basic metal shaping tools needed for 911 rust repair

[RichMason]

I'm in this project all the way - there's no stopping now. Looks like the Lincoln 135 plus is the way to go for welders and I have a Dewalt 4.5 inch angle grinder, cordless drill, and basic hand tools. I know that I will need a bench vise, lots of c-clamps and vise grips. What is the bare minimum of other metal shaping tools I should get for rust repair on my car. For example, I will need to fabricate some patches for the inner fender that will be butt-welded, cut through spot welds (dtw just grinds them), form flanges on some patches for attaching other panels, hold the various jacking point pieces in place, cut relief cuts, etc.

If anyone has any used tools they want to part with I'm in the market. I have not ordered the welder yet.

Thanks.

[BGCarrera32]

I'm not sure, but have you checked out Eastwood?

www.eastwoodcompany.com

They seem to cater to the restoration crowd, and have some inexpensive benchtop forming tools.

Good luck!
-BG

[RickM]

If you can swing a used Miller welder I'd go that route. You may also want to stay away from gasless / flux core wire welders.

- Clecos (reusable rivets) may come in handy for holding panels on while welding.
- For many fabrication projects a multi-angle welding magnet will come in handy. This will hold two or more metal pieces in a precise position while welding.
- A Spot weld cutter is a big help.
- A flange tool is pretty helpful. The air operated models are inexpensive and usually come with a punch (for spot welding).
- A 14" cutoff saw is a favorite of mine.
- An air powered disc cutter (or die grinder) is a staple I can't live without.
- A Unibit drill bit will be a nice addition. This will allow you to drill clean, uniform holes and have up to 13 sizes in one bit.
- A good drill press, grinder and other basic power tools are always nice.


Oh and a torch....Propane at a minimum.

[dtw]

Rich,
-I'd look at Hobart or Miller welders- I don't have any experience with the Lincolns but you may wish to check prior threads, there is definitely some good discussion on welders that will run on 110V. Make sure you get a true MIG setup with the gas bottle; welding without the Argon/CO2 is a serious PITA and produces marginal-at-best results.

-What's this about grinding spot welds? Not sure what you meant, but depending on the joint I need to split I will use spot weld drills (waste of time and money), plasma arc cutter (very high cost of entry), good 'ole grinder, angle grinder cutting wheel (more precise) or Dremel tool cutoff wheel (time consuming and tedious but super-duper precise).

-Sky is the limit on tools. Some essentials that I would recommend based on the work I see needed on your car:

-Versatile, efficient means of cutting metal for your repair patches: I started off bumming Jamie's plasma cutter. I no longer like this method, as it is too difficult to get straight, smooth lines. I also tried Dremel cutoff wheels for a while (cubic $$$ if you have a lot of metal to cut - and you definitely do). I have finally settled on cutting wheels for the 4.5" grinder- these are cheap and last a decent amount of time. Good old fashioned tin snips work too, but I like the cutting wheels better. I have tried several flavors, my favorites are the DeWalt wheels. They sell for $1.99 each at Lowe's, and are definitely worth the extra .25-.50 each over the competing brands.

-Panel flanging tool (Eastwood sells a cheap one for about $30 based on a basic vice-grip),
-Intergrips (you can pay Eastwood $30 for 4 of them or you can get the exact same thing at Harbor Freight for about $5 for a bag of 10).
-Body Hammer and Dolly Kit - Eastwood has super-expensive kits. Northern Tool has $15 made-in-China specials that work great
-Selection of sharp drill bits - You'll need to drill out many of your patches to simulate the spot-welding process. Make sure you support your metalwork with a chunk of wood behind it, so you don't deform your handiwork with the drill when you apply pressure.

-An excellent selection of four-letter words. Frustration can and will run high- just learn to turn off the equipment and set down the tools when you become dissatisfied with your work. Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew.

I just completed the jack point repair on my car "Jekyll". I can't update the web site yet with pictures as Wayne has closed all the ports I need to do passive FTP. But, I was able to use simple clamps and vice grips to get everything in there without incident. The repair turned out spectacular. I'll see if I can't email you pics- you're also welcome to just come over this weekend and check everything out.

[Zeke]

The Lincoln works fine. Use the MIG version. One tool not mentioned was a small portable sandblaster. MIG requires very clean metal and some areas you might want to weld in are not foing to be accessable with a wire wheel. You can mask off the car so as to not get sand everywhere.

