The best way that I have found is to cut the rusty metal out and weld in new
patch panels either from a parts source or metal cut from a donor ,, Ive used
lead and have brazed in the past ,,Ive found that the brass and lead do not
allow the paint to hold very well. brazing very hard and is brittle, it
cracks around the patch when you do any minor hammering,, if you are using
lead,, the metal has to be totaly free of rust , dirt and contamination, lead
will not adhere to rusty metal, you must use a flux and tin on a coating of
lead on the part before you start filling . Becareful donot use to much
heat, head cause panel distortion and flux burning.. in order to build up the
lead with out it running off,, you can push the molten lead around with a
wooden spoon or paddle in to the low areas then grind to the desired shape,
make sure you wash off all flux before you put on primer, with todays body
fillers its much better to use them. in lieu lead in my opinion. they cut
fast and are easy to build up,,, it is important that rust areas are filled
with new metal completely ,, not allowing moisture in from the back side of
the filler..Body filler will hold mositure and cause early failure if water
is able to get to it from the back of the panel... I suggest you buy a Body
working basics book and do some reading ,, practice on old fenders before
you get down to the nitty gritty of body work ,, it can be a very rewarding
experience to be able to undertake the restoration of a body and massage it
back to its original glory.. I seen another way in a recent article in
clasissc truck where they used some sort of glue to hold the patch tot he
metal... I dont agree with this method but it works But for how long? Good
luck and have fun
Richard Scott
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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