Panel Fit & Seams

[Wookster]

Well nobody told me I was an idiot so I went ahead.
Made a template & cut a sliver of 1mm steel, bent it roughly to shape and secured it with clico's.



Ground down the edges until they were flush and then plug welded it into place.
I've got an air joggler/punch so a quick hiss and the holes are done. Only works for about 12mm from the edge though.

A test fit of the wheel arch.



Gap has obviously decreased so spent a while grinding the ends down and seam welding the edges.
The arrow is where I started to add metal, and the line with a blob on the end is where the next sliver will be added. The gap at the widest point is now less than 2mm.



Will weld in a 0.8mm sliver tomorrow, and then a 0.6mm sliver on top of that.
Taking time to do but I will have an invisible repair.

This is the view as of tonight, welds are only partially ground down but the difference in fit is obvious to the naked eye.

[Wookster]

mm,

Missed your post somehow, just got the email!!. Too late unfortunately, been tinkering all afternoon.
Trouble is I have no idea how to reform/adjust a panel, huge gap in my knowledge.
I'm reading as many topics as I can and have even looked at college courses but there is nothing local.

No doubt I'll learn from my mistakes (impatience being one) , and it would definitely have been easier to replace the whole rear wing but I want to keep as much of the original structure as possible as the repair panels seem a bit iffy.

If anyone knows of an idiots guide then please let me know.

Cheers

Andy

[Wookster]

Spent a couple of hours this afternoon welding in the extra fillet and grinding down.
Wheel arch panel now fits close all the way around.



Cleaned up for an inch or so around the arch to check for rust, found a few dimples left under the paint so smothered everything in dinitrol. Tomorrow it's a quick rub over with the scrubbing disk and then a few coats of weld through primer.

While that's drying I can drill the repair panel for plug welding, and remove any underseal remaining before I seam weld the edge of what will now be the inner wing.

Once the arch is fitted a smear of filler, seam sealer, few coats of primer and then a couple of coats of top coat to seal the repair. Happen to have black so that's what it will get.
Final flattening can wait until I'm ready with the rustoleum.







When I do eventually finish I'll tidy up the topic so that it might be useful to other novices like myself.

[Wookster]

No progress whatsoever cos the old welder which has given no problems for 20 years has chucked it's teddy out of the pram. Diagnosed the problem as a wire feed issue, borrowed a motor, tested it and all seemed fine.
Next day got comfy ready to weld etc, managed a couple of tacks and that's as far as I got.
Cos of the age it's probably not worth repairing so after much searching and discussion sorted a deal on a new machine.

Difference should be like chalk and cheese, instead of flicking switches to go from say 30 to 50amps can pretty much dial it in 30,31,32 etc.

Hopefully I will have one of these 160amp welders tomorrow:-

http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/Mig_Weld ... ig_Welders

Going to spend some time experimenting over the weekend (ideas for clamps etc), should be up and running again next week if not earlier.