Sheet Metal Work

So I started the sheet metal repairs this weekend. let me start by saying I have great respect for welders after just two days. It, like many other trades are under appreciated. