Shaving stock sheetmetal and warpage....

The newer vehicles suck to try and shave...I shaved my entire truck and had maybe one small warp...same with a few others i've worked on...but I'm shaving a tailgate on an 07 right now and it's a pain in the ass. Makes me not wanna shave the truck....the new tailgates are garbage anyways...cause the lil wing on the rear has alot of crap underneath it...well I reskined the top of it...but whenever I cut the stock piece out (have to cut it out cause it sticks out further than the flow of the gate)...the whole tailgate skin went limp as shit. Like a piece of poster board...IDK what gauge metal it is but it is stupid thin. I had to bend and tack a piece of 1x1 inside the tailgate to stiffen everything up....my question is how much warpage is acceptable so to speak...this by far isn't my first shave job...and I know to go really slow and yada yada yada...but on metal this thin is no warps a pipe dream...are they gonna happen no matter what. I don't see how to do it without some warpage happening...should i hang up my welder and change my hobby or is warpage gonna happen. Thanks guys.

whats up jerry! how are things man. quick question for you bro, are you tacking it or laying down a small bead? i know that you know your shit and all but tack 1 end and then do the opposite and just work your way around. on some of the things i have done i would throw down a few welds turn off the welder and come back after the welds cool down. i did this when i was shaving the drip rails on one of my mazdas, it was extremely thin. also check to see how thin your welder will weld. also, i have heard of people using ice packs around what they are shaving so that the heat doesn't transfer and helps keep the warping to a minimum if not at all.

i just reread what you wrote again and you are saying it warped when you cut it out. something you may want to try next time is chain drilling it out and then clean up the edges. chain drilling it will keep the heat from warping it because you don't generate as much heat when drillig as you do with a plasma, torch, or die grinder, the most heat will be generated when you go to clean the edges so you will just have to take your time when doing that.

You need to get some of this stuff!! Not sure how it works but it does, just make sure you leave it on the area until its cooled down. If you remove it while it is still hot it will transfer the heat to the rest of the panel then and warp it. Stuff is a must have in my opinion. http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&itemID=1616&keyword=31042

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by FADE2BLK94You need to get some of this stuff!! Not sure how it works but it does, just make sure you leave it on the area until its cooled down. If you remove it while it is still hot it will transfer the heat to the rest of the panel then and warp it. Stuff is a must have in my opinion.http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&itemID=1616&keyword=31042---------------------------------------------I was going to suggest the same stuff.

Just remember if u do warp it u can shrink it back to shape once ur done....... Always gonna get small amount no matter how careful u are but as long as its worked back out before filler there wont be any problems

How do you shrink it back. I bought a truck from a friend that I helped build.And when he shaved the doors he warped them some.

eastwood sells shrinking and stretching hammers but i am sure it would take some serious practice first.

we use a stud gun with a shrinking tip and cold water.

Edited: 5/29/2009 12:55:42 PM by thacru78

Like I said guys...i know how to shave the truck...welder is set on 1 with .23 wire...welding extemely slow....If i cut it...im cuttin with a cut off wheel really slow. When i grind I grind slowly and make sure not to build up to much heat...I know this. Keef answered my question...there's gonna be some warpage...I just didn't know if my one lil warp was garbage and other people are shaving shit and having none...Ive never seen someone else's semi professional shave job prior to body work. I'm interested in Keef's reply about shrinking it back...weve always used a stud gun and pulled them out...Thanks for the help guys. Also...I remeber seeing an article in a hot rod mag a few years back about puttin wet towel on the area if its a large flat area...Ive done that in the past without any probs. Like I said this is really the first time ive was like WTF...i'm doing everything right...and it still warped slightly.

yea new sheetmetal blows welding wise. your gona get some warpage on anything really.