The short answer is yes...providing you either grind or sandblast all of the rust out of the pores. Lead for body work is mainly for sealing seams and fixing minor imperfections. For surface rust a quality spot putty works just as well. On a panel you run the risk of warping it. Make sure you practice before doing the repair. Good luck!
for example i have a rear (wing?) mudguard and still installed to the body... so with soldering only on a horizontal surfaces it works ? or an vertical too? (hope u understand me) anyways great vid
@ErrorCode766 It is harder to do vertical. As CoolCarsHotGuitars says, it can be done with practice. The key is temperature control. Too hot and the solder is liquid and runs off. Too cool and soldering does not occur. The solder has a performance temperature band, which with practice you will be able to master. You need to keep the solder at the "butter" stage, between solid and liquid. Good luck. Practice.
The most important thing to know.. is do not EVER sand lead with a D/A or anything like it.. use a body file. Powdered lead in the air will screw you up bad.
You are 100% correct, thank you for pointing that out. I try to include safety and the appropriate person protective equipment for every video I do. Someone asked for a lead video and I made this one many years ago. I actually had to copy it from 8mm tape so it was made way before YouTube. I will add a note to this video about the safety requirements. Thanks for watching.
Just because you use lead doesn't mean you are doing a proper job, that skin needed repairing, not hiding under a couple pounds of lead. Holes in car bodies need welding to repair properly, not filling over with any material, lead or plastic fillers.
I agree with you. In the vacuum of the perfect world from which your comment is derived that makes sense. In the real world where customers have fixed budgets they ask for the simplest and least costly repair. The customer is always right.
Bubba22st you are correct he is getting it too hot. If you heat the metal too much you will warp the metal and if you are working on a car the cars body lines will never be the same.
The metal is not being heated close to the fatigue point much less the yield point. As it cools it will shrink back. I know it is a delicate process and I appreciate your comments.
you are getting it just a bit too hot, it should be more like cold butter, more firm, not runny enough to puddle and self level. Also you should never NEVER use a grinder like you used, there are body files for this, and then you sand it. Dual action at best. Using a grinder puts lots of lead particles in the air. This is DEADLY!
Good points. Everyone does things differently and it good to get many points of view. I have the body files and use them occassionally, but the grinder is faster and is ok if you wear a respirator. I always practice safety in everything I do, but you are right, even when sanding with a DA like you mention you should use a respirator. Thanks for the comment!
Any advice for doing this on a vertical surface? I have 5/16" trim holes along the belt line of my car I want to fill. I can not overcome gravity and get the lead to stick for the life of me.
Vertical is a bit more difficult, but easy once you get the hang of it. Tin the surface and start at the bottom...heat rises so you want the bottom to cool as you move upwards. Practice good heat control and you will master it in no time. Be patient, it takes time to learn, but once you've got it you will love doing it....hope that healps
@TorqueMonger CoolCarsHotGuitars does it ALL WRONG, he heats the metal too much and you DO NOT want the lead to pool. Heating the metal too much will warp the metal and it wont ever be the same. Look up
This is exactly what I want to do, instead of filler, go the lead route. Man what happened to that Mustang anyway? It was all sorts of f'd up from what I remember. Angry ex-girlfriend with a ball pin hammer??
It was crushed in on the front right, the roof was dented like it was beat with a ball peen hammer, the hood was cut open for two hood mount gages and it was bend from being sprung open, rotted around the windshield, both quarters were gone, and the dirvers door needed to be re-skinned. It was a wreak. You can use lead on vertical surfaces. Start at the bottom, work slow, and build as you go up...it takes a bit of practice but it is not impossible. Eastwood sells a good lead starter kit.
can u use this on quarter panels, I have like a 6 inch rust spot on my panel
DjDano500 1 month ago
The short answer is yes...providing you either grind or sandblast all of the rust out of the pores. Lead for body work is mainly for sealing seams and fixing minor imperfections. For surface rust a quality spot putty works just as well. On a panel you run the risk of warping it. Make sure you practice before doing the repair. Good luck!
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 month ago
great video, this will help me in working with lead, thanks a bunch!!!
eljohnnylobo 6 months ago
Thank you....just remember to use PPE. The acids and lead are noy healthy if ingested or ruubed in the skin........Peter
CoolCarsHotGuitars 6 months ago
Vary helpful
backlash841 6 months ago
it is good video, but i have a question
for example i have a rear (wing?) mudguard and still installed to the body... so with soldering only on a horizontal surfaces it works ? or an vertical too? (hope u understand me) anyways great vid
ErrorCode766 9 months ago
You can use body lead on any steel surface in any direction. I have even used lead upside down. All it takes it practice and you can do it.
