Shaping Sheet Metal

[RAT IHC]

If you take a look at the picture the piece in my hand and the upper part of the a-pillar have a lot of damage that was repaired with lead. I removed the lead and it looks like someone smashed it in with a hammer...there was a lot of lead! I need the piece in my hand to fill in where I cut out too much from the a-pillar. The inside part of the a-piller is fine so I'm thinking about grafting in a piece of sheet metal on the front side where all the lead work was done.

Any of you sheet metal gurus have any tips?

Thanks!

-Troy

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

keep on cutting

you could either chop it a little more or cut the section out of that scrap and weld it in. had to do that on the doors. if your talking about putting metal over the damage I wouldnt itll be harder to hide

 

[RAT IHC]

Thanks Jimmy. The damage and the lead are extensive up and down the forward face sheet metal on the a-pillar. Even chopping an extra 2" wouldn't be good enough. The scrap section is filled with lead as well. So it I'll be trying my hand at metal shaping for the first time. I'll take pictures...should be comical to say the lease!
Thanks again for the input.

-Troy

 

[Bonehead]

Why not build it out of heavier steel, say 1/8. Cut strips like you need and weld them together. you can even bow them out and grind out the hammer marks.

 

[RAT IHC]

So put the strips horizontal?

 

[Bonehead]

So put the strips horizontal?

I am not really sure what it looks like, but you could overlay the bent parts, or cut them out and add in a bigger piece. You could do it in a series of smaller pieces, or try it all at once.

 

[RAT IHC]

Bonehead,
Thanks for the tip...never would have even thought about doing it in smaller sections. I think that would be a whole lot easier then trying to make one piece. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks agian,

-Troy