[RickM]

Zeke,

Good catch on the sandblaster. Another invaluable tool.
I'm looking to get another one myself and I'll probably go with a pressure type as opposed to the siphon style. Ebay has some decent prices ... just have to be careful with the shipping costs.

Let's not forget about the heart of any metal working shop....The compressor. For the money I would go for this guy's products...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2544048004&category=11768

He also has smaller less expensive units. All very well made and much cheaper than a brand name equivalent.

[RickM]

Regarding the 3" disc cutter: I find using 1/32" thick discs excellent for cutting sheet metal very precisely.

HarborFreight.com has quite a selection of cutters @ $20 a pop.

[TimT]

A small brake, and a shrinker/stretcher are invaluable...

Id say a must have.

Here is one of my projects

here is a pic of something I made using the shrinker /stretcher

[jpnovak]

Rich,
I completely agree with everything said above. but don't forget a very decent compressor to run those air tools.

I would also add a good set of aviation snips. Perfect for shaping the new panels. Don't forget the sheet stock, 18 or 20G, non-galvanized.

I also have a bead roller. Its great for fabbing panels, adding stiffening ridges, rolling 90 deg flanges on ends, etc. They can be found for a little over $100.

I am also looking to add a pneumatic planishing hammer. It would go great with the english wheel for making curved sections.

Jamie

[dtw]

This morning I was planning on posting something to the effect of "Just pray Jamie doesn't show up on this thread, or he'll be filling your head with ideas of bead rollers, planishing hammers, and english wheels"

Let's give him a hand folks!! He's nothing if not predictable.

[jpnovak]

Thanks I knew I could count on you Dave.

[GSpreeman]

Lemme ask a stupid question. I just got a Lincoln MIG (haven't tried it yet). After welding how do you clean up the welds? Angle grinder?

[dtw]

Yup - - metal grinding wheels for the big boogers, and you can finish them off with "flap" wheels if you wanna get fancy with it. If you use a delicate touch and keep the tool moving, the regular grinding wheels work fine for finish work too.

What are you going to be welding up? Did you get a gas rig with the welder?

[RickM]

Dave has it right with clean-up. I'd also suggest practicing as much as possible with scrap metal. Practice with different thicknesses*, different angles, different types of joints (butt, lap, angle etc). There is nothing more satifying than a well layed weld. One you don't have to clean up.

*Regarding practice w/ different thicknesses: Try welding sheet metal to thicker bar stock or mismatched guages etc etc. You'll find as you progress that all welds are not always under ideal conditions with ideal materials. A good book on welding will be invaluable. You're library will have a good selection for sure.

[RickM]

TimT,

Very impressive work....were did you get the shrinker / stretcher? (and what type?)

[GSpreeman]

It's a MIG but I haven't picked a bottle of gas yet.

I have to weld new rockers onto my 356 restoration project.

[dtw]

For external bodywork, I would recommend that you do not do any welding without the gas. You'll get a lot of snap crackle pop, inconsistent heat penetration, and ugly welds. There's also potential for panel warpage due to the additional arc time needed to get a hot weld, combined with the additional heat resulting from flashing the O2 in the air at the work zone (that's why the gas bottle is used, to displace the O2 and focus the energy of the arc on the metal and not the air).

[5axis]

Originally posted by dtw

I no longer like this method, as it is too difficult to get straight, smooth lines.

You need to make up a simple jig. Clamp a nice heavy, straight chunk of bar stock over the sheet and hold the torch against it. For stuff that was really big you can rig up a old table saw with some clamps to hold the torch and then feed the sheet metal much like a sheet of plywood.

I used to get stuck making/repairing machine guards for custom machinery. Having access to power rolls, brakes and shears came in handy for other things too..

[VincentVega]

I bought the same compressor you posted and am very happy with it. It's a big, heavy compressor, be ready when in comes on the truck. I also have a Hobart 135 welder, very happy with that as well. I shopped around forever and found the Lincoln and the Hobart to be pretty much the same, except the Hobart was cheaper.

Have fun

[TimT]

The shrinker/ stretcher is available from eastwood, dont know what brand its is. Ive seen them in other catalogs like Mcmaster-Carr etc. I bought the combination unit, its only takes a few secs to swap between the shink/stretch jaws.