Door repair

[123pugsy]

Originally Posted by Michael

Sid, if you have access to the back side ,try that. I have had great sucess by using the shrinking disc on both sides when i had the chance. the metal sure dont know the difference.

Interesting thing about this statement was that I didn't think much of it before because I thought when you shrink something the whole thickness of metal shrinks. Yesterday, when I shrunk a piece from the back it shrunk the metal and the metal went outwards. (I was making a bowl shaped piece at the time.)This tells me its shrinking the surface you apply the disc to and not the shrinking the whole thickness of material at the same rate as I first thought was happening.

[123pugsy]

Originally Posted by slong1958

Ok I have received my shrinking disc and DVD from Pro Sharpers and with alot of hammer / dollying and some shrinking this is what I done see pics.The metal is alot smoother now but' I can't seam to get the highs to go down.This is real interesting work so I don't mind spending the time doing this but its confusing. I have noticed the metal is starting to oil can and I'm worried this might not work.
When I use the shrinking disc I'm I suppose to cool the metal with water,air or let it cool on it's on. I know its going to be real hard for somebody to me with out see the metal and feeling the metal your self but thanks everyone for trying.

I cool with water from a spray bottle. Hit the high spots and give them a squirt. Do a little at a time and you should see results immediately. What you have there is looking pretty good and the highs should come down no problem.

I know this because I always end up over stretching my panels on the wheel or stump so what you have ther looks like a piece of cake.

If you find and area won't go down, try doing a bunch of small spots in that area and it will start to move.

[JimRussell]

I have noticed the metal is starting to oil can

Sid, The oil can just starting makes me think that maybe you are starting to over shrink the area. It appears in the picture that your low spots are below the surface of the rest of the door skin. Try some off dolly work. Hold your dolly firmly against the low spots from the back side while lightly slapping the high spot. Alternate from one low spot to another. See if that doesn't help out.

[jhnarial]

I can't really see where you are at on the panel from here, what is at the right level the high or low spots?

It is extremal easy to over shrink with a shrinking disk causing a huge flat spot.

Take some contour gauges from the good door so you can see where you are at.

[slong1958]

I know the highs are high because the ruler rocks side to side they seam to be about a 16th to an 1/8 off.I don't know if this matters but when I first started working on the door I got it pretty close with the hammer / dolly then I had to take my torch an do the old dime size spots to get the oil canning out.Will that have any affect on what I'm trying to do now.If I knew what I know now I believe I'd be better off.

Thanks

[Dyce]

I find when the panel starts to get an oilcan you are getting close, but you still need to shrink. Start the disc around the outside of the can and work your way into the center.

[John Buchtenkirch]

I tip my hat to you for having gotten as far along with that door as you have but now is where it starts getting a bit tricky. This is when I would spray the lightest coat of Krylon primer (dries fast) on the door and lightly cross hatch file the door with a vixen file so you can read your highs & lows better. You don’t really want to file the metal, just the primer. Your highs will be shinny metal, lows will still be primed. Now that you can read your panel better, bump up the lows with a slightly crowned dolly. I do this while using a slapper spoon on the high spots on the outside of the panel, all the time my goal is to level out the panel or try to get it as smooth as possible.


I bought Scott Knight’s shrinking discs early on when they used to come with directions written by him. Basically what he said was you wanted to smooth out the metal with a dome (interpret dome as extra metal that needs to be shrunk) protruding outward towards you. Then run the disc over the dome till blue spots appear and quench with a wet rag. Repeat till the panel flattens to its true flow or curve. Knowing when to stop shrinking is also tricky at first. Hey, after you do about a dozen panels like that you’ll be pretty good at collision work. Again, I tip my hat to you for taking on quite a bit with minimal experience & tools, you should learn a lot that just can’t be learned without doing it. When I think back to the V.W. bug fenders I used to save I was pretty stupid $$$ wise but I did learn a lot doing them. ~ John Buchtenkirch

[slong1958]

Hey guys
I worked on the door the other day and got frustrated.I hammer dolly spots then ran the shrinking disc over it and the metal went inward now I have a big dip.What does it mean when you heat metal and it moves inward or outward.Reason asking is I took my torch and passed it over the center and it moved inward I moved to the sides and it moved outward does that mean I've over shrank the center.I'll take some pics Tuesday and post them.

Thanks

[John Buchtenkirch]

I highly suggest that you stay away from torch shrinking. It takes years to become really good at it especially on a low crown panel like a door skin. Did you try my steps in post #37, I’m sure I didn’t mention going near that skin with a torch. Straightening low crown panels is what separates the men from the boys. Or in other more accurate words the real body men from the Bondo slingers, they are tricky, that is why many had suggested changing the skin. ~ John Buchtenkirch