OK, this is as far as I got today. I raised the low spots and decided that the shrinking disc should come before welding the holes shut, because I didn't want the low/high areas to take a set after they were welded, which would make getting them straight that much harder. I'm absolutely positive that the shrinking disc will have to be used after welding, anyway. Here we go:

The tools used (left to right: low crown spoon, "railroad track" dolly, low crown short pick-hammer, home made leaf spring-and-tube slapper, and surrounding the tools, my short reach Bullseye pick with blunt tip installed; not shown is the rattle can Dykem):



And here's what I had to start with. In the last pic, you can really see the deep creases that I'm attempting to get out:







After about 20 minutes of raising, with the dolly on the backside, using the spoon, then the hammer, then the slapper, and occasionally the Bullseye pick, I was able to restore most of the shape of the fender's nose:



Another angle:



I'm not wild about rattle can primer or paint for a guide, and I forgot to get a marker big enough at the hardware store, so I used some rattle can Dykem:



And after it dried and a light sanding, you can really see the low spots, some of which are circled in this pic:



After a little more dolly and spoon/slapper/hammer work, I removed the Dykem, and had this:



This is after the first set of passes with the shrinking disc (I put four passes on):



And I'm done for the night. It's WORLDS better than it was, but it isn't done. About a half hour of planishing tomorrow with the spoon, slapper, and my heel dolly, I might be ready to weld and hammer tomorrow afternoon, getting all of this half of the fender done by Monday night:

Forgot to post this pic at the beginning of the last set of posts. It's of the fenders right after they were stripped by my girlfriend in April:



You can see the old repair at the front of the fender, as well as overall condition.

hey creepy jack them are some pretty cool projects you have going there.
if you need any help i could come and help ya.i dont know well i would fit in, cali is a whole differnt ball game from where i am from.
We could wright a book about it "farm boy from the east meets California"
i think that would be a best seller.

Hey, ihateblocksanding, thanks!! You know, I bet we're not as different as you might think. I've had plenty of people over who've never even heard of a lathe, let alone used one, or seen a body hammer, or welded anything, etc. You'd probably fit right in at my house, anyway.

I'm the one that sticks out around here, because I'm more interested in building something than going to see the "latest" band, or going to a club, or going to the bar (OK, that's pushing it); you get the idea...

I'll say this, though: California, IMHO, sucks (and yes, I was born and raised here). You aren't missing much at all. In a few years, my girlfriend and I are going to sell my house, pack everything up, and move to Texas. We want space. Things are way too expensive and crowded here.

Those truck fenders look great!! I wish i could work metal as good as you... and no i'm not kissing butt.. i really do wish i could do that. Nice job.

I'm amazed that some of you guy's girlfriends help them work on stuff, like stripping paint and sanding.

Thanks, Fast7!! You just have to be patient with metal. Speed comes with experience. If I was more experienced, the truck would be done by now!!

Seriously, though, get a scrap fender, your hammers and dollies, some sandpaper, and start straightening some dings. Try holding a dolly underneath the ding, and tap the topside with your hammer to raise the ding, and note your results. Then, find another ding, and try the opposite, only instead of a dolly on the outside, turn the fender over, and use a folded up towel (to simulate a sand bag).

Also, if you haven't already, get an account at SmartFlix.com, and start renting videos. They have a huge library, and it's all going to be helpful. And DEFINITELY check out metalshapers.org, and metalmeet.com.

For what it's worth, as much as I'd love to say that the fenders will be completely metal finished and have no filler on them, that's not going to be the case. There are some deep scratches that are going to have to be filled with something. Probably lead.

Fast7, I forgot to address the "girlfriend" portion of your last post.

So, when I was still working on the Skylark, my girlfriend came out to see what I was doing. I was sanding the decklid from the Skylark, and asked if she wanted to give it a shot. She did, so I let her. That same day, we started in on the F100 fenders.

The next day, I had to take my mom out on an errand, and when I got back a few hours later, I found Stephanie in the backyard, sanding away on the F100 fenders. I couldn't believe it!! I shouldn't have been surprised, though. This is the same girl that asked me to teach her to TIG weld a few months back, and I did. She was running beads on .063" aluminum that afternoon. I got me a good'n!!!

I forgot that I took these pix while I was working on the fender Saturday. There was a ding on the front upper edge, just above the inward "fold" of the fender. I forgot to take a picture before I started, but the ding was about an inch and a half across, and an inch high.

This is the ding and the surrounding area covered with ink* after I had worked it a little:



After I worked it some more, and removed the ink:



More ink, after I used the shrinking disc:



It was just about done. I didn't take any more pix because I was racing the sun:



The ding came out nicely and the area is now smooth.

*The ink marker that I'm using is a Marks-A-Lot pen with a 5/8" wide tip, with ink that is water soluble. This means that no chemicals are needed to remove it when it's time to "reset" the ink.

OK, another shining product endorsement, along with the Marks-A-Lot pen: The Must For Rust. The pix here show how well it works on surface rust. This only took a quick spray, and about five minutes of wait time, and then a wipe down with a paper towel:

One of the internal panels from my truck:



After spraying with The Must For Rust:



And after wipe down:



According to the website, once it's wiped down and dry, it can be primed, plated, painted, welded, whatever. I also used it on my fender. I am SOLD.

I bought my gallon from Kent White at TinMan Technologies, but it's apparently available at Home Depot. If Kent likes it, it's gotta be good.

Dang.. I'll have to make a note of that rust remover you used there. Awesome results!


All I could ever get a girlfriend to do is bring me lunch and drinks while I work lol.