JB, thanks for the heads-up on shrinking disks. I didn't know about them, fair to say I have a long way to go and a lot to learn on this project. Curt

 

It's easy to see a high spot and get after it with a hammer /dolly. Before you know it now you have a low. And when you hit the low back up it was higher than before or even worse it's caused an adjacent area to be high. Dang.......

thats when I break out my shrink disc and fix my highs. For some reason it's hard to remember light taps and the phrase bumping metal, for me. Metal working takes time, something isn't accomplished with just a few whacks with a body hammer. That I am learning.

 

Congratulations on your progress, its obvious that you have listened to and applied the advice from other members and it really shows. Yours looks better than my first patch for sure, and you will improve with each one. Keep up the good work, its inspiring, and will help others that maybe a little hesitant to try it on there own trucks. Keep on Rockin On.

 

I think I would try to clean up the old metal I'm welding the patch to. Looks pretty rough. Wire wheel, flap disk or even a small sand blaster. Cleanliness leads to a better weld.