Anyone out there have any tips on installing the rubber fender weld /bead?

I'm at the point of re-installing the front clip, on my 52 Mercury M-3, and I bought some Dennis Carpenter fender weld at a swap meet this summer. However I notice that the original was stapled to the fender! I don't have a stapler that will staple through metal, so I'm looking for other suggestions.

Thanks

 

My front fenders have the welting. Mine has tiny pieces of two sided tape in a few places to hold them to the fender while installing it.

There are probably better ways...others will be along soon.

 

I didn't staple mine, I just cut the pieces to size, punched the holes for the bolts and then cut slits from the inside side of the strips to the bolt holes.



I then loosely bolted the fender parts together, slipped the welting in and tightened the bolts.

The rubber filler piece at the back part of the front fender will have to tacked in with some small sheet metal screws with washers. I tried gluing my in but it didn't work too well.

 

Thanks Brian and Bob

It is the rubber filler piece at the back of the front fender I was referring to.

I thought about some kind of adhesive, but didn't want to dissolve the rubber, if I used the wrong kind. I will probably use some small self tapping metal screws or pop rivets if I can't find another solution.

 

It's no problem. Get some gorilla snot weather strip adhesive and glue it to the fender.
Leave it a little long at both ends and trim it after the fenders are bolted up.
3m makes the glue in yellow and black. The black is better because it won't show if a little gets in the wrong place. They also make a remover for it. The black is usually a little bit harder to find than the yellow.
I used it to glue the fender welt around the back fenders too. Works great, you can get it exactly where you want it and you aren't trying to hold it and install the fender at the same time.

 

Yeah what Don said, use 3M Weather Strip Adhesive it works best and also works for sticking other things together as well. I use it on gaskets just to hold them in place. It's the gasket that is suppose to do the sealing not the gobs of silicon RTV that people use way too much of on everything!

 

I use large head pop revits and they work very well, you get every thing straight before you install fenders,Garry

 

Thanks for all the ideas. I will try the adhesive, and letyou know how I make out.

 

The original welting was not rubber AFAIK, but a painted canvas fabric folded over a string with a metal cover crimped over that to form the bead. There may still be someone making this type welting out there, but most parts suppliers sell the molded rubber or plastic replacement. The problem with the new stuff is that it is springy and wants to return to being straight rather than remaining fender edge shape. It's a lesson in creative frustration to install and keep it smooth and in place. Be sure to cut enough notches to allow it to form without popping out, but don't cut them too close to the bead so it doesn't kink, A good tool for cutting the notches is a piece of metal tubing with an ID a bit larger than the bolt diameter. Sharpen the outside of one end with a grinder or file and punch out holes by hammering the tubing through the welt lying over the end grain of a short length of 2x4. Use scissors or tin snips to cut the straight part of the notches so they look like the picture posted above. Try to place them so there will be space all around the bolts for adjustment of fit and expansion contraction with temperature. Do not glue to both the fender and body if you choose to glue it in place.

 

AX is right about punching the holes. I use a gasket punch the same size as the holes in the fenders. I used the solid rubber welt and I cut notches to allow it to bend with a utility knife. placed it on the fender and marked the bolt holes. Punch the holes, put glue on the fender and the welt and after waiting 2-3 min, put it in place. Get the bead down tight against the fender when you stick it down.

 

The welting for the front fenders on the Bonus Built years, '48-52 was a clothe type material, not the folded over type mentioned. I don't know what was used on the later models. I've taken many of these trucks aparts and every one had this type of material in the front fenders. When I did my '49 F-2's fenders I bought a roll of this type of welting to use for the front fenders but I used the black rolled over type, with the bead, for the back fenders because that is the type I found remnants of in the back fenders. Most of the Bonus Built trucks I've had were F-4s and larger so other than my F-2, I haven't found much left in the back fenders of the few other pickups I've had but all of the front fenders had the flat clothe welting.

 

The piece Merc is referring to is foam rubber, not welting. It's shaped to sort of snap over the edge of the fender. 3M glue worked for me.

 

Hmmm, your talking about the front fenders? I'm thinking there is the 1" wide cloth type used at the top/front fender seams, but the rear area that mates to the cab(cowl) itself is a rubber/foam type seal. I've bought both from dennis carpenter, and used some auto molding sealent to hold seals on one side only with spring clamps until drys..... then nothing moves during final assembly.

edit: hey ALBUQ, we posted at the same time.............. (good morning)...