What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Dabba's First Floor Resto... (Ugh, trying again, Need input! 10/21/12....)

X2 on the step back and take a breather. At this point, patience has been officially lost. On that same note, you'll have a hard time getting the price you're asking for in it's current condition.

Some tips I don't see mentioned...
Welding takes practice and patience, especially with sheetmetal.
Measure twice, cut once. And with that comes a lot of checking fitment, adjusting, checking fitment, adjusting, checking, adjusting, and so on and so forth. Until it fits right. Especially with cheap LMC replacement panels.
This is a wheeling rig, right? It doesn't need to be perfect, just solid.
This is your first time taking on a project like this, right? Mistakes will be made, I guarantee it. All you can do is go back and fix them. The key to this is knowing when not to go too far so that you don't have to do the whole job over again.

OK, you mentioned your welds popping after you get them in. Not enough heat. You need more practice welding. Take the welder inside the garage/shed/basement/workshop and get some metal and start practicing sticking multiple pieces together. Take 2 pieces and stick them together with a couple plug welds. Then beat on them and try to pull them apart, see how the welds hold up to your abuse. Keep trying till you can't get them apart.

What size hole are you using in the top piece when you plug weld? 3/8"? That's probably a good size. What I like to do is start in the center of the hole and work the puddly out in a circle till it contacts the top piece and connects them together. This takes patience and practice to do it right. Too much heat and you can burn right through. Too little and it won't stick. Slow down the wire speed, try different settings, get it to a point where you feel comfortable sticking sheetmetal together. Then you can go back to the truck.

You may need to pull that panel out and start over. I'm just gonna throw that out there. What you have may be fixable but may be easier to start over. On top of that you seem to be missing the inner rocker panel which creates that pinch seam that the weatherstrip clamps to. My last suggestion, get whatever you need to finish it (new panels/more panels/flat stock to cut and make what you need) and get it all mocked up and fitted right before you make any more welds. Then you can start welding it in once it's all ready to go, and after welding practice of course.

Finish what you started, be proud of what you accomplished, and chock it up to a learning experience. Or sell it and go buy a Jeep and go hang out at the mall with all the other girls. :D
 
Just some sheet metal and a hammer and grinder.
Click to expand...


says the noob..... :p: ;)


Dab, relax.... you need to take your time a little more on the next one... first off, when you get the new patch all fitted up, go under the truck and sharpie on the underside of the patch where those cab support flanges are.... as i mentioned earlier, you need to reattach that.. so then pull the patch back out and drill plugweld holes in the the top patch for that....

also you really shouldn't be overlapping the pieces 5, 6"s... even with seamsealer, it's bad... if the original metal is good, trim the patch down... about an inch, 1.5" is all you want..


why did the welds pop? just make sure your initial puddle is penetrating good, and work it out in circles tills it's catching a bunch of the patch panel too...
 
Haha, ouch on that last line. Nah, I'm stuck with it. That last picture is after i pulled the patch off, re-grinded an primed it. I ordered the inner rockers, and another flooran and even sprung for the two day shipping. I need this done, but you're right i need to slow down so i don't have to repeat it.

Funny thing is is that I've been practicing for weeks. And doing well. I think i had the heat setting too low, i turned it down a notch because i was concerned i was going to burn through, being i wasnt lap welding, but i guess it wasnt enough. The self tapping screws didnt seem to help pinch the panels together either. I tapped them in, but at some points it didnt squeeze the metal close enough together, frustration lead to using a hammer and yeah, that didnt work.

For some reason, it sits higher off the body supports on the outside than the inside, i tried bending it with a hammer but that just created dents and popped my crappy welds, at which point i lost it. The patch didnt fit well in the first place, at this point, I think I'm just going to cut big and trim a little bit at a time like you said. The replacment floor had some Bends on the outside edge down i was sure what to do with.. I think i'm gonna search some other floor replacement threads. The metal just seems to have a habit of bending easily when i don't want it to, and not bending easily when i do want it to.. >.< Thanks guys. Hopefully the panel will be here in a few days and ill be cutting and fitting again/
 
please, as your going along, if you have questions or issues, stop and pm me or something...

good way to know how it's penetrating is as soon as you get done with a plug weld, go underneath and look at the floor, it shiould be glowing red at that point...

i always use a minimum of replacement patches due to them not being very perfect... but make sure your not cutting anything off over at the sill that you need...

and make sure your oversizing the patch holes for the screws, otherwise it wont draw it down...
 
