Lead filling #101

db · Post by db » Tue May 21, 13 10:49 pm

I was taught this years ago when I had a Lancia and this is my first go since then!!
Pleased to report I still got it

1. Sink the area a bit with a hammer so you can cover it with lead and no high spots of steel will poke through the lead.
2. Tin with tinning stuff and light yer blowtorch. Cook til shiny.
3. Poke it with a stick. Heat the end of your lead stick and keep the panel hot until you can poke the stick into the panel and it sort of squishes slightly and bits come off and stick to the panel.
4. This is the tricky bit- keep just enough heat so the lead can be worked but doesn't actually go shiny, if that happens it's about to run onto the floor!

db · Post by db » Tue May 21, 13 11:00 pm

5. Make yourself a wooden paddle cos real one's are bloody pricey! Smear it with plumbers flux or grease cos the proper stuff is bloody expensive! Use this to gently shape the lead and spread it around. Keep flashing the heat on to keep the lead plasticeney
6. It's tricky to tell when you have enough lead but you can add and shape it to your hearts content at this stage.
7. Once you're happy you have enough on there so the whole area is now above the level of the original panel it's time to leave it be.
8. Bananarama! file, fine file, sand, etc
9. Be smug, get a brew/ beer

Oh and I fixed a leak in my old fuel can.
No I apparently didn't get all the fuel fumes out.
Yes it did go POP and part my hair

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Tue May 21, 13 11:40 pm

You're a BT man - have you never done a Lead Plumb joint??
The old Trunk paper cored Quad cable joint?

That's why the bar at the London training centre was called the "Pot and Ladle"..

Wel done, chap; one of the dying arts, like ironing bread

db · Post by db » Wed May 22, 13 9:42 am

They'd fairly recently stopped doing lead joints when I joined. Just as well really, with the level of 'health and safety' back then lead fumes probably did a lot of jointers in

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Wed May 22, 13 12:52 pm

I would love to have a go at this.

Great explanation Paul and great looking results!

Have seen Charlie do it on American Hotrod......thought it looked like a fantastic way to sort issues.

Do you sand by hand afterwars or by machine?

What kind of timeframe do you leave between turning the heat off and sanding?

Is the lead easy to get hold of (maybe a stupid q, but i have no idea)?

Keep up the good work!

db · Post by db » Wed May 22, 13 1:32 pm

IT takes a fair bit of practice to get the heat right but it's not that hard really.
Stuff's easily available from any 1/2 decent body shop supplier or ebay.
Filing/ sanding can be done as soon as the panel's cooled enough so it don't burn your fingers

Ideally you'd want to put plenty of lead on and use a proper body file, then sand it like it was filler to avoid having to fill over it after.
I mainly want to seal my welds and leave a reasonable finish as I've no intention of painting the car for a while...

Oh yeah, don't practice on a vertical panel or your first few attempts will end up in a puddle on the floor

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Wed May 22, 13 1:47 pm

db wrote:IT takes a fair bit of practice to get the heat right but it's not that hard really.
Stuff's easily available from any 1/2 decent body shop supplier or ebay.
Filing/ sanding can be done as soon as the panel's cooled enough so it don't burn your fingers
Ideally you'd want to put plenty of lead on and use a proper body file, then sand it like it was filler to avoid having to fill over it after.
I mainly want to seal my welds and leave a reasonable finish as I've no intention of painting the car for a while...

Oh yeah, don't practice on a vertical panel or your first few attempts will end up in a puddle on the floor

Ahh.......got ya! Thanks!

Would try on a practice metal piece first anyway........