| Ford Model A |
Ford Model A Pickup Restoration - Welding in plates for new wheel well spare wheel (December 2006)
In December I could finish the basic sheet metal work on my front fenders.
This is how they look like now, just the final welding is not done yet.
The new fender wells for the spare tire is approximately 8 mm wider than the old one and since it was a little bit narrow for my tires, I decided to enlarge it and move the right angle profile 8 mm to the right.
These are the cuts I've made with a air saw.
Now I could move the edge below the rest of the sheet metal. To hold it in position, I fixed it with some welding spots.
Then I've made a cut through bought sheet metals. In the upper part of the picture it is already done and fixed too.
My newly made part is cut to the right size but does still overlapping the other sheet metal by 1 - 1.5 cm.
Then I've fixed it to the right position and made spot welds from inside the fender.
Now I'm working the same way as before. First cut both sheet metals by a length of about 5 - 10 cm and then fix it by 2 or 3 spot welds.
Just step by step until you have reached the end of the fender.
As you can see from underneath, the bar is still in its position and will be removed at last in order to prevent any distortion.
Finally the bar is removed and the sheet metal is bent to the final position.
Here you can see the difference, on the left hand side the old pattern work and on the right my new work.
The metal at the edge was too much rusty and had also some holes in it. I have used here also 1 mm sheet metal for the repair.
First you have to bend a angle profile. You can do this kind of work with a vice if you don't have special tools. Take care that you place a piece of wood between the hammer and the sheet metal.
The angle profile is finished.
The next step is to stretch the metal so it will fit to the fender.
To stretch sheet metal is the easier job, it is much more difficult to shrink it. Therefore I have bent the angle in a 3 cm interval and got these waves.
The the difficult job is now to remove these waves with a hammer but the metal mustn't get enlarged again to the original shape, it must be shrunken. I did it with a anvil. Just give enough pressure with your left hand and straighten the sheet metal with a hammer. Probably you have to repeat this procedure until you get the desired shape but it works well.
The new part is finished now.
Now I could remove the old part and get the new one fitted to the fender.
I have fixed everything with spot welds.
The fender wells will be added later.
The right fender has also rust holes which have to be repaired.
The marked section will be removed and replaced.
This is an easier job compared with the left fender.
I do normally use these kind of magnets to hold the parts in position.
Some welding spots and the new sheet metal is in its place.
The new angle profile is replaced.
Now all rusty parts on my two front fenders are replaced. What I have to do is is the final welding of both fenders.
Copyright © 2001-2024 Markus Maurer - all rights reserved
Creation Date: 31.12.2006
