The Cal-look Lounge

...when you can't seem to do anything right with your car?

I was planning to do some welding on the '67 yesterday to fill in the turn signal hole and horn grill on the driver's side front and fill the trim holes in the glove box door. For some reason I could not stop blowing holes in the metal. First I completely ruined the glove box door. Going to see if one from a late model that doesn't have trim holes will work. Not a great loss but still didn't do much for my confidence. Then I started on the fender. I have already completed one and it came out great. Did everything the same way on this one and I had burn through all over the place. probably have to cut out the patch and start over. After that I quit for the day. What a lousy outcome when I had hopped to make some progress on the '67 finally.

--louis

I never have those days.

I am working on upgrading from my little extractor to a merged/dual muffs.  One of the exhaust studs on the #3 was stripped and the nut wouldn't tighten.  So I tried to (carefully, I swear!) remove the stud, breaking it with little effort.  Tried to drill it out in the car.  Screwed it up.  Engine is now out, gotta pull the head one night this week so a machinist friend can smarten it all back up for me.

So, no.  I don't.   ::)

I've never tried, but I dont think a late model door will work since the knob is completely different...

I think the stamping is the same. Just have to swap out the latch. As soon as I can lay my hands on one I will let you know.

Thanks,

--louis

Hinges are different too. early are flat, 68 on are round bar. :(

I avoid "those days" nowadays.... I just don't go near the car when patience/time/coherence is lacking. Used to be gung ho and "keep trying" at all costs before. Not worth the aggrivation that almost always stems from a bad car day.

I may have one that will work.  I'll check my stash and get back to you if you are interested.

Thanks Donny, I would appreciate it.


I am learning that but it is slow. I get so little time to work on the car lately I hate to waste a day. But I guess its better than turning a bad day into a real clusterfook.



Yeah I have been looking at them on the Samba and they are a little different. At least I have my original one to practice on.

--louis

louis, how thick is your fillet rod. some time when I weld thin stuff, I use .023 mig wire when tiging and turn AMPs down on welder, about one amp per every .001 of a inch of material  I'm welding. Just my 3-1/2 cent's . another thing I do when welding holes up. I take whitney punch slug's and fill hole, sometimes time's I use tapered reamer and ream holes till I  can lightly tap slugs into place.

Hi Danny,

I am using a Mig with .023 wire. The metal on the glove box door looks very thin though and I am wondering if I can get the mig that low. May need to get someone to tig it. I have been using the the punch slug's on the turn signal holes and it works well. Thanks for the input.

--louis

One other thing louis use the smallest tungston you can use and always keep it pointed and sharp, it seems to jump arc ez and smoother kind of soft start kind of thing

I thought your tig welding. Try backing weld with copper backing  and turn heat up and make puddle's, on off on off with trigger you need heat but let cool between puddles ! PRACTICE first till you pick up. let me  know how ya do, or questions

I want a tig, but it will have to wait. I will practice some more with some thinner metal and get back with you if I have some questions.

Thanks,

--louis

Hi Louis The 68 and later Glove box door has different hinges and is a smaller size due to having a padded dash also the latch on the dash is different

Thanks Shubee. Looks like I will have to find a replacement then. Or see if I can patch this one up. Wonder if I can make a new cover for the frame. Probably more trouble than it is worth.

--louis

drill holes larger and try again, when your learning your not earning. drill holes on back of hole and use round rod like a dolly and stretch weld after weldind

Okay, I will give that a try. Thanks for the tip.

--louis

Try this One  it matches your car LOL  ;D ;D   http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=624484

lol, wait till I tell the guy I am going to weld it up.  :o

--louis

Spent time filing in the horn grill on the Driver's side front fender.

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/453229.jpg)


Came out much better today. I am still getting some burn through if there is any gap between the two pieces of metal. Not sure if this means I have the heat too high, or I am not moving the gun fast enough. Anyway, I managed to get this straight enough that it will only need a little high build primer. A set of Lucas lights are on their way from Moss.

I need to put all these pics in a new build thread for my '67.

--louis

Well I think everyone has been reading about my troubles - Firstly I dropped that dam Stainless steel nut inside my engine case THEN after getting it all back together and back in the buggy I went to go for a "test drive" and guess what MY CLUTCH PEDAL SNAPPED >:(

Oh well at least it didn't happen somewhere in France or belguim  :)

hey louis, i think i got a glove box door, you can pick it up when you come to town. only about 20 min. from pomona. randy

i put my stainless steel trim on a week ago and pushed 2 dents in the paint because the holes weren't large enough due to the paint and the trim wouldn't give because it's stainless steel  :'(
made me feel like throwing some tools through the garage... well, the fact that the first few scratches and dents hurt the most made me calm down!

at least it looks alright  ;)
(http://www.cal-look.nl/gallery/albums/userpics/10013/Budel2008-001.jpg)

 ;D ;D
If i would post some of those days i will have to start my own topic ;D

Hi Randy,

Thanks! I will PM you about meeting up.

--louis

Did you try to push the dents out from the back? If you can get your hand behind the dent and it is shallow you should be able to push it back out.

--louis

yeah, i can reach from inside the hood. but it just looks like the paint's gone funny...
perhaps i should have someone have a look at it at EBI? i'm a stranger to those tricks :-\

Got a close up of the dent?

--louis

i'll take one when i'm near my car (this weekend hopefully)
it looks like a 1 inch circle around the trim hole, i've got two of those on the right side. they're pretty easy to see with the lights on in the garage...

Sounds to me like you use to much power... and the comment about "moving the gun" I never "move" the gun when welding sheet metal, just one little tack at the time. Takes me ages to weld stuff, but it doesn't warp or blow out that way (that much :))

Yeah I backed down on the power a bit and it seems to work better even with a little gap. I use a technique of spacing out spot welds about an inch apart, then coming back and welding that up. Hammer and dolly the welds as I go and I get little to no warping. (Though still not good enough to go without a little filler.) When I move the gun, I try to move it as fast as I can without it sputtering by watching the weld pool. Just still getting the feel for it though.

Thanks,

--louis