'34 Dodge Brothers, double build.

[Old Iron]

[MercuryMac]

I'm quite happy with the new draglink rebuild kit from Andy Bernbaum and I hadn't taken a very good picture of it the other day. [pic 1] passenger side tire and end of draglink.
One of my dreams for creating the Dodge spear was this gismo, [pic 2], but it has no throat to speak of so that's out, and so is my bead roller, because it has a deep throat but no width of throat.
I wrestled the left hand fender off, [pic 3] and tested one of the Plymouth ones on there. There are a few problems to solve, let's say. So I beat out some more dents [pic 4].

[MercuryMac]

I thought that I should get taking my motor a part today, I did. I took the bellhousing and transmission off.
But, those dang fenders kept beckoning me, so I welded a few cracks up and learned a wee bit about hammer welding. Some of the shot holes in the front were from a more powerful rifle and the lead reared up a bump on the back of the fender, so I tried to heat them up and tap them down as they were cooling. There are no pictures of this, ----- and there won't be any.

[Torchie]

Looking Good Mac.
I learned hammer welding back in my youth when I learned to gas weld. It's still my favorite form of body metal welding but to do it in a timely fashion it really takes two. One to gas weld and one to hammer and dolly.
I was the hammer and dolly guy when I first learned, then eventually got to move over to the torch.

Torchie

[MercuryMac]

From your talk and a Gene Winfield video, I realize that I wait too long before hammering, oops.
I'm grappling with a philosophical question now. How rough should I leave this ratrod, because there's a large band of 'apparent builder quality' between 'beat to death POS' and 'too dang smooth for a ratrod'. I can't get it to the latter without body filler so probably I shouldn't try for perfect.

[DozerII]

I personally don't like big dents, rips and tears. I fix these leaving them so you can they were fixed. Small dents and imperfections add character. My 28 has a few fender cracks the were crudely fixed many years ago, they will stay as patina.

[Torchie]

As far as what you do to the truck....In the words of the Mighty Isley Brothers.
"It's your thing. Do want you want to do. I can't tell you. Who to sock it too."
If any of the guys that taught me are still alive they's be his age by now. Over 90.
You really need to hammer and dolly the weld/metal area while it's still almost welding hot. It's tricky by yourself unless you've got some way to hang up the lit torch while you grab your hammer and dolly.

Torchie

[bob w]

Am I right that it is pointless to hammer MIG welds?

[dutch]

Originally Posted by bob w

Am I right that it is pointless to hammer MIG welds?

yes.

[Torchie]

Originally Posted by bob w

Am I right that it is pointless to hammer MIG welds?

Originally Posted by dutch

yes.

Not to hijack Mac's thread. My 2 cents on that...
Migs are much harder a weld then Gas. When a good gas/hammer weld is done there is very little grinding left to do, because you not only re stretch the metal but flatten the weld.
If you watch a video of someone like Gene Winfield do it you can see he takes the hammer, while he's doing the hammering and rubs the head of it across the weld. That way he can feel weather he needs to flatten the weld some more or not. That's the way I was taught.
When I hammer on a mig weld all it does it stretch and move the metal. Doesn't do a thing to the weld. More grinding.That's why I use easy grind wire.
Just my method.
Jump back in here dutch....I suspect you have forgotten more abut welding sheet metal then I ever knew.
Torchie