View Full Version : Wagon Tailgate Rust Repair
This thread will document the repairs for a handyman wagon tailgate, but the process should be similar/adaptable for a Nomad tailgate as well.
Time for dissecting the wagons tail gate. The outer skin looked fairly decent for 55 year old metal, only a couple pin holes showing....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture547.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture544.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture545.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture546.jpg
The major issue with these tail gates, due to how they lean forward, any water collecting inside lays in the inner panel....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture548.jpg
.......as you can see from the back side....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture549.jpg
We laid out the proposed cut lines, used holes in the inside corners to add a radius, and made some sparks...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture554.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture555.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture557.jpg
The tailgate has some internal stiffeners to help support the loading and unloading, and they have suffered some damage as well....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture559.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture560.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture561.jpg
Since they're just spot welded in, and it will be easier to weld in newly fabricated ones than attempt repairs of the rusty ones in place......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture572.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture574.jpg
We'll need to unfold some flanges to remove the rest of the inner panel....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture577.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture578.jpg
Probably one of the biggest challenges in taking things apart for repairs is doing so without inflicting more damage. I had seen a recent post on pliers used to remove door skins, and thought they would come in handy here on the bottom of the tailgate.
This is why you never throw away Vice grips that have the worn off teeth that have just lost their bite. The lower jaw is modified to receive the edge of the door skin...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture582.jpg
Then a suitable "blade" is found....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture580.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture583.jpg
Some welding and grinding, and we have a new body tool.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture584.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture585.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture586.jpg
Starting at the corner, a diagonal slice is made in the inner panel so it will remove easier...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture579.jpg
....and the tool is used to gently pry up on the flange of the tailgate skin.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture587.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture588.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture589.jpg
Spot welds were removed with a burr grinder, in an attempt to keep the damage (and hole diameter) to the skin flange at a minimum. Continuing:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture590.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture592.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture593.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture594.jpg
Next we'll work on making replacements for these structural members:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture572.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture575.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture596.jpg
Laying out the bend relief holes as per the originals.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture598.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture599.jpg
Bends....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture601.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture602.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture603.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture604.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture605.jpg
Next, fixing one of the rather "rotted" parts that came out of the tailgate. This actually serves as a bolting plate for the tailgate hinge, so it definitely is in line for replacement.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture595.jpg
Started with a piece of 16 gauge CRS and using the Wheeling Machine, prestretched the area for the stiffening bead.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture610.jpg
...and with bead...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture611.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture612.jpg
The Neil Dunder tooling....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture613.jpg
A bend relief cut in the bead, panel bent, and welded...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture614.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture615.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture616.jpg
Missed a few in process pictures here, but using a piece of 3 x 3 square tubing as a die, a 2 x 2 as a punch, and a BABPH to apply pressure, a relief for the tailgate rib is formed.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture618.jpg
Trimming to size....(note 3 x 3 die in lower right corner)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture620.jpg
Needs holes drilled yet...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture622.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture623.jpg
test fit....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture624.jpg
Alignment of hinge hole....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture625.jpg
Next I got to try a bit of woodworking. Cut out some MDF to use as a hammerform to try and fabricate the bottom of the inner panel..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture626.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture627.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture628.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture629.jpg
Now time for some hammerforming, the MDF is stacked to allow the flange to be folded downward.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture630.jpg
The first three layers are aligned and screwed down, then the 18 ga CRS and "locking" layer of MDF is screwed down, through the entire pile using 4" long screws. A slight flange is also folded at the bottom to help "lock" the bottom edge of the plate against the MDF and hopefully prevent any pulling. Don't think it is needed on the straight bends, but it may help toward the corners.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture631.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture632.jpg
Flange width marked and trimmed. The corners are cleaned of any burrs that may promote cracks to form by using a 3/4" dia drum sander.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture635.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture636.jpg
Straight bends are worked with a low crown hammer to start the profile........
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture637.jpg
........and as the corners tighten, this was the most effective stretching device. Repeated overlapping rows made short work of the stretching..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture641.jpg
....and the door skin hammer was used around the perimeter to "sharpen" the bends...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture639.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture640.jpg
With the first bend complete, the Lancaster shrinker is used along the folded flanges to match the crown of the tailgate skin.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture643.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture644.jpg
............here matched to the lower tailpan....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture647.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture648.jpg
continuing....
