TECH INSTALL FABRICATE UPGRADE
SOURCES
MILLER ELECTRIC
MANUFACTURING
COMPANY
http://www.millerwelds.comTRICK-TOOLS
( 64 1) 6 28- 3860
http://www.trick-tools.comCOVELL CREATIVE
METALWORKING
http://www.covell.biz02 To shape the blank for the
patch a piece of 18-gauge steel
was domed by hammering
on-dolly.In the first three parts of this series we covered the fundamentals of
metallurgy, looked at the tools used for doing bodywork, and went through the basics of
hammer and dolly work, showing how to shrink, stretch, and bend metal. The last article
featured an in-depth look at various ways to cut metal. Now we’ll pull all this together and
show how to make patch panels—including shaping, fitting, tacking, and finish welding.
The photos were taken at a
training session I gave at the
headquarters of Classic Trucks
magazine with Ryan Manson, the
editor, and tech center technician
Christian Arriero. This was a fast-
moving day and we covered a lot
of ground. I believe a lot of what
was shown and discussed will be
educational for our readers.
The patching demo was based on
a sheet of 18-gauge mild steel, about
18 inches square, which was shaped
Wo r d s Ron Covell Images Ryan Manson
Part 4: Fitting and Welding Patch Panels
Metalworking
Boot Camp
01 I used aircraft shears
to cut the opening for the
patch in our demonstration
panel.60 classictrucks.com