Well, Ryoken, i have a question. I have this section of the floor i was going to cut, and found it to be a few layers thick in sheetmetal. IT was a bitch to get up, so i decided to cut a different route..

The picture.. Circled in black is the floor section that had a cut in it, that i filled with flux and grinded smooth, the stuff in red is the sheetmetal that i found sandwitched under the floor. I was just going to throw the patch on top of both.. but what should i do? Cut that stuff underneath out so it fits better or try to place it on top like i was? Just make it shorter like you said? 1-1.5" overlap?

Edit: Ahh, i wasnt oversizing the top patch, i was just tapping the screw straight through both.. so it was pulling the patch up instead of squeezing it.. Damn it. Next time I guess.

6.jpg
 
i would just cut the patch so it overlaps that area the inch, 1.5 around the perimeter...
 
Hmm okay. So this is on hold until the new patch arrives. Gonna start bigger this time and trim it down a little at a time..

Thanks for all the help thus far.
 
we'll get ya thru it, just don't get flustered.... also if you got a new inner, you may want to do that now, when the floor is out, for easier access.. gimme a holla when ya need help....
 
Yeah i didnt have the inner the first time around, so maybe thats whats bugging me. You know what it is too? I don't have a good mental image of what its supposed to look like all nice and clean and just bare metal... I'm kind guesstimating from the rusting mess i had, and the new panels themselves. I'll try googling and searching around here.. But If i just saw an empty tub of the area, it would probably help a bit. ha
 
I feel for you buddy! I hope you stick with it! By the time you are done with this FIRST PATCH PANEL PROJECT you will be able to do it blind folded! Dont forget to not be hard on yourself. Its very easy for people to notice the things they have done wrong and leave out all that they have learned and did right along the way. A learning experience is just that, a learning experience. There is a reason its not called a "do it right the first time you ever try it" experience! Dont worry man. Sometimes the help around here can take a while to get back to you on questions you may have, but ask them anyway! The ones that get answered right off the bat are SO nice! Have fun working on your cool old truck!
 
Thanks man. I'll be honest sometimes i feel a little alone out here on LI, i know a lot of CK5ers arent in the area. Must be nice to be outwest and close to each other, for projects and to wheel together. The only built rigs i see out here are Wrangers and XJs, with the occasional ford, and rare rare rare chevy >.<
 
Looks like the community jumped in with great advice. I saw the thread yesterday but I am up against at tight dead line with a large project. Didnt have time to comment.

Being as we share the same cold latitude one thing we do is tent outside projects. It can buy you more time in the cold. a couple of 2x4's and a tarp or plastic sheeting over the top for the tent then throw a $20-$25 dollar milkhouse electric heater in there for an hour before you start (maybe even borrow tarp and heater). Just make it big enough for you and your tools in the working area (and away from welding sparks). It wont be a nice cozy shop but better than staight elements. Also when you get frusterated with it walk inside have a beer, breath then back to a nice warm work space.

Also if you cant fix it with a big effen hammer then you may have an electrical problem.:rolleyes:
 
hahaha. Well making a tent.. I'm not sure if that will fly, i still live at home so... And i dont want this to take so long i need a tent.. unless snowfall is forecasted within a few days!
 
make sure you save the old patch.. still need to make up a piece for the back..... how are you cutting sheetmetal?
 
Not the whole vehicle. Just over the top of the door with in open and around the outside area. Take it down after the day or the weekend. Just big enough for you and tools ouside the driverside door. Smaller the tent less to heat. Plus it will keep the ground under you dry.
 
it's cozy... :woot: i remember doing heads and cam on my Powerwagon under the hood in the pouring rain for 2 days in the mud parking lot of the concrete plant I did resto's for.... ah fun times... :haha:
 
Not to jack dabba's tread but whens the last time you checked yours ryoken?

Yeah a lot of time in the elements in the cold white north. Many a time we start here at -5f and end the day at 60f snow rain and sunshineall in one day. And it seems S**T always breaks in the cold. Gotta keep it all working.
 
Well I went out to look at my blazer tonight to refrence it to your floors and realized i need to do both sides and it will be a lot more extensive than yours.:doah: So keep in mind it can always be worse. You could have my '73. Better go inventory the hammers and dollies and refill the gas bottle. Only good thing is I will wait till spring.

To much to honeydo to do on the house, wife has 4 projects for me to finish then she said the blazer is a go (shes actually excited about it, but knows nothing else will get done if I start now).:whistle:

How was dealing with LMC. Good pricing and service?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom