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Sanding or filing sheetmetal patches

73K5BlazerSS

73K5BlazerSS

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What do you guys use to sand down your tack welds on body panel patches? I've been using a 36 then 80 grit on a right angle die grinder. This works obviously, but the welded area becomes wavy. Should I use a file at the very end to get it flat? If so what type and TPI? I also keep hearing about curved or rounded files? What are those exactly?

Thanks!
 
73K5BlazerSS said:
What do you guys use to sand down your tack welds on body panel patches? I've been using a 36 then 80 grit on a right angle die grinder. This works obviously, but the welded area becomes wavy. Should I use a file at the very end to get it flat? If so what type and TPI? I also keep hearing about curved or rounded files? What are those exactly?

Thanks!
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Ideally you make the welds as small as possible. I use a 4” flap disc with 80 grit. Any time you add heat with welding you are gonna get warpage and so it’s just something you have to deal with. Depending in how much down the rabbit hole you wanna go, check out Wrey Schelin on YouTube. I’ve been following him for a while and trying his techniques on mine and found it works well.

Or just slap some bondo over it.
 
I was thinking my wavy sheet metal was from me using the 2" discs on my angle grinder. Is it more likely that this is from too much heat while welding?
 
73K5BlazerSS said:
I was thinking my wavy sheet metal was from me using the 2" discs on my angle grinder. Is it more likely that this is from too much heat while welding?
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Yep, any heat added causes the metal to shrink. Ideally you can add a couple tacks and let it cool down before doing more tacks. Eventually all the tacks come together to form a solid weld. Don’t try and run a bead on sheet metal.
 
Ok thanks. I'm guessing a skim coat of bondo over the repairs is inevitable even if heat is kept to a minimum.
 
My replacement sheet metal floor patches don't match up with the factory ribs. Basically the factory bed ribs are slightly wider and taller than the replacements. How do you guys weld these in ? If I start flush at one point it's too far off at the other side of the rib??? My patches are roughly 11" x 4". Is it easier to find the right gauge steel and make them?

20230221_085205.jpg

20230221_085151.jpg
 
73K5BlazerSS said:
My replacement sheet metal floor patches don't match up with the factory ribs. Basically the factory bed ribs are slightly wider and taller than the replacements. How do you guys weld these in ? If I start flush at one point it's too far off at the other side of the rib??? My patches are roughly 11" x 4". Is it easier to find the right gauge steel and make them?

View attachment 439492

View attachment 439493
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Almost every aftermarket replacement panel needs to be tweaked when welding it in. Sometimes needs a lot and other times not as much.
 
73K5BlazerSS said:
My replacement sheet metal floor patches don't match up with the factory ribs.
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I solve this with factory donor sheetmetal. But if you cut up a rust free donor to weld pieces into a rusty bucket, are you really doing things correctly?
 
You can get rid of the gaps by doing tacks, then pounding the adjoining area to fit and repeat. It still won't look right, but will be structurally sound. Maybe somebody has cut up a floor and can send you some sections, since you don't need much. Otherwise, maybe people can recommend brands that fit the same.
 
Yea I was thinking worst case I will have to hammer the sheetmetal to match the original. :frown
If anyone has an old truck or bed headed to the scrapyard with decent areas of flooring I'm ready to buy. It doesn't have to be the very end section. I can roll the end over to match.

Thanks
 
73K5BlazerSS said:
Yea I was thinking worst case I will have to hammer the sheetmetal to match the original. :frown
If anyone has an old truck or bed headed to the scrapyard with decent areas of flooring I'm ready to buy. It doesn't have to be the very end section. I can roll the end over to match.

Thanks
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Tell me what size you need.
I have one I started cutting up.
 
That would be awesome ! I would need 2 pieces about 12" x5". I realize that the exact section I'm looking for is usually the first spot to rust away. The patches can be from midway up the floor if they are in better shape. Thanks again and let me know what you want.

20230226_112147.jpg
 
Tack, cool with air, hammer, repeat. Same with grinding them down. Not being in a hurry or being aggressive is important. Great sheet metal guys are some of the most chill people I know.
 
Thats good advice on not being in hurry. I'm still amazed at how far off the bed ridges are from factory. It's like the company reselling them didn't even take measurements on OEM stuff. There is no way they're stamped on factory dies... not even close.
 
When you're welding, you'll see the surrounding metal discolor. That's the heat-affected zone. The bigger that 'bloom' is around your tacks the more wave you're likely to get. So be sure you're using only as much heat as necessary and not staying on it too long.
 
73K5BlazerSS said:
That would be awesome ! I would need 2 pieces about 12" x5". I realize that the exact section I'm looking for is usually the first spot to rust away. The patches can be from midway up the floor if they are in better shape. Thanks again and let me know what you want.

View attachment 439949
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Is the piece on the edge?
I am guessing k5?
Mine is a pickup but the pattern is the same.
I don't know if the edge is

Can you get me a picture of where it is, like step back.
 
What did you make the fuel pump access cover out of?
 
That's from the aftermarket panels I ordered. They're just as crappy. I'll take a close up pic so you can see how bad. I'm going to put adhesive foam tape around the border so it won't really matter.

If you zoom in on the pic above you can see I can almost fit a pencil between the pieces.
 
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