rmaynard 15,509 #1 Posted September 14, 2022 (edited) Over my 72 years, I have dabbled with automotive body work from time to time. Back in the early 1990's I took a night school course in auto body. I learned a bit, but lots of things have changed since then. In 2009 when I decided to restore my B-100, the bug again bit me and I watched hours of YouTube videos on how to use hammer and dolly to remove dents. I found it fascinating, so i bought a set. Fast forward to 2018 when I bought a project 701 at the WHCC show. This is what the hood looked like. It's been over 4 years of working off and on with my hammers, and I think that I'm finally ready to put some primer on this thing. Edited September 14, 2022 by rmaynard 6 28 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris G 3,296 #2 Posted September 14, 2022 WOW! GREAT WORK 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 8,327 #3 Posted September 14, 2022 Seem like you have mastered the "hammer on" and the "hammer off" techniques. Body work is 10% inspiration, 70% preparation, and 20% perspiration (depending on the season)..... If done properly with very little filler, the inside of the hood will look acceptable too. Good work. How was the lower tab when you got it?? If you had to replace it, a good spot to learn how to "Hammer weld"... (actually not hard to master).... Bill 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,569 #4 Posted September 14, 2022 51 minutes ago, Chris G said: WOW! GREAT WORK That's about what I was thinking. Very nice very nice very nice. 51 minutes ago, ri702bill said: Hammer weld What is this? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snoopy11 5,714 #5 Posted September 14, 2022 I guess, by the way that... eh... "indention" looks... a tree ran into the tractor? That hood looks brand new now, Bob! Don 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldlineman 1,481 #6 Posted September 14, 2022 Very nice work, takes a lot of patents also! Bob 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,905 #7 Posted September 14, 2022 Wow Bob, looks like you are a body man indeed! Awesome work! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darrenw85 618 #9 Posted September 14, 2022 That's work to be proud of Bob. Great job!! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 48,828 #10 Posted September 14, 2022 3 hours ago, ri702bill said: Body work is 10% inspiration, 70% preparation, and 20% perspiration I beg to differ Bill... 50/50 patience/talent... which I have 0% of either. Nice work Bob can't wait to see it in red. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,509 #11 Posted September 14, 2022 4 hours ago, ri702bill said: How was the lower tab when you got it? Here's a couple of pictures of the bottom tab area. Before: After: 1 12 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldlineman 1,481 #12 Posted September 14, 2022 Yes you are a body man excellent work! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BHunter 1,700 #13 Posted September 14, 2022 Looks great Bob. You can call yourself a body man now. Unless you bought that hood from the big show I saw you looking at . Haha just Kidding with you. Looks ready for primer to me. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moparfanforever 851 #14 Posted September 14, 2022 You do great work!! 👍 Me, I do not have the patience to do stuff like that. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 8,327 #15 Posted September 14, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, ebinmaine said: That's about what I was thinking. Very nice very nice very nice. What is this? @ebinmaine hammer welding is kind of a lost art - used by bodymen in the the 50's to add a patch - patch is cut to fit and gas welded using a steel filler rod (think uncoated coat hanger) weld about 1 inch worth and while it is still red, hammer & dolly it to knock down the ridge you almost need 3 hands ( or someone with a GOOD attention span that you TRUST to heat / weld while you get ready to have at it with the hammer & dolly once thay get out of your way.) Was WAY easier 30 years ago with NO cell phones calling at the wrong time.....( go back to the word trust)... once done properly, almost NO filler is needed on either side... Been there... Edited September 14, 2022 by ri702bill 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 7,015 #16 Posted September 15, 2022 hammer wields are stronger, too. Hammering the weld as it cools introduces compressive residual stresses in the material. 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 8,327 #17 Posted September 15, 2022 8 hours ago, ri702bill said: almost NO filler is needed on either side... Been there... Back in the 1980's, my FIL ran a repair garage and every once in a while, a decent used car would come in for service with a "For Sale" sign on it. We would occasiinally buy one; I tended to the body work end, my FIL the mechanical. We bought an insurance case for parts - a very low milage, 16,000 mile Chevy ran great, but that was totaled when a chimney fell on it. Used the lower section of the RF fender to repair a rotted one on a similar model. Cut the 2 fenders and hammer welded the 2 parts together - took a bit of time, but the result was very good. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EB-80/8inPA 1,653 #18 Posted September 15, 2022 (edited) A buddy of mine “restored” an old car that was a rust bucket. No hammer welding or any welding at all was used, just lots and lots of Bondo. One day it got rear ended and the entire bottom half of the body fell into the road in big pink clumps of failure. He was no body man! Edited September 15, 2022 by EB-80/8inPA 1 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,290 #19 Posted September 15, 2022 If you lived in an area where salt was used on the roads each car's rust prone areas were well known. 1957 Chevys were known to rust out where the rear inner fender joined the body. Big old ugly semicircle! In 1963 one of my classmates came to school in the '57 Chevy his dad gave him for his sixteenth birthday. The '57s were popular and commanded a good price (nothing close to today's prices) so he was proud of it. A few days went buy and he loaded the car up with a bunch of us gearheads and we skipped school for the afternoon. While showing off for us he went over a set of railroad tracks that were elevated a foot or so at the crossing. Was he speeding, of course he was. The car went airborne a bit and we all cheered him on. A while later we stopped for sodas and as we got out there were some noticeable cracks in the paint around the wheel well. Come to find out the '57 was a total rust bucket and had been patched with a single layer of fiberglass and some skillfully applied body filler. His Dad attempted to get his money back but the used car dealer said it had been purchased for resale at an auction and was sold as is. He attempted to go through small clams court but his attorney advised him not to. We found a wrecked '57 with good rear fenders and replaced them in auto shop. The whole rear fender quarter panel from the top of the tail fin on down. We did some hammer welding but very little of the welding had to be great because it was covered by the tail fin trim or seam sealer. He also found a pair of doors in nice shape so we didn't even try to repair them. The shop teacher kept them to teach rust replacement for the next year's class. Out school didn't have a spray booth so Earl Scheib got the honor of making it one color again. 3 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
