Ive heard quite a number of ways of doing it, the less bondo products the better obviously. Someone on an old post said to use a solder iron to tack in the metal, that wouldnt melt the base metal, wouldnt that be bad news? I dont currently have access to a MIG, but I think ill rent one for the weekend, probably the best way to go. When welding on a little patch should I go through the back/ inner part of the door, or weld from the front/ outer?

Weld a coat hanger or a welding rod to the center of the plug to hold it in place (with other hand)Tac it in 4-6 places, insp. it,adj. if necessary. and weld it in.Weld about 1/2 inch
on one side then the same on the other side untill you`ve gone all the way around. After each weld,put your blow nozzle nearly touching the weld, blow untill you can touch it with yout hand 1/2 min or so you can see the color change as it cools. Be sure you have both surfaces clean
(bare metel)this keeps it from splatering.

Weld it from the outside. hth. Good Luck,

I'm sorry Troy, I just don't get it how cooling the weld is so popular, you are SHRINKING THE METAL. It is not going back to pre-welding state, it is SHRINKING. If you let the weld cool naturally, THAT will return the metal back as close as you can back to pre-weld state.

The trick is to take your time, period. After tack welding, let it cool completly down after each 1/4 long weld. COMPLETELY let it cool. Find something to do and don't stand there looking at it.

Also agree with Martin on the shrinking metal issue. When welding the metal expands but since the surrounding metal is cool it wont allow the metal to expand but to a certain area. The metal needs to go somewhere and it goes up in the form of a bulge or high spot. It grows outward cause thats the side that the heat is applied too, it was heated first so it grows in a outward bulge. Now you set that welder down and blow air or cool water on this hot metal you SHOCK into staying in that high spot or bulge form. Not only are you shrinking the metal but you are making the metal hardned which means it becomes harder to form and work with.

This is the same idea or theory to using a torch to shrink strenched metal, you are doing the same thing.

Allow the weld are plenty of cool time and you WONT get warpage, well still some.

Just my way on shaving handles is if it contains a pocket like a chevelle door has, the metal is sunken in for the handle so it sits flush. I would trim back that lip on the pocket so if you get any moisture back there it doesnt have a nice spot to sit on. Just my way of shaving handles...Eric

Hey guys I`m not saying you are wrong. Nearly every one has there own way of doing things,just because it`s not your way doesn`t mean it`s the wrong way. I may not be the pro builders you are,but I`ve been doing it this way for fifty years and it works darn good for me. I`ve welded sheet metal with a torch,and with a stick welder,now I use a mig.I`ve welded every piece of a car there is. I do know about shrinking metal as I still do some lead filling.I`ve used this system on hundreds of customs,rods.and classics.

A friend of mine named Darrell Starbird showed me how to do this many years ago.

Troy-curt,

Troy, we are not talking "my way, your way" we are talking "science". In science there are few "my way, your way" issues, There are FACTS. The facts are, you are shrinking the metal. Now, the FACT that you have done it for years does not change the fact that it is shrinking the metal.

What it does mean is that you have learned to use it to work WITH you. When I first learned this, I did some experiments and found that it does in deed shrink the metal. I can tell you this for sure, if you were to weld a plate filling the door handles on a Toyota pickup in this manner, you would have a VERY low area when done because of the shrinking. Now, that doesn't mean that you wouldn't bring up the low area and lead or plastic would finish it off. But if the shrinking wasn't done, less finish work would be needed.

Don`t know much about science. Or book learning body work. But I do know body work. I`ve allways welded sheetmetal this way. I use very little filler on my joints. I must have done something right.Not many body shop guys can retire at 40.

I have tought this method in a tech school for ten years as a volenteer instructer. If its done right it will work as you need just the right amount of shrinkage at the weld. It also stops the heat from going into the surrounding metal.
If you wait for it to cool, it would cost the customer a fortune in labor. And you would not be controlling the heat.

Troy-curt,

Troy, you know, I do the same thing many times when welding. But NOT all the time. You have to really have an understanding of what you are doing.
I also know that I can do many things I would never tell a "newbe" to do, it isn't fair. That is the reason I jumped in here. I have been doing this stuff a long time too. We just have to be careful with what we tell guys to do.

Now, I am sure you have taken a big torch and scrank sheet metal by quinching it with a water soaked rag, I sure have. But I am not going to just toss that out as a way to solve some oil canning. It may be just what you or I would do with the particular project, but if the guy is asking what to do, he doesn't have that much knowledge and needs to be brought up to speed.

Cooling the weld like that shrinks, period. If you use it correctly, yes it can work FOR you. If you don't, you will do a lot of damage. I much rather see the newbe do something slow than damage his pride and joy.

I hope that you can provide more of your many years of experiance, I personally want to hear more. I appreciate your letting me debate this with you without it getting personal. I really do want to hear more of your ideas so please keep them comming. graemlins/beers.gif

I'm not sure why I even clicked on this topic. I think the word "shaved" always gets my attention.

Anyway, I dont' know anything, but there was an episode of that show 'Trucks' or whatever it is, where the guy went through the shaved door handle thing pretty much step by step. I have no idea if he does it the way you guys are discussing it or not, but it was pretty cool.

Ed.

Troy, the one thing Ive learned from posting on this site for 2 years now is that I never take any thing to heart or too personal til the name calling starts, and in that time its happened once and over something as stupid as body filler and how long it lasts :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Althou I might not agree with your method on cooling of the welded area, I would still like to hear just HOW you do it! As Martin said you have found it works for you and had good results, but yet when I try it, it lacks.

Just because something is done not the way I would recommend it be done doesnt mean it doesnt work. As in life "One size doesnt fit ALL". The reason I come to this site is because there is so much different areas of background and knowledge. Please do share more...Eric graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Thanks for the info guys, good stuff to know. I have done some welding but by no means a pro, or even a body man. I did my first shaved door handles on an old ford truck a few months back. I was aware of the shrinkage issue and this is what I did, having very little experience to go by. I found a large piece of solid brass that I propped up behind where I was welding. I had hoped this would absorb and/or dissipate the heat a bit. Then I would tack, wait an hour tack etc. etc. until it was done. I filed most of the weld down by hand instead of using the grinder because I was again worried about heat. It probably took more time and work than necessary but I was happy with the result. Probably not conventional, but it worked for me. I don't mind spending a little extra time on my first vehicle. smile.gif

Hey Malibu, yeah i hear that I dont mind the time either, thats why we buy these things!! I dont think we should take any type of short cuts, Ive had alot of rides in my past and taken short cuts before I really knew what I was doing, with body work and muddings in cracks and fills, but you have to be sloppy and wreck a couple things to learn anything. Not on this sucker though smile.gif Time is good for me now! I replaced my old door skin I think I may cut out the right size pieces and atleast start there, then tear out a MIG! rent one.... $$$ I wish I owned one. If I dont have my old skin what guage and type metal should I get? graemlins/beers.gif beer anyone!

16 or 18, I like to use 16 myself, but thats like belly buttons, everyone has there own preference.

Troy, graemlins/beers.gif