I dug out the bench grinder last night to grind the patch pieces down for a better fit. I got the patch close then used it to get a very close fit. The welds turned out much better and I had an easier time getting good penetration on the welds.
Got two more patches in last night. I didn’t get very good penetration on of them so I’ll need to do some fill in work on some of the holes that showed up when I ground down the welds. After some practice here I’m learning that the better your patch fits the easier it is. … Read more
Picked up some 18 guage steel and cut the first patch in. It went pretty smooth. My welding will hopefully improve over time. It’s passable for the location. Just need structurally sound and smooth enough for a good gasket seal around the pan-body. Scroll down to previous post for before patch pictures. This patch is … Read more
Started on the pan repairs. Both side rails of the pan are going to have to be cut out all the way down and replaced. Also lots of fabrication work on the frame head. The area surrounding the rust is really solid and while it looks bad there are good lines of demarcation between the … Read more
Got the pan rolled out into the driveway last night and took the shop vac to it. Looks like everything is repairable. Going to put in a 220 outlet today for a plasma cutter and welder I’m borrowing so I can get to work on the pan repairs. Not much to it now that it’s … Read more