Shaving Stuff
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Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Tri-Cities
Shaving Stuff
Hey guys I am trying to get that smooth look wiht my 55(you know shaved doors, single pane side windows, no drip rails etc.) I am thinking about shaving the drip rails the cowl vent possibly the wipers(still not sure how much I will miss them?) all the seams the stake pockets and anything else I can find to smooth over (I have already shaved the door handles and all the emblems), any of your thoughts or advice would be great especially about the drip rails I think I can make everthing else look good but I am afraid to just start hacking at the drip rails.
Thanks
Thanks
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,497
Likes: 5
From: Tucson AZ
Check my gallery, I have tried to smooth out everything I could think of from stake pockets to fender seams to running boards to the tailgate, it's a lot of work but even without paint it is one of the first things people see
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Ditto what fatfenders56 said. I did everything I could think of and a bit more.
drip rail: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27695
Cowl vent, cab seams, louver panel, gas filler, etc: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27696
IMHO, good gaps are worth even more than the smoothing. Having both is nice.
I kept the wipers and the vent windows....just because.
drip rail: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27695
Cowl vent, cab seams, louver panel, gas filler, etc: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27696
IMHO, good gaps are worth even more than the smoothing. Having both is nice.
I kept the wipers and the vent windows....just because.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: indiana
i cut my driprails of mainly cause they were rotted. cutting em off is alot of work, i shaved my mirrors and handles, then changed my mind and had to find the orignal holes to cut em back out, that also was alot of work. i also closed off the cowl vent.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
I smooth everything except the drip rails (I like them) and the heater louvers (left the louvers but blocked them from the inside and welded studs to replace outside bolts). I also relocated my front turn signals to the grill and made my own hidden wire taillight mounts and rounded the door corners. Also cleaned up the inside seams and a few other things. Bottom line do it the way you like.
Chuck
Chuck
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Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Tri-Cities
Originally Posted by Randy Jack
Ditto what fatfenders56 said. I did everything I could think of and a bit more.
drip rail: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27695
Cowl vent, cab seams, louver panel, gas filler, etc: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27696
IMHO, good gaps are worth even more than the smoothing. Having both is nice.
I kept the wipers and the vent windows....just because.
drip rail: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27695
Cowl vent, cab seams, louver panel, gas filler, etc: https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=27696
IMHO, good gaps are worth even more than the smoothing. Having both is nice.
I kept the wipers and the vent windows....just because.
Nice Gallery man, I have a junk cab that I am going to try all of this stuff on and then see how it turns out, ar you guys just welding with a normal wire feed?
Thanks
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Originally Posted by surfer55
Nice Gallery man, I have a junk cab that I am going to try all of this stuff on and then see how it turns out, ar you guys just welding with a normal wire feed?
Thanks
Thanks
I started out using the flux core wire and found that aside from being really messy, it doesn't weld the small gage sheet metal well. Using the gas setup is much cleaner and more controllable. The flux core worked great on thicker stuff like frame and bumpers, though.
The most important thing to know about welding sheet metal is not to allow heat to build up. It will warp the area badly. Allow the tack welds to cool between sessions. Skip around so that heat doesn't build up in one area.
Good luck. I wish I had a spare cab to practice on. This is my first build and I had to learn everything as I went, including welding.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Originally Posted by surfer55
I am doing the same(learning as I go), what I really meant to ask is if you were just using a mig or somthing else. Did you just use a grinder to shave the drip rails?
Then I used the cutoff wheel to remove every other section and a grinder with a flapper wheel to flush out that area's seam. I welded the roof and window frame back together in those sections. https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...147690&width=0
Then removed the sections in between, welded and ground them in the same manner. Once all the welding was complete, I used the angle grinder with a 60 grit flapper wheel to dress the welded seam down. https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...147691&width=0
My gallery album also shows where I had to add material over the doors and reshape an area where the door and opening weren't very close to the same shape. It got a bit dicey there, but it all turned out OK.
