Body panel fitment
More Turbo
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 665
Likes: 139
From: Lakeside, Arizona
For the pin holes? In your metal or the filler?
If you are talking about the metal, then I will grind with a flapper~ 120 or 180 grit and break the mig back out and weld any holes.
If you're talking about the filler, then just some glazing compound.
Backside of panels scratched down with 120 grit, any rust neutralized with white vinegar and primed/ painted with enamel.
For small repairs/ pinholes, just some glazing compound to fill~ easy fill and sand.
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 296
Likes: 21
From: Ohio
Well I got back into it a little bit this weekend. Put a light behind it to show the pin holes. It looked like the night sky....lol
Locate a hole weld it up and use a sponge to cool down the metal. I can already see a few spots where I have warped the tin due to the heat.
There are some of those pin holes. For never having done this I am amazed at the time you can spend on this. Between spot welding and grinding it is slow going.
I did do 2 patches and there is a very big difference in the ease to spot weld between the two. The one above.....don't do this. Try and get your panel to butt up against the good material. I followed some advice from the internet that told me to screw the panel where it was going and cut through both at the same time. My patch fit great but the gap 1/16" to 3/32" was wider than it needed to be. My fault for trying to hurry......take your time. You will be better off.
This was my second patch attempt.
I cut my patch first then traced in onto the quarter and cut it out. The gaps were much tighter and the welding went much easier. Still blew some holes but the welds that I laid down looked much better with not much grinding needed. After I get it to where I am happy I will grind off the welds from the back and primer, paint and undercoat the repair.
Well I reckon if I screw it up too badly I'll just use these. I picked up a truck off Ebay close to the house that has 2 new bedsides installed. They were installed in 93 and the truck has sat in a garage since then. The rust is just surface and there is 1 dent under the drivers tail light. Plan is to pull the cab and refurb it so I can keep driving mine till I am ready to swap cab.
More Turbo
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 665
Likes: 139
From: Lakeside, Arizona
Evercoat is my go to brand, followed by Upol. Both are good resins.
Evercoat has a "Rage Gold" that is superb, easy sanding and lightweight. Also sell a great glazing putty. The Z-Grip by Evercoat is a good filler too and a bit cheaper~ also available at O'reilly's.
Evercoat has a "Rage Gold" that is superb, easy sanding and lightweight. Also sell a great glazing putty. The Z-Grip by Evercoat is a good filler too and a bit cheaper~ also available at O'reilly's.
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 296
Likes: 21
From: Ohio
`I found a little gumption today and got started on sanding the bedsides down to bare metal. I ordered and received from Eastwood their epoxy primer, pre paint cleaner and acid etch. I will go back after I am done sanding and recheck for pinholes in my welds
Its coming along. I am using a 4" grinder from Harbor Freight, actually 2. I just switch them out when they get hot. They go about 20 minutes before I feel they need a break.
I am using to remove the paint. Going back over it with a 80grit disc on an orbital to make the finish more uniform.
This was the only previous body work I found other than filler where the bedsides were tacked on.
2.5 hours later and this is the result. Now I just need to find the gumption to prep and shoot it. Then the real fun begins.
New User
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Now you just need to apply a clear coat with bare metal. No need to hide the patchwork. It adds patina.
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 30,912
Likes: 4,123
From: Angier, NC
That is a lot of work but if the green paint is flaking off the panels or there is like 3 or 4 paint jobs there is no need to go to bare metal.
If stuck solid just feather any nicks and prime. A filler primer will also fill the nicks and sand them out.
Dave ----
If stuck solid just feather any nicks and prime. A filler primer will also fill the nicks and sand them out.
Dave ----
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 296
Likes: 21
From: Ohio
The greens clear was flaking and peeling off. I figured the extra work was worth it since it is my first attempt at this sort of thing. I did do all the body work and paint on my TBucket but it's fiberglass. Didn't know anything about how to do that either but it turned out good. I wanted the practice and boy am I getting it ... 😂.
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Tuned
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 296
Likes: 21
From: Ohio
Flecker............you stated you neutralized the rust with white vinegar. Can you explain how you apply it and what exactly it does? Also how to clean it off to apply paint. The backs of the bedsides have surface rust here and ther and I would like to remove it but the grinder isnt going to fit in a lot of the places.
Grumpy goat
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 3,058
Likes: 594
Flecker probably does it the right way, but I've had success with it at removing rust and mill scale. The two main things I use it for are removing mill scale from hot rolled steel before I TIG weld it, and I also use it to encourage an even patina/rust on fire pits I make.
For TIG projects, if the work piece is small enough, I submerge it in concentrated white vinegar for several hours. It won't rust while it's submerged. When I pull it out, the mill scale and any rust will just wipe off. I immediately rinse in water several times, then begin welding as soon as possible. If I'm not gonna weld it immediately, I spray or wipe oil on it. It will flash rust within a few minutes if I don't.
For TIG projects, if the work piece is small enough, I submerge it in concentrated white vinegar for several hours. It won't rust while it's submerged. When I pull it out, the mill scale and any rust will just wipe off. I immediately rinse in water several times, then begin welding as soon as possible. If I'm not gonna weld it immediately, I spray or wipe oil on it. It will flash rust within a few minutes if I don't.
More Turbo
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 665
Likes: 139
From: Lakeside, Arizona
Flecker............you stated you neutralized the rust with white vinegar. Can you explain how you apply it and what exactly it does? Also how to clean it off to apply paint. The backs of the bedsides have surface rust here and ther and I would like to remove it but the grinder isnt going to fit in a lot of the places.
Believe it or not, WD-40 will eliminate rust in fairly short order... but you REALLLY need to clean it well prior to paint (Same with the vinegar, but just a pass with soapy water is enough, then a good air dry or help with the air nozzle). It's going to take a bit of scrub a dub to vanish WD 40. It works much quicker, but the time you save you will end up using to clean it up prior to paint.
There are also rust converters out there, but it's a bit more toxic for sure. I'm a patient guy, so I just opt for vinegar and a bit of time.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,738
Likes: 217
From: Northern VA
I am impatient so I used concrete Prep n Etch from the big box home center. Gallon of 45% phosphoric acid, I paint it on all bare or rusty metal prior to paint.
It passivates the rust and cold plates the metal with an black oxide finish….or something to that effect.
You could probably get a sweeter deal buying 85% concentration at a farm supply, dairy farmers use copious amounts to clean milk scale from equipment.
It passivates the rust and cold plates the metal with an black oxide finish….or something to that effect.
You could probably get a sweeter deal buying 85% concentration at a farm supply, dairy farmers use copious amounts to clean milk scale from equipment.