CoolCarsHotGuitars 9 months ago
@CoolCarsHotGuitars thanks for ur reply, ill try to practice.. thanks again
ErrorCode766 9 months ago
@ErrorCode766 It is harder to do vertical. As CoolCarsHotGuitars says, it can be done with practice. The key is temperature control. Too hot and the solder is liquid and runs off. Too cool and soldering does not occur. The solder has a performance temperature band, which with practice you will be able to master. You need to keep the solder at the "butter" stage, between solid and liquid. Good luck. Practice.
BuickDoc 1 month ago
really good video, thankis
flaconinja 11 months ago
The most important thing to know.. is do not EVER sand lead with a D/A or anything like it.. use a body file. Powdered lead in the air will screw you up bad.
TheBondami 11 months ago 2
You are 100% correct, thank you for pointing that out. I try to include safety and the appropriate person protective equipment for every video I do. Someone asked for a lead video and I made this one many years ago. I actually had to copy it from 8mm tape so it was made way before YouTube. I will add a note to this video about the safety requirements. Thanks for watching.
CoolCarsHotGuitars 11 months ago
@TheBondami Eastwood makes a Lead-Free body solder, which is safer.
BuickDoc 1 month ago
excellant video, very informative.
jagerhead27 1 year ago
Just because you use lead doesn't mean you are doing a proper job, that skin needed repairing, not hiding under a couple pounds of lead. Holes in car bodies need welding to repair properly, not filling over with any material, lead or plastic fillers.
j4du5b 1 year ago
I agree with you. In the vacuum of the perfect world from which your comment is derived that makes sense. In the real world where customers have fixed budgets they ask for the simplest and least costly repair. The customer is always right.
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 year ago
Bubba22st you are correct he is getting it too hot. If you heat the metal too much you will warp the metal and if you are working on a car the cars body lines will never be the same.
123yasha 1 year ago
The metal is not being heated close to the fatigue point much less the yield point. As it cools it will shrink back. I know it is a delicate process and I appreciate your comments.
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 year ago
you are getting it just a bit too hot, it should be more like cold butter, more firm, not runny enough to puddle and self level. Also you should never NEVER use a grinder like you used, there are body files for this, and then you sand it. Dual action at best. Using a grinder puts lots of lead particles in the air. This is DEADLY!
bubba22st 1 year ago
Good points. Everyone does things differently and it good to get many points of view. I have the body files and use them occassionally, but the grinder is faster and is ok if you wear a respirator. I always practice safety in everything I do, but you are right, even when sanding with a DA like you mention you should use a respirator. Thanks for the comment!
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 year ago
Any advice for doing this on a vertical surface? I have 5/16" trim holes along the belt line of my car I want to fill. I can not overcome gravity and get the lead to stick for the life of me.
TorqueMonger 1 year ago
Vertical is a bit more difficult, but easy once you get the hang of it. Tin the surface and start at the bottom...heat rises so you want the bottom to cool as you move upwards. Practice good heat control and you will master it in no time. Be patient, it takes time to learn, but once you've got it you will love doing it....hope that healps
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 year ago
@TorqueMonger CoolCarsHotGuitars does it ALL WRONG, he heats the metal too much and you DO NOT want the lead to pool. Heating the metal too much will warp the metal and it wont ever be the same. Look up
Bill Hines Leading Demo
123yasha 1 year ago
This is exactly what I want to do, instead of filler, go the lead route. Man what happened to that Mustang anyway? It was all sorts of f'd up from what I remember. Angry ex-girlfriend with a ball pin hammer??
LYinKansas 1 year ago
It was crushed in on the front right, the roof was dented like it was beat with a ball peen hammer, the hood was cut open for two hood mount gages and it was bend from being sprung open, rotted around the windshield, both quarters were gone, and the dirvers door needed to be re-skinned. It was a wreak. You can use lead on vertical surfaces. Start at the bottom, work slow, and build as you go up...it takes a bit of practice but it is not impossible. Eastwood sells a good lead starter kit.
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 year ago
If there is anything else you'd like...please, just ask.....thanks j!
CoolCarsHotGuitars 1 year ago