The second bend in shows a bit of a taper, from about 1/8" height thickness at the side, to about 1/4" on the corners, to about 1/2" in the center of the gate.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture649.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture650.jpg
This will require the next set of MDF to taper off on the ends....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture652.jpg
....and folded over as before. Because there is another reverse bend in about another 1/4", there was no need to completely shrink the corners flat. Just enough to provide that bend, and also shown is todays tool of choice for working the corners for this exercise.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture657.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture658.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture659.jpg
And if you'll notice the lower section is now in two pieces, that comes from measuring incorrectly (wrong bend). About a 3/8 wide strip will be bent, added afterward and welded in place.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture661.jpg
And the reverse bend after forming....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture663.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture665.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture664.jpg
Comparison to the original. Needs a bit of clean up work, but should work fine.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture667.jpg
Next I got the repair parts (the ones made so far...) trimmed and fit up for a better look..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture669.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture670.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture672.jpg
Moving on to the stiffening bead in the tailgate, most were still intact but one did have rust issues, just like the surrounding metal.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture674.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture675.jpg
To make this detail, a suitable "punch" is made by welding some 1/8 thick plate to the end of a 1-1/4" square tube. For the "die", the nicks and welding slag was cleaned off the vice, and it was opened to the correct size.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture679.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture681.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture682.jpg
The next repair patch is centered over the tailgate and the approximate position of the stiffener bead is marked. The area is prestretched in the wheeling machine.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture676.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture677.jpg
After some forming with my high tech punch and die, and some fine tuning afterward, the roughly finished product and a test fit against the tailgate...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture683.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture678.jpg
Here's the hammer form for the final piece of the puzzle. A notch is cut out for the stiffener bead to lay in...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture685.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture684.jpg
I had a nice heavy brass flat bar, so it was put to use with the c-clamps, and the intial bends are formed to mark where the corners will be......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture687.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture688.jpg
Then the points are trimmed off the corners and over we go to the Lennox with the Thumbnail shrinking die. Tonight I had a nine year old photographer helping for a bit...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture690.jpg
The initial shrinking....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture691.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%202/Picture692.jpg
One thing I had to keep in mind, the dies need to be loosened up as you go, as the corners shrink and the metal thickness increases. Here's where I stopped... A bit more and we should be ready to tip the reverse bend..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture697.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture698.jpg
And starting with the hammerform for the corner reverse bend detail..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture001.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture002.jpg
After quite a bit of hammering....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture004.jpg
...and a trial fit to the tailgate
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture005.jpg
Now to back up a bit, and fine tune the flange parts. The originals had an offset relief for the hinge bolting plate so it could sandwich between the inner and outer skin.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture007.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture008.jpg
...and after a bit of hammer work, here is the result....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture009.jpg
Next, to form the relief around the center bolt hole. The hole is marked, and a negative formed in a piece of MDF with a 3/4" drum sander.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture010.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture011.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture012.jpg
After using various punches with newly rounded tips, and a 3/4" dia piece of round stock as an anvil......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture013.jpg
And the next bend is formed...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture014.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture015.jpg
....and starting on the next side..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture016.jpg
This is about my favorite "vise mounted" anvil. 2" diameter works well for hammering around most radiuses.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture017.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture018.jpg
The hole relief for the other side is tackled, I'll show a bit more detail on the high tech tools used....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture020.jpg
Rounded tips on some punches...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture021.jpg
3/4 round stock....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture022.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture024.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture025.jpg
Test fit.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture026.jpg
And after numerous times of hammering, tweaking, fitting, trimming, not all in that order, this corner is starting to take shape.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture027.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture029.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture030.jpg
I did get some good forearm exercise in using the snips. Just about ready to tack in the top part there, and then check the crown of the outer skin once more with the radius sweep before the final trim between the repair pieces.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture031.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture032.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture033.jpg
One step closer.
The top repair patch was tacked on first, aligning flat to the original surface.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture034.jpg
Needed a profile gauge for the tailgate opening, so the top of the tailpan location, and tailgate "gap" was marked, and a leftover piece of MDF used to make the gauge.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture036.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture037.jpg
Once the lower repair patch was fitted up, the profile gauge was checked to the tailgate skin and the side section tacked.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture038.jpg
And the #10 radius sweep verified the bottom radius and the lower setion tacked
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture039.jpg
Once everything gets tacked together, the outer skin will be removed so the welds can be planished as we go to try and keep things straight.
