Driver’s side flare is fully welded in around the arc, it was looking good after the welds were all ground down, but before the hammer and dollying was done.
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After I took the hammer and dolly to it and started smoothing out the lumps, it quickly became apparent that I had too much metal right in the middle which manifested itself as a big outward lump that wouldn’t flatten out no matter what I did. Working the area with a shrinking hammer, plus several quenches with a MAPP gas torch and a cloth soaked in ice cold water didn’t do much to rectify the problem either.
I was about to cut the entire area out and replace it with fresh shaped metal, when I remembered a little trick that worked great for us on a similar problem on one of Mike’s ‘57 Chevy quarter panels. I cut a cross through the middle of the bulge with the death wheel (cutoff disc) and flattened out the 4 corners that it created. The cut allows the extra metal places to go, and will close up the cut lines slightly as the metal flattens out.
Once the 4 corners of the cuts were flattened out, I clamped one of my extended length C clamps right in the middle, and slowly and carefully welded up the 4 cut lines of the cross working from the outside in. Once I had welded and ground everything I could access with the clamp in place, I removed the clamp and finished it off.
No pictures of this process, but when the dust settled, it was all good - no more bulge.
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Since that went so well tonight, I had a little extra time to start making the first of the two end pieces with the shrinker/stretcher and getting it fitted into place. This is the back one, closest to the door:
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We’re very close to Christmas now, so life and family priorities are starting to cut into the available time over the next couple of days. I might get a little time on Saturday to try and make a bit more progress, but that’s about it until after Christmas Day.
After that, I’ve got the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s off, so Mike and I will be spending a couple of days working on each other’s cars back and forth. I anticipate that the last of the fabrication and welding will not only be done in this time frame, but I should also be able to get started on the filler and bodywork on both fenders as well.
There likely won’t be another update before Christmas, so a very Merry Christmas to everyone, all the best to you and yours!
D.
but I'm all caught up now and WOW. Just amazed at the creativity and resolve. Don't know why it surprises me. Awesome work D.
