Big Tim..... If only you lived closer to So. Cal then I could have you probably teach me just 1/100th of what you know about welding and I would probably be able to do a good job. I'm still on the fence as to whether I should attempt this myself or not. My wife of course thinks I shouldn't - she says I don't have the time. I think it would be good to learn a new skill. That is never a bad thing. My only concern is giving it a go on the old truck. I guess things can always be redone - hell on Classic Parts you could re-buy the whole truck one part at a time if you wanted to but I would rather not. Steve
Learn To Weld ! Steve ; Most Community Collages and Adult Training Centers offer welding , that's the smart way to go and it's a lifetime skill , good to have , evening or weekend classes .
Like most things, get a welder and jump in. A neighbor borrowed my welder to fix his mailbox. I took it over, then promptly ran out of wire. He bought a new spool and we installed it, but it began to rain. He watched a few videos on You tube on welding, tried it his self in the morning before I got there. Did a damn good job. Look up some videos, then see what you think.
Lead Free Body Solder I opted to go with solder on my body work as well. It has definately helped the job take longer, but the end results will be better and longer lasting. I have used Eastwood's lead free solder. In fact I used it before I have used leaded solder for body work. It is a bit harder than the leaded, and has a slightly higher melting point and narrower working tempurature range. It doesn't take long to go from "not quite flowing" to "on the floor". I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to body work, and especially leading, but in my limited experience, I prefer the leaded solder for its workability, and slightly better flexibility. Not to mention affordability as the lead free is twice the price.
