Lead Loading

[velocemitch]

Thinking of trying my hand at this.
Is this a good starting point?.

http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-fillers-tools/st...

[velocemitch]

Thanks guys, kit ordered let's see what happens, I've nothing to loose apart from my finger ends!

[velocemitch]

Well I've had a crack at it and found it's quite a satisfying thing to do. It takes a bit of getting used too, hardest part for me was getting the heat balance right. I kept burning the wooden paddles at first, but got the hang of moving the heat on to the solder, then moving it away again to spread the 'butter' about.
The Frosts kit is indeed very good, you get some solder paste for the tinning process, brushes to spread it, two Maple paddles to butter with, some Tallow for lubrication and good quality flexible file to smooth it off. A handy little book comes with it too, which is a bit out of date and very American, but the techniques are still the same.
First attempt I had was on a piece of scrap, but I found I didn't have an 'aim' so sort messed about and got every thing a bit hot.
So I jumped straight in at the deep end and filled a hole in a wing (about 4mm wide), reasonably successfully. Then had a go at filling some other holes and rust pitting on a rear screen, this came out OK too. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to be using this process for final filling or if I will skim it with conventional plastic filler, but I'm much more confident that actual perforations will be properly dealt with using the Lead.

Here's a couple of before and afters.

[velocemitch]

Bit of a thread resurrection here.
18 months further down the line and I'm still restoring this Car!.
The lead loading also seems to have thrown up an awkward snag over time too. The area around the rear screen has been coated with a holding primer to stop it rusting but I'm finding that nasty brown deposits are coming out of the area I've filled with the solder.
I am aware of the reaction from the acid in the flux, and I'm sure it is the cause, but I have also neutralised it with baking soda.
I've sanded it off a few times now, retouching the primer, but it still keeps coming back. Not sure what to do now, I'm getting gradually closer to finishing the bodywork generally and I'd hate to find it ruining an expensive paint job.
Anybody any experience of this.

[velocemitch]

jith said:

Slidingpillar said:

You'll be surprised just how well a MIG welder can hole fill with a bit of practice. Forgotten how many holes I filled on my three wheeler restoration, but a lot. None were rust holes, all were to mount something.

Although I too bought a lead loading kit, I never used it as with the MIG and an angle grinder, I fixed all the holes properly. Lead loading kit came with a tin of solder paint, which I have since found to be an unbeatable tinning device. Handy as the prop-shaft is soldered (yes really).

I think you have to be clear on something. Lead loading is NOT for filling rusty holes. It was used in days gone by as a filling medium between panels where the join is designed to be secret or hidden. As most older cars would tend to flex on bumps, particularly those with separate chassis, the lead will not crack or fall out; nor will it shrink like some plastic fillers do. It is absolutely vital however that the flux is totally neutralised before anything else is applied otherwise a reaction will occur and it can take years before it does, but it will ruin your expensive paint job.

J

Not getting too hung up about the filling of the hole, that's not the issue here, the contamination is not just around the hole. Its the neutralising of the flux I'm concerned about. As I mentioned earlier I thought I had neutralised it. I guess the bottom line is I probably need to do it again, but how exactly do I go about it?.