Frame blues...
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,101
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From: Bristol TN.
I'm really thinking about trying to do the cutting like John suggested, now I just have to find a sheet of steel to cut from to match up with the places I'll be cutting from the frame. What size steel should I get? 3/16 or 1/8 thick...or do they have it 1/8 thick? I look at the frame and think 1/8 would work but what do you guys think?
Logistics Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,773
Likes: 169
From: Pt.St.Lucie , Fla.
Rust and rust repair on these old Ford trucks is just part of the deal .You will have to learn to accept it . I have repaired upper door panels that have had large rust holes in them .With a little fab work , welding ,and body work one can not tell they were ever there . Be patient .Good results come with time well spent .Keep the faith .
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,063
Likes: 38
From: Valley Center, California
reed1951.
You can buy any gage steel you need. My '49 Frame measures .150 thk which is 9 Gage. If you live near any steel retailers they usually have an area set aside for used or cuttings stuff where you don't need to buy 10' lengths.
No worries. You can make this work - not the end of the world. There are some really smart folks in this Forum that can talk engineering smart about welding Frames if you ask them. You might want to consiuder some gusseting as well.
And as I think Frank said.... if all else fails, there are a lot of Frames around cheap.
You can buy any gage steel you need. My '49 Frame measures .150 thk which is 9 Gage. If you live near any steel retailers they usually have an area set aside for used or cuttings stuff where you don't need to buy 10' lengths.
No worries. You can make this work - not the end of the world. There are some really smart folks in this Forum that can talk engineering smart about welding Frames if you ask them. You might want to consiuder some gusseting as well.
And as I think Frank said.... if all else fails, there are a lot of Frames around cheap.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,355
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From: I live in Mustang, OK
reed1951; I had some bad rust spots on my frame when I started working on it. Like you I hadn't welded in a long time, High School 37yrs to be exact. I bought a used stick welder at a garage sale, bought some rods and started welding everything I could find laying around. You'll be suprized how quick it all comes back to ya. Cut it out and replace it. It's just steel. It can be fixed. Don't let it get ya down. I've found out it's just part of getting to the next step. One thing after another. It will be something to talk about after you get it done.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Best rule of thumb is to repair with the same thickness steel as was used originally, or one ga thicker (the lower the ga # the thicker the steel) Henry didn't use any exotic sized steel, so it's all available. For the frame as said 9 ga would be what you want, for this use you can use hot or cold rolled steel (hot rolled is cheaper, uses more scrap in the melt, has a blackish surface coat that must be sanded off around welds. Cold rolled contains more "virgin" steel, is easier to shape, and is silver in color, just needs the oils washed off before welding.). Hot rolled is usually easier to find in thicker ga, cold rolled is preferable for body panel repair.
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