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major reconstruction of fender
on a wing and a prayer
to cut or not to cut
ItI spent the better part of a full day working up the nerve to take the plunge and cut into this fender. This decision came after several failed attempts to weld the rusted area shut. I actually made the repair panel first, to make sure I could duplicate the complex curvature of the fender. Although not readily apparent in this photo, the fender curves from side to side AND top to bottom. I used my recently purchased English Wheel to duplicate the double curve, although it could also be done with a sand bag and mallet. It would have been much more practical - and quicker - to replace this fender with a different one; unfortunately availability of 1948 Austins in local salvage yards is non-existent.
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sizing it up
I formed the lip of the patch piece over a piece of 3/8" plywood (don't throw away those little left over pieces from your recent doghouse build, they come in handy for body work). Once I was happy with it, I formed the curves. I worked very slowly, constantly matching up the piece with the fender until the contours matched. Once you go too far, it is almost impossible to go back. Once I was satisfied with the fit and contour, I began welding. I used many tack welds moving from side to side and around the piece rather than one long bead to avoid warping the metal.
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Bad Weld day
Like I said, some days are better than others when it comes to my welding skills. This was a bad day. I will spare you the ugly details, but I had some problems on the right side and upper right corner of the patch piece; it kept burning through. Attempts to fill the holes made things even worse, so I ended up cutting out the burned through area and welding in this second patch. One thing I discovered - when wrapping or unwrapping the welding cables from my MIG welder, they can become entangled with the voltage and wire feed setting knobs, causing them to change! Now I always make a note of where they are set and double-check them before starting to weld.
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