keep an eye on your windows....

[jdreamer]

Just been finding out just how bad a few rusty scabs round the windows can be when you start digging:

window.JPG

Looks like some hand-crafted metal patches are required.....should keep me busy for a bit

Anyone else dealt with similar?

[Therunner]

yes, when I had a bay (spit! ).
Take your time, make paper or card patterns first to get the shape(s) right and use quite thin sheet steel (about 1mm). Then grinder and filler to finish.

Melvin

[Fingle]

Im dreading doing mine

[jdreamer]

Spent a couple of hours on it tonight. Making some good progress, but it's gonna take a while. Making card templates is definitely the way to go. Like Melvin said, I'm using 1mm steel which isn't too bad to form (so far). Tin snips & a hammer ain't the perfect tools, but fingers crossed....

I'll post some updated pics as I go, if you're interested.

cheers, J

[samk]

Mummy! the nasty man is scaring me - make him stop!

[dugcati]

mmm been there with my van on the centre window and the boot window
looked like this before I attacked it....




but then taking the glass out revealed this.....





oooh dear!

[jdreamer]

ouch - not nice! Once cleaned up did u need to add much new metal?

Not been able to work on it anymore this week, but hoping to continue at the w/e. I also managed to break the window taking it out (Westy double glazed too!!!) but fortunately I have a spare, just not looking fwd to breaking this one putting it back in.....if/when I actually get it finished of course.

[dugcati]

I ended up hacking out the whole rubber seat part and rebuilding - I couldn't be doing with bit'ing an bob'ing with so much of it rotten...


The extra height on the rubber seat eadge was trimmed off after welding and grinding the new section in...

Sorry to hear about the window breakage - I also been there too.. I bust 3 rear windows on mine hehehe the lifting eye on my engine gave way and the engine hoist threw itself skyward breaking the window and the other two was my own stupidity with glass installation!

more pics as you progress

[chopshop]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum. If it makes you feel any better, when the windows were cut out on my van in the past, it looks as though they used a tin opener!! There is now nothing there at all really. Spent the last day welding plates and lots of fibre glass. Can't wait to get it finished!!

[jdreamer]

welcome to the forum! I've just spent a couple more hours welding & grinding and now started filling. More pics at the w/e with progress.

Good luck with yours.

[jdreamer]

Been a while, but I just did the paint today

Starting out - new metal

pic1.JPG

Painted!

pic3.jpg

T'other side (wasn't as bad but still needed new metal round the lip)

pic4.JPG

Can't wait to get the window back in.

Cheers, J

[dink]

Spent a couple of hours on it tonight. Making some good progress, but it's gonna take a while. Making card templates is definitely the way to go. Like Melvin said, I'm using 1mm steel which isn't too bad to form (so far). Tin snips & a hammer ain't the perfect tools, but fingers crossed....

I'll post some updated pics as I go, if you're interested.

cheers, J

I've recently had to mend some rust holes around the bottom of the windscreen
to bend the radius I found a steel bar, smaller than the radius I needed, that needed to be welded to my bending irons
sorry for the poor quality diagram

but you get the idea, once i was happy with that it needed another bend for thr windscreen rubber to catch onto
the extra 90° bend was done putting the other edge of the new peice back into the bender the other way up, and tap it back very carefully
to end up with this

fold the metal around the radius, using a heavy rubber hammer, or a dead blow hammer
this is one of the many pieces I took out

I cut a short section to work out the radius I needed
it's too dark to go and take pictures of the finished job, but it came out well enough

[jdreamer]

Sounds like a good idea, interested to see the finished pics when available. Good to see how folks tackle these things and it all helps with motivation to get on with it!

Cheers, J

[noss vanagon]

Is welding essential could you not glue the repair piece in with instant metal or is that just too bodgy for words

[dugcati]

ay it would work but as you say it is proper bodgy!