Rediscover the virtues of Lead Loading

Plastic body fillers have come a long way in recent years, but there are still jobs that are best done with a good old-fashioned dose of lead.

For some time, it looked as though lead loading was a dying art. Concerns over health and safety combined with a great leap forwards in plastic filler technology seemed to banish lead from mainstream bodyshops and confine its use to a few classic workshops who were keen to recreate the original production methods on their projects. But recently it has been enjoying something of a revival in the wider trade as its virtues have been rediscovered.

The 3 main benefits of lead loading

suitability for deeper fills

greater durability

remains malleable

meaning, lead loading is ideal for finishing joints such as at the tops of rear quarter panels on today’s thin metalwork, the extra time spent in the application paying dividends in the long run with a repair that won’t sink, crack or absorb moisture.

You'll need to practice
As well as being laborious to apply, lead loading is a skill that takes practice to master. For one thing, you are applying lots of heat and this can cause more damage through distortion if you get it wrong.

What tools do you need?
You may have access to an oxy-acetylene torch, but this is very fierce and the heat is very localised. It can be done if you keep the torch moving and this can be a quick way of lead loading, but it takes a lot of practice to master. A plumber’s blowtorch is better, not least because it gives a wider flame and this is what most people will use. Alternatively, if you have access to a powerful hot air gun this will be slow, but it is a great way of learning the craft. And if you are new to the leading game, then there is a sound argument that it is better to spend two hours putting on the lead and filling it flat than to spend 15 minutes applying the lead followed by three hours coping with panel distortion.

You can see the 12 steps for an invisible repair on the Frost website, click here... (Thanks to Simon Goldsworthy from the MG Enthusiast magazine for the article).

Before doing anything, make sure your panel can be soldered. Click here, for more info ...

If you want to give lead loading a try, you can find at Frost.co.uk a Basic Body Solder Kit for £38.40, and a more comprehensive kit: the Standard Body Solder Kit for £78.13. EXCLUSIVE OFFER: For 3 days only the Standard Body Solder Kit is at £70.00 ONLY. click here to buy your kit! Offer expires 24/09/2011.

Introduction to Body Soldering

Traditional lead-based body solder has been the choice of restorers and customizers for over 80 years for filling seams, leveling uneven body work and blending in custom features. Even the best polyester body fillers available today cannot match the superior adhesion, strength and overall durability that body solder provides.

Before doing anything, make sure your panel can be soldered. Click here, for more information ...

First clean the area to be filled, back to bare metal with a Stripping Disc, Abrasive Sandpaper etc.

Brush Solder Paste over an area slightly larger than that to be filled and heat the area gently until you see the solder paint “tin” the panel.

Remove excess solder paint with a clean cloth.

Next, melt blobs of body solder onto the panel over the area to be filled.

Prepare your Paddles by warming the surface of the Tallow and wiping your paddle in the molten puddle.

With a suitable amount of body solder now deposited on the panel, heat it carefully until it can be spread like butter with your paddle.

Control heat carefully and keep spreading until body solder is evenly spread over area.

Wash with cool water to quench and to remove traces of acid solder paint. Don’t grind or sand, use a Flexible File.

How to Determine If a Panel Can Be Soldered?

STEP 1: remove all coatings from the surface to bare clean steel

STEP 2: heat the area with a propane or MAPP gas torch

If the panel sinks as heat is applied, it should not be soldered. The way the panel reacts to heat indicates the stresses that were imbued into the metal when it was manufactured. Exposure to heat can actually produce stress fractures in some steels, so be sure to only use a sufficient amount of heat to melt the solder.

Avoid soldering perforated panels because the flux residue on the back of the metal will cause accelerated corrosion. This problem usually shows up as a swelling in the repair area a few months or years later as the forming rust underneath expands. For this same reason, seams that are only partially welded should not be soldered. Seams should be completely welded to prevent acidic flux residue from becoming trapped.

Very useful punch set for machinists, hobbyst, automotive and construction industry

No excuses now for using expensive silver steel or old nails as drifts. Our new combo punch set covers the range and with its neat pocketed case and will allow you to pick the right punch for the job. Our set comes in a plastic pouch and includes:

8 brass punches from 1/16th to 5/16th

5 long steel parallel punches 1/8th to 3/8th

1 centre punch

More information on punch sizes are available on the Frost Auto website... Our new Combo Punch Set costs £17.75 only, buy yours now at www.frost.co.uk !

Produce Clean Welds with Minimal Grinding

The Intergrips Welding Panel Clamps are a real boon to Car and vehicle restorers. They helps you produce clean welds with minimal grinding !

They are ideal when welding patch repairs in floors, wings, door skins etc. or when assembling fabricated panels on reskinning projects.

They will clamp flat, curved or even pressed ribbed panels.

They will hold any shape panel in place anywhere - edge to edge and perfectly prior to butt welding, leaving only a small gap which will allow full penetration of the weld.

Once the two sections are tack welded together, the wing nut is slackened, the toggle bar removed and the clamp lifted from the job prior to final welding. The end result is a first class welded butt joint with very little dressing being necessary.