Fixing Pin Holes

Jim, you said you found a donor panel for $500 if I followed you right. It is worth every penny. Cut out the bad sections and weld in solid metal. That’s what I am doing with my El Camino. Nothing else will satisfy your conscience. ;)

Don
 
dhutton01 said:
Jim, you said you found a donor panel for $500 if I followed you right. It is worth every penny. Cut out the bad sections and weld in solid metal. That’s what I am doing with my El Camino. Nothing else will satisfy your conscience. ;)

Don
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Having a smaller piece to use as patch material being priced as we speak...
 
D.A.T. said:
Try to avoid using either a TIG torch or oxy-acetylene set-up if possible on such things. Too high a heat input in joules. You just pour heat into too localized an area most of the time. The "pinholes" have thin edges most of the time and it is just a futile effort for what it is gained on something like this.
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I would nomally agree with you, but I've had good luck heating a silicon bronze rod over the area with a tig, until a drop falls into the pit, then heat the drop until it blends in. Takes more heat, but I have also done with a welding rod. It still blows the thin metal away, but the drop melts into the solid metal.
 
Someday I am going to get a synergic MIG brazing machine, it might be able to pull off fixing rust pits.
 
chevman said:
I would nomally agree with you, but I've had good luck heating a silicon bronze rod over the area with a tig, until a drop falls into the pit, then heat the drop until it blends in. Takes more heat, but I have also done with a welding rod. It still blows the thin metal away, but the drop melts into the solid metal.
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I have some silicon bronze MIG wire. Do you think that would be effective on pinholes?

Don
 
I tried it with a mig and didn't have any luck, but it wouldn't hurt to try, you are probably a better mig welder than I am.
 
Fine Mr. See No Evil just scored a floor to hack out a section for patch panels for $100. Since I discreetly get called out on Facebook. :p
 
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JimKueneman said:
Fine Mr. See No Evil just scored a floor to hack out a section for patch panels for $100. Since I discreetly get called out on Facebook. :p
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IMG_3155.gif
 
Since you have access to both sides of the bed floor, a copper or brass backer clamped or wedged up tight against the back of the holes should really help filling holes.
 
JimKueneman said:
Anyone have a favorite Sawzall blade for cutting up cars in the field?
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Yes, The Starrett bimetal King Cut Fire, Rescue and Demolition blades 9" are very good. Some fire Depts. use them and they can take out a windshield or go through concrete block. If you need to cut different thicknesses of carbon steel--these work better than the finer tooth ones. I keep one of the Dewalt cordless saws with an 8aH battery and a pack of these in my car in the event--I have to cut my way out after an accident.
 
D.A.T. said:
Yes--but use 100% Argon instead of a AR/Co2 mix for the shielding gas.
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I disagree, but that’s not worth debating.
Pure argon is a poor choice for mig on steel in my experience.
CO2 is also a poor choice for thin ferrous materials, since it promotes penetration.
I do find the use of Si bronze an interesting application. I’ve never tried it on rust repair…
The low melt point might be advantageous.
A propane hand torch ran over the pin hole area can reveal the thickness of material, since the thermal transfer and coloration happens quickly on the thinnest areas.
This can also show hairline cracks in materials since the thermal energy doesn’t cross the crack.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
@Worn Out Welder I believe DAT was referring to using silicon bronze with a MIG. 100% Argon is recommended with that process.
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I stand corrected.
I primarily TIG , and have only used silicone bronze for dissimilar metals, or in cast repair when other fillers are not showing a favorable result.
I reserved the right to be wrong and exhibit that right more often than I care to admit.
Thanks for the clarification.
 
chevman said:
I would nomally agree with you, but I've had good luck heating a silicon bronze rod over the area with a tig, until a drop falls into the pit, then heat the drop until it blends in. Takes more heat, but I have also done with a welding rod. It still blows the thin metal away, but the drop melts into the solid metal.
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I failed to mention an important point. I think this would only work on the side that the rust started, that way it is just filling a hole. I use different size rods to get the right size drop, depending on how big the pit is. In this picture you can see that the drop has flowed into solid metal. This drop is big enough to have covered a bigger pit, because you never know how much is going to blow away. I heat the drop until I can see it flow into solid metal. The metal is the bottom 4" of a door that I cut off, repaired and welded back on.

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Two rust pin holes

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