serving a dual purpose. It all will get a nice coating of Lizardskin when completed so I expect it to look good when it's all one color.

 

Nice! I just discovered what I'm doing to the back of my cab. Thanks for sharing.

 

Great tip!

 

Nice tip!

I always learn from your posts, thanks

Bobby

 

Just thought I would post a follow-up to this thread. Here is the back wall of the cab after I applied a piece of 16 ga steel over the stiffening panels. Steel is held in place with structural adhesive and a few spot welds to hold it in place while the adhesive cured. Next step is primer and LizardSkin insulation.