Lloyd
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Jimmo:
A couple months ago, I repaired a bumper for one of my friends. It was scratched and need a little epoxy TLC and some spray (blended into the fender and the rest of the bumper).
How did I educate what it takes to do this? I made her physically go to the paint supply, get the code off the door, go in and buy the paint. That was the first shock when she spent $70 for a pint of paint, haha. Then she got another shock when she bought a rattle can of 2k clear.
After this, everyday after work, I made her physically sit right next to the car while I worked on it (it was about 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity). Then I let her experience the all the sanding, taping involved, wax and grease remover, paint mixing, tach clothing, painting, flash time waiting, the waiting overnight to clear coat,clear coat and the clear wet sanding and buffing.
I got done and when I drove her car to her house, she handed me two crips $100 bills and just shook her head and said, “…I never would have believed if you told me it took all that to fix those little scratches and knicks.”
This is of course not the rule of thumb for customers, but now she understands and I have heard her explaining to other women that the price they got was a good one. It is what it is Jimmo, we press on.
I’m going to have to agree that most things aren’t that hard to complete adequately if you do the research, take your time and get trained watch somebody do it a lot. You chose Jimmbo, I chose him for painting and one other guy who posts videos, Bondomerchant for body work, Dig for business/shop practices, etc.
This forum has been an absolute gold mine for me and I will not even visit others because a certain amount of loyalty has been garnered here. Back to your comment, since I can use my hands pretty well, I have started to turn part of my garage into a paint/body shop. I researched many hours concerning positive air, negative air, air flow, downdraft, side draft, EPA regulations and the like. Then i started asking people on this forum and graciously they assisted.
The first video you posted showed you spraying very, very slowly and as the videos progress I see the speed you move the gun increasing (looks like a beginner getting better to me). It’s been 20 years since I had a spray gun in my hand, so I had to learn all over again, things have changed tremendously from what I remember (mostly regulations and far better equipment). OK, that’s all I have, sorry for the interruption.
Man, Jimmo, what a place. I am in awe when I see shops like that…and here I am trying to make a little shop in my detached garage. Thanks for all the site does and for the videos…Bondo also, I watch you guys work all the time through your videos!!!
Outstanding Bondo, just wait til I grow up, I might shoot one like that!!!
OK, I finally found a metal company that sold metal. After measure of the metal I originally had, it was actually 26 gauge metal, not 22, that explains the burn through. I got some actual 22 gauge metal from the metal supplier and it welded perfectly. See, it was not me, I should have just made sure I had 22 gauge metal in the first place.
Thanks for all the help guys.
Doc
Welcome, don’t feel bad, my English is terrible too, haha. And the German is non-existent. Have fun here, I am sure you bring a lot of experience to the site.
Doc
OK, I found a place in town here to get 18 gauge sheet metal (unfortunately, it’s galvanized, so that’s some extra grinding). A 10 foot sheet is $65, so that should work out pretty well for the whole truck until I get inside to the floor pans and such.
It’s a 1971 Ford F-100 truck that I’m working on, can one of you guys who does vintange restoration confirm or deny that 18 guage is about right on this truck. I am just guessing from feeling it actually.
Appreciate all the help you guys give, I wish some of you were in the Belleville, Illinois area, I would like to work for someone for free part-time so I can keep learning on-the-job.
Doc
This is a 1971 Ford F-100 truck and it’s my truck, not a job for someone else. That’s interesting to know about Toyoto though, will keep that in mind. What about BMW, I may have to do some cancer surgery on one shortly?
I was lapping it at the last stages, figured they would sure be good spot welds in that case, but alas, no luck for Doc. I have to go away for work and will try to get some 20 gauge minimum metal when I come back. We shall see, it’s puzzling me terribly, I have done it numerous times and just don’t understand. No shielding gas, flux core wire, never needed gas before now. But that would work much better, just won’t be going out to buy a new mig welder, haha. Thanks.
Held the trigger for 1/2 second at most. I have been welding, not continuously, for over 20 years. I have never seen sheet metal burn this quickly. I even tried to weld it directly to the truck body and not cut in a patch (that means there was no gap between the new metal and the old metal in the body of the truck). And there is not one burn through on the truck, just metal from the mig stuck to it and in the hole where the 22 gauge metal was burned through
I need to find some 20 – 18 gauge metal somewhere around here and do it again. That problem will be solved I assume. Thanks for all the responses, might just glue it also, but in all my years, welding was never a problem.
OK, I had my Lincoln Weld-Pad HD on the lowest setting possible and still burned holes in the sheet metal. The fact that it is 22 gauge is the first problem, I would rather have 19 gauge metal (1971 style, haha). So, the glue (assuming it”s some kind of epoxy is sounding better all the time. I will just glue it larger than the hole and let bondo do it’s thing. Maybe if I can find some good metal I will go back to welding, but not with this 22 gauge metal. Thanks guys, I guess the old rivet gun has to go bye-bye. Why do they still rivet airplanes together then?
Han,
Nice work first of all, I aspire to be that good one day…where pray tell can I get one of the labor/material/paint estimating books to properly estimate body work and paint? Anyone else is more than welcome to chime in as well.
Doc
Do you have a website for the dent master machine, I keep getting websites for a company called Dent Master’s?
OK, what kind of fee does this command…I do not want to destroy the economy for people who do this for a living, nor do I want to devalue my ability to earn extra income? What is a fair price?
Belleville