1949 Style Body Work Lead

[ctzr1]

While I am waiting for parts to come in, I goof off in the shop checking out other things about the truck for the next phases of the build.
Eventually I will get around to the body work, but I pulled the rear view mirrors off yesterday and noticed something peculliar so I pulled out the grinder to have a look here and then here and there and there.
Lead... Now i have read about it but never seen it. Leaded body work.
To Cool...
Very soft too. Now I am sure sinse the invention of Bondo the lead type body work must be a dieing if not dead art. Who works with lead anymore. how hazardous is that, or was that.

 

[vwnate1]

Lead

EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS , it'll kill you just from the dust ~ lead dust causes nerve damage , a terrible thing to suffer .

 

[ropo355]

Eastwood sells a replacement material that works really well. I've done it before, it's very tricky but satisfing when you get it done. Less bondo also

 

[federale]

Re:Lead

This is the original leadwork used to join the seams at the factory.
That's all they had in those days.

 

[fab51]

My grandpa, who used to be a body man, gave me a couple of hunks of body lead a few years ago. I don't know what I'll ever do with them, but they are there...

He also gave me 3 or 4 fender tools. They have just the right contours for "persuading" dents out of fat fenders. Now those might come in handy sometime.

 

[Root2812]

EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS , it'll kill you just from the dust ~ lead dust causes nerve damage , a terrible thing to suffer .

+ 1000 to that.

If you have to remove the lead do it outside while wearing a resporator. If you don't have to remove it just leave it alone.

There is a product called metal filler that you can use. Its stronger than bondo so when its hard its a bitch to sand so when you use that get it as close as possible before you let it dry. It works well for seams like that.

 

[coilover]

We still use lead for certain jobs. If you have an area that is flexed alot, slammed alot, or a high stess area lead can't be beat. You will never see separation cracks around a hood scoop that is leaded in. One must never ever grind or sand lead as these tiny particals can drift through the air. Filing produces shavings that drop to the floor. These are scooped up and put back in the pot for re-melting. If you master working with lead you can make big money. There is a man out of Pennsylvania IIRC that travels to an area after enough jobs are lined up to give him a weeks work at $150 per hour. As far as I know automakers world wide are still leading the top to pillar seams only they call it " soldering".