All of the inner gate was tacked in place so the outer skin could be removed..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture040.jpg
The new skin was prepped and epoxy primed on the inside while some other parts were bring sprayed.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture041.jpg
Before removing the old skin, some reference measurements were taken at various locations......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture043.jpg
Then a 50 grit disc is used to sand the edges until the folded flange is separated from the skin.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture045.jpg
Although the amount of pinholes from the outside looked to be minimal, the inside shows that it would not have been long before another found its way through front side, risking a fresh paintjob. I think the new skin was the right choice.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture046.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture047.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture048.jpg
Sandblasted adjacent to the weld area and test fit the support brace.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture050.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture051.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture053.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture054.jpg
The rear side of the weld....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture055.jpg
Getting closer... (slowly but surely)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture056.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture057.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture059.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture074.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture075.jpg
All the welding on the tailgate done, time to clean up the inside to get it ready for Epoxy Primer...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture086.jpg
Next thing I noticed, even though the weld dots were planished as we went, you could see where the metal had shrunk from welding around the lower perimeter of the bead detail. As the inside (bottom) of the bead did not shrink, this caused the metal to deform in the shape of an arc, or concave bow.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture103.jpg
To help to remedy this situation, and since we had already stretched the welds a bit, I thought I'd try my hand at shrinking the bottom area of the bead detail.. I put the heat tip in the trusty dent puller....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture108.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture109.jpg
.......And working alongside the lower edges of the bead.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture111.jpg
....was able to get most of the deformation out.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture105.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture102.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture106.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture107.jpg
Some of the other shrinks outside our repair area were to help flatten out where the "loading side" of the tailgate has been used and abused over the years.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture112.jpg
Test fitting some of the internal components:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture113.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture115.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture117.jpg
Why is it I always miss something.....one more piece to bend up.......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture116.jpg
Next, we'll start by showing more shrinks and the results in straightening the bead details.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture118.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture120.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture119.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture121.jpg
Checking the angle to form up the second stiffener brace.....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture123.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture124.jpg
In the booth for a good coat of epoxy primer before all the parts get welded together......
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture125.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture126.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture127.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture128.jpg
Next, locating all the plug weld holes:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture130.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture131.jpg
Welding in the support braces:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture132.jpg
welding in the hinge mounting brackets:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture133.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture134.jpg
All primed:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture135.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture136.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture137.jpg
I'll let this cure for about a week and mount it back to the body before fitting up the new skin...
After curing, my Nephew Chris came over and gave me a hand fitting up the tailgate.
The re-pin job on the hinges was finished, so we got those installed and fitted up the bare inner tailgate to see how it fit the hole...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture140.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture141.jpg
..and then set the new skin in the hole to see how it looked...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture143.jpg
Prior to putting these two pieces together, the areas inside that will face each other were scuffed. After assembly some fresh epoxy primer will be flowed around the perimeter so this will hopefully last another 55 years.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture146.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture147.jpg
Major tools we'll be using today, a door skin hammer and a small shot bag for a dolly.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture148.jpg
With both pieces in place, bolted to the car, the lower corners were folded to help hold things in place, then worked the sides.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture150.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture151.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture152.jpg
As the sides were folded we checked the gaps as we went...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture155.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture156.jpg
Before folding the top edge, we installed the upper gate to have as a reference...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture158.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture159.jpg
Working the top edge....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture160.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture162.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture163.jpg
The lower edge is folded partially, but was awkward to finish that close to the body, so it will come off and be completed on a door stand. The upper gate gaps aren't quite as nice as the lower, so this will be another area that we fine tune the gaps....
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture164.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture165.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture166.jpg
Some final touches to the tailgate. One thing I didn't care for was how the corners folded when putting on the skin.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture179.jpg
So I unfolded the corners and thought I'd make a tool that would give me a nice "anvil" for forming a small radius. As the inner was rather close on the bottom corners my tool would need a relief so it would rest against the inside of the skin. Here's what I came up with, drilled a hole in the end of the punch, slightly offset from center, and cleaned away two sides for a nice corner tool...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture174.jpg
In use, and the result...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture186.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture187.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture188.jpg
Also had issue folding the top seam with the "standard" door skin hammer..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture180.jpg
So as I had a spare, the hammer was refaced a steeper angle and dressed to a mirror finish..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture182.jpg
For a better fit...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture184.jpg
Comparing the angle between the two..
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture185.jpg
All the corners were then finished off with a file, for a nice radiused corner.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture190.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y167/rmccartney/1955%20Chevy%20Wagon%20Restoration%20Album%203/Picture193.jpg
Rick_L
12-28-2013, 04:48 PM
Robert, awesome work, and well presented too.
chevynut
12-29-2013, 09:33 AM
Amazing work, as always, Robert. I hope the owner isn't paying you by the hour, cuz that's gotta be a $10,000 tailgate by now. :)
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