[Stangpwr71]

Does anybody know how to shrink Sheet metal?? i am doing the body work on my 71 mach1 myself and the top of the cab has stretched metal and looks all rippled. any help would be great. and if anybody knows how to repair those rubber/elastomeric bumpers could you let me know thanks <img src="graemlins/pain.gif" border="0" alt="[pain]" /> <img src="graemlins/pain.gif" border="0" alt="[pain]" />

 

[Halloweenking]

Shrinking sheetmetals not easy, there are a few different ways, but none are that easy. One is using a dimpled hammer, two is using a torch and heating to red hot, but this shouldn't be tried by someone who hasn't done it before beause you could very easily burn through the sheetmetal, 3 is using dry ice, but unless you live in the southwest dry ice isn't easy to come across. Repairing the bumpers isn't hard depending on whats wrong with them, only so much can be repaired. They make a special flexible filler used on the bumpers, its a two part filler and is about $20-$25 at your local paint shop.

HK

 

[[email protected]]

That gets into bodywork 201. Do you notice that when you weld something, especially sheetmetal, that it whrinkles and warps? That is because the metal around the heated zone shrinks when it cools. Master metal workers know where to heat a body panel to take advantage of this effect to shrink wrinkles but an amature will inevitably cause more damage than good. My advice if it is an important panel, take it to a body man.

 

[F-1Rodder]

You can buy a shrinking hammer and a shrinking dolly from the Eastwood company. The hammer and dolly have what looks like a meat tenderizing hammer face on them and when you strike the metal, it pulls the metal into the hammer. It works. This means that you have to have access to both sides of the metal.

If you use heat, you need to get the metal hot and then quickly quench it with cold water which will cause the shrinkage. This can be unpredictable.