Ill never understand why someone would want to use a material that can kill you....

I hope you are using a good full face respirator and gloves while you are doing this.

2k clear can kill you as can years of body filler dust or sand blasting dust. cant see it being any more dangerous than any other body working product as long as you use the correct gear and yes i wear latex gloves and use my welding gauntlets over these when working and sanding the lead, same with my masks (i have 3 here)

Ha-Ha-Ha,,,OK

Just me but I would have spread some short hair fiberglass over it and called it good.


Hey Rock
Hows the Chevy coming along? any updates been a while since I have checked the thread out.

Ill never understand why someone would want to use a material that can kill you....

I know some semi OCD guys prefer lead over bondo, because it's metal. Full blown OCD guys say lead is still filler, and will settle for nothing less than a patch from an original panel. I'm in agreement with those who say bondo is safer, easier to work, and easier to prep for primer.
What's really impressive, is how expert welders can weld in a panel with no filler at all.

Not sure where my disorder ranks in your discriptions of obsessed metal workers, but difinitely in there somewhere.
I agree it takes a good weld joint if no filler is to be required, but not necessarily the best of welds. Gas torch welding is the best for this purpose, but it produces more distortion than any other weld method. It is actually the hammer and dolly work after the weld that determines how much filler will be required. But without a good weld to start with the metal finishing outcome will not be good.

Only the tin man would test his welds this way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF1Srs_e1Aw

Not sure where my disorder ranks in your discriptions of obsessed metal workers, but difinitely in there somewhere.

Actually, I was referring more to guys who have restoration work done for them, but I've run into a few guys who bought a car for a one time project, obsessed with doing a concours resto.
Then of course, there are the ultra OCD'ers that insist on enamel or lacquer paint, even though most judges at shows don't care what kind of paint is on the car. (However, I was at a 'Vette show once where points were deducted for paint other than lacquer.)
Good point about the hammer and dolly work, I know a few good welders who pass that task along to the other guys.

lol using an oxy-acet torch for lead fill might be a bit like killing a fly with a paddle but there are also reasons to use the oxy torch. you need to use a small to medium welding tip not the cutting torch then adjust it to a carborizing flame and preferably use a difuser on the torch. the carborizing flame mealts the lead with less break up of the lead tin so it neutralizes the fill. the stuff you get on ebay from eatwood you have to be careful with there are 2 types they sell one is supposedly a 70/30 lead filler (75/25 is actually a better mix but almost impossible to get anymore) the other is a lead free body solder which I cant say anything about because I havent tried it at all. As was mentioned your panel work needs to be much closer than if you were using other fillers try using a slapping spoon and dolly to bring your panel closer. if you take your time with the welding you can minimize the warping and still use the oxy torch.
lol yeah there are some of us old ba****** that think lead is still a filler and for some things I still preffer the solder like holes in the top of a truck box from tool boxs or rails. I had a boss once that wouldnt believe me about it so we had a compatition with him on one side and me on the other and he walked away with one hole not even welded up completely and I was done and washing it lol but then again there were still questions on lead fill on my journeymans exam **** I'm getting old lol

Uuuummmmmmm what's wrong with laquer? acrylic laquer was what I learned with lol you get to do lots of colour sanding and lay down lots of coats of clear then colour sand and polish and if you arent happy you lay down another set of clear and do it again. lol in some things progress has been very kind to painters.

thanks for the info.

been getting alot better at this, also invested in some better panel beating tools and stopped using the paddles, a plumber friend had a huge box of moleskins from when he retired and its much nicer to spread the lead with as you can conform the skin to a radius or curve etc.

there was some damage to the aerial hole (will rephrase that the last shop hammered it down, and filled it full of bodyfiller! needless to say it had cracked and my customer wanted it making stock again) pulled up the dents as much as possiable and went at it with the lead. i have tried the lead free solder and its crap, working heat range is far to narrow and high on it compared to the lead stuff.

bonnet



flatted with the file and a tiny bit of filler to make it 100%



aerial hole











shell as it stands







outside shell has been in epoxy for almost a month now and i cant see any problems on areas i have leaded (nothing bleeding through or funny reactions) on the leaded bits. be nice to actually get this blocked down, high build primer on it and build up my new paint booth and actually get some black base coat and a few coats of clear on it all

thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated.