Best way to shave a body line???

Only problem with spliting and hammering it out is the accessability on the cab and doors. Plus think about it, if you just hammmer it out your displacing that metal somewhere, that would warp a hell of a lot worse than welding. Im a fabricator, and I have a ranger, when I go to shave my body line Im going to... clean everything to bare steel. Make sure fenders etc. are bloted down in there proper location tight. Make some undersized strips of 16G sheetmetal, its better to be a little low with the steel than High, cant block out a High spot if its straigh steel. TACK!! YES TACK the strips in, dont do any runs, take your time, alternate from one side of the truck to the other. When your grinding down the welds do the same thing, and try not to hit any of the sheet metal, grind welds only. when your done, clean the steel, do a coat of duraglas over all the welded areas so you dont have any lines show through your paint. Duraglass expands and contracts with heat almost the same way as the sheetmetal does. block down the duraglas, primer, then start your filler work. Hope all goes well.
Josh ///RA FL

JW Harris makes a welding wire called "20-gauge". It is designed/engineered for work on sheetmetal. They claim to be able to weld 28 gauge sheetmetal with it.

Its pricey, but I wouldnt hesitate to buy it for a job like this.

Originally posted by dragginoval



... Plus think about it, if you just hammmer it out your displacing that metal somewhere, that would warp a hell of a lot worse than welding. Im a fabricator, ...Josh ///RA FL

What does that mean? Did you ever hear of shrinking metal? You know you can do that with a hammer and dolly right?

t

i used a product called marinetex on my first gen s 10 and it worked great i know other people that use the same thing its a little expensiive nut is tough. you can get it at most larger marine stores i have also welded them and it takes along time but it is worth it in the long run do what you are comfortable with

What does that mean? Did you ever hear of shrinking metal? You know you can do that with a hammer and dolly right?

t



Dude if you can shink a factory pressed in bodyline thats about an inch worth of steel in the middle of a door skin without massive distortion you need to come work at the hot rod shop Im working at because you are the best damn sheetmetal guy on earth. Maybe you could even teach Covel a thing or two.....

Josh... I gotta agree with you...If Pneufab can do that kindve work,.. I/we might as well quit the business. I dont know shit about filler or glass, but I do know sheet metal,... or at least I thought I did. After shrinking and warping the shit out of my doors shaving them, my advice is leave the bodylines or pay a professional.

dolly it out then shrink it w/ a shrinkin hammer.

At least do the ends of door/fender flat or it looks like ass when u see the dip from old bodyline. I usually split and hammer/dolly ends then weld strip through center tacking till its solid. Once welding is done grind slowly so not to warp, run over the welded seam with wire wheel or spot blaster, then epoxy prime. Once primer is dry use a high quality lightweight filler to finish it out.