Ruby ARQ Rejuvenation

[Geoff Halstead]

That’s me done for today, as the preparation then painting Bungalow door and windows over the last few days has floored me for some bl@@dy annoying reason ?

At least I’m still here thank goodness so shouldn’t complain ‼️ ?


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[Ivor Hawkins]

Am I right in saying the mudguards have had repair patches let in, in the usual place, where they rust out?

If so, I think you are right that your only option is, as you have mentioned, to let in new patches to regain the correct profile...something I have to do on my rear mudguards, so I’ll keep a sharp eye on that profile...

[Geoff Halstead]

Hello Ruairidh,
Can only manage using clamps at the moment as both inner arches have had the same treatment as Mud Shields with same amount if filler - 4lbs total!
Will bend up a length of sheet metal to match inner arch then lay it over the bodge on NS Mud Shield to check how it fits.
Wonder if the repairs done have shrunk the metal to such a degree, hence my thought of cutting them out as I’ve nothing to loose right now, and easy to do.

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Ivor,
Correct.
See my reply to Ruairidh.
I had pieces of metal cut ready to do so last year, as well for the inner arches.
Will now do both as they need fixing so that I can check the fit of Running Boards and front Mud Shields as well as trimming to length the NS B-post outer repair.

[Ian Williams]

Had you posted those pictures in the first place Geoff it would have saved an awful lot of typing as the answer is obvious!

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I should probably add in case it is not so obvious to some that the patch is too short and the welds will have shrunk the join line, the answer here is probably to replace the repair section properly. The weld will still cause some shrinkage which can be corrected by planishing along the weld line, do not hit anywhere else on the wing! If it no longer fits it is the repair which is causing the problem by being either too big, or too small consequently this is the area which will need to be identified and addressed.

[Geoff Halstead]

Ian,
Sorry about that.
I need to transfer photos from tablet to my computer when posting multiples, as doing multiples from the tablet is a pain.
By to short are you referring to width and not length?
How far into the inner arch should they extend please?
Geoff

[Ian Williams]

Geoff, I am talking about length, the outer part of the rear wing has a lot of shape so will be quite ridgid and will hold its radius well unless its damaged, thus if the repair section is too short it fight the outer section which will cause the repaired section to flatten as is the case with your wing. Conversely if it was too long it would cause the repair to have a tighter radius or bulge. As you will no doubt be aware if you heat sheet steel then cool it you will cause it to shrink, thus the weld line will have shrunk. If you strike steel with a hammer against a dolly it will be thiner where you have hit, in other words stretched, hopefully you can see where this is going, to remove the shrinking effect of the weld you planish the weld line. You probably in this case need to cut away the old repair make a template or buck of some sort the hold the wing and new repair section which you will make to the correct shape, scribe the repair section to fit accurately into the hole on the wing, weld it in place, then dress and planish the weld. It should now fit nicely unless there are other complications that I can not see from your pictures, whatever you do do not strike areas that have not been worked or damaged, you will simply stretch, or possibly shrink them and cause yourself more headaches.

[Geoff Halstead]

Thanks Ian.
I have done planishing on MIG & TIG welds, the former being hard as nails, but TIG behaving just like gas welding, that I was brought up on, and a pleasure to do hammer & dolly work on.
Need to practice TIG a lot more as I keep dipping the tungsten 
I will cut out the repaired sections and post photos with dimensions.
Geoff

[Ian Williams]

Yes agreed Geoff MIG is not really appropriate for doing proper body work repairs, and is one of the fallacy's perpetuated by modern car restoration shows, it has its place in a modern body shop and is ok for replicating spot welds and gluing in patches that get ground back and then bogged over. But you will never do a high quality repair with mig, particularly in an area such as your wing, gas or tig in my opinion are really the only way to go for such a situation.

[Geoff Halstead]

Since my last post, the Carport has become way to hot at 30°+ for any work so decided it was time to paint all the bungalows wood window frames.
Crazy I know, but they are now done, and just before we went into this heatwave, but the last week was trying.
Only good about the heat was the fact I could put two coats of marine white on, one morning and last late afternoon.
Have paid the price of all that work, prep, repairs then painting.
Geoff - Been meaning to do that job for years.

[Geoff Halstead]

Virtually nothing to report after my last post that said it all, other than fixing leaks in Shed roof and chasing leaks in Carport.
At last I have found out why rain water was collecting on the Carport floor at the side door.
One of the small panes of glass in the door had cracked, and on a close inspection found a very small hole, that caused it to crack, and rain water was thus finding a way in.
Being South facing and open to Westerly winds, rain is blown onto the door with varying degrees of ferocity.
A bit of duct tape both sides appears to have solved the mystery that has driven me near bonkers for years.
Just need to find suitable glue for a more permanent and less glaringly obvious repair.

I have in the interim also replaced the woefully short power leads on my Clarke MIG machine as detailed by optima21 in his post on the mig-welding Forum:

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/thre...ons.48178/

The convoluted tubing used is nowhere near as flexible as the original, but fortunately the torch can be easily swivelled at its end so easily positioned with no strain on the hand and wrist, thank ,goodness.

Cannot believe the Carport is now Out-of-Bounds due to it being to cold to work in, as a short while ago 12° or so was no hinderance, albeit with long johns & suitable head gear on!

The Workshop now beckons as it’s easy to warm up and keep so, with the insulation used when converting the Garage.
Will make a start on the engine and first off will be balancing the conrods and pistons.
I have my own idea on jigs to support the rods, and with luck will make a start on making them tomorrow, having acquired a larger digital scale and bits for the jigs.
This will bring back memories of the Heath Robinson affair I lashed up in the early ‘70s when preparing my Kent racing engines.

Then onto the block and the ports, with more memories flooding back, this time using Dad’s small metal clad American drilling machine that regularly got too hot to hold, and still in my possession.
Not this time, however, as air powered to the rescue.
Will continue with the engine until weather permits working in the Carport again.

Geoff - Wishing all a Merry Christmas ??