How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks Phil and Bob for all the tips and suggestions. I am aiming to do the welding early next week. I love being off on holidays.

I'm thinking I will sandblast the frame and then paint with POR. Layout the new sheet and drill my holes for plug welding. Then go and mark the spots on the frame and grind those down. Once it is welded on I'll use a flap wheel to smooth out the welds. Then flow the POR along the seams to try and get it all sealed up.

Bob I've got four different work tables in my shop. I've got a metal clad bench. I was given a 4'x8' home made table with 3/4" plywood on top. I use this one for all my welding needs. Then I have a set of Cnd Tire saw horses with a piece of melamine coated desk top. And lastly another pair of Cnd Tire saw horses to use as needed. They have probably been the most useful things I've bought from Cnd Tire in a long time. Currently on sale too.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob

Forgot about using adhesives I've used the 3M automotive adhesive system use on cars today to replace door skins. Not sure that it is more rust resistant than paint and welding all you have to do is look at the inside edge of 15 year old cars in the rust belt to see rust blisters in the the paint where the edge folds over on the inside.

Of course the level of rust protection it will give our CMPs that live indoors drive primarily only in the summer, I'll bet that they will not see the rust problems we are repairing now.

Back to CMPs one thing I noted on replacing body panels that are spot weld to channel iron is there is no sign of any paint so it is pretty clear that the panels were welded on bare and then painted. So what we are doing today to prevent rust will be talked about by the guys in 2115 who are restoring these trucks and wonder where the will get this stuff they called gasoline to make the trucks run.

Cheers Phil

[Jordan Baker]

Sandblasted and painted the frame with POR15 today. Tomorrow I will be laying out the new sheet metal and drilling all the holes to plug weld it. Then Ill go back and grind away the POR15 at the weld spots.

For the sandblasting I had picked up a simple portable unit. I wasn't sure how well it would work but I was suitably impressed.

[Barry Churcher]

[QUOTE=Jordan Baker;211939]Thanks Phil and Bob for all the tips and suggestions. I am aiming to do the welding early next week. I love being off on holidays.

Jordan, I thought you were a fireman! You mean they give you holidays as well?
Barry

[Jordan Baker]

Well my first bit of real sheet metal body work is almost done. It took a lot longer then I anticipated. I started just after 10, stopped at 1400 or so for lunch (coincidently Cnd Womens beach volleyball was on), started working again around 1500ish or so and then called it a night around 2100.

Since I don't have a roller I decided to just start at one side, clamp, weld and clamp some more then weld some more. Move the clamps along and continue my way across the wall. For welding I decided to plug weld. What I came up with seems to give really good welds. I'd clamp the sheet down tight to the frame, mark my holes with a sharpie. Then using my handheld drill if drill a 1/4" hole through the sheet and just into the frame. I'd then blow the bits out and then weld it up. I found by drilling into the frame I got nice clean metal and the sheet was held tight to the surface. I'd do 5-7 welds, take the clamps off and then grind down the weld with a flap wheel. It was slow but it seems to have done a great job. Other then my frame being a little out of shape in a few spots it should all be fine. I figure once I have the wall bolted to the cab frame I can always pull/push it a bit for a better fit.

Pictures will be posted sometime tomorrow.

@Barry...... You don't wanna know.... It'll make you shake your head......

[Jordan Baker]

As promised some pictures.

[Jordan Baker]

Some more pictures. For creating the ends that are folded over I drew out a pattern on some paper and then traced it out onto the sheet. It was cut out using a zip disk in the hand grinder. I also cleaned up the edges with a hand file. The first edge I put the 90deg bend in prior to attaching the sheet to the frame. I then worked me way clamping and welding along the frame to the other end. This last time I simply hammered the edge down onto the frame, clamped it and welded. In hindsight if I had to do it over again I would probably start with clamping/welding the sheet in the middle and then working out to both ends.

[Bob Carriere]

...obviously not working under wartime pressure of one spot weld every 5 inches.

Can you image the face of the guy redoing that rear wall 75 years from now!!!!!

Any problems bending the sheet metal in the curved corners...?

Cheers

[chris vickery]

When I replicated the rear wall on my 12 cab, I made my piece of sheet and test fit before welding.
The folded over end, I broke first and clamped into place. I then rolled the sheet around the first corner, clamping as I went. I worked it to the other end, up around the corner to the front. I then marked it where it met the edge. I removed the sheet and added the required amount to the marked line I made on the second edge. I then boke this 90deg. So, I essential had a piece of sheet metal which was the correct lenght with breaks on both ends.
I then refit this to make sure it was OK.
As mentioned Jordan, I did start from the center and worked back and forth towards each end. I replicated spots welds only where they were supposed to be, which included along the cross bracing at the rear.
My main mistake which led to some difficulty was the fact that I used 16g instead of 18g. In the end a very good rear panel.
If you notice on original panels, the spot welds do show up. Thats they way they were made, quick and dirty.
Keep up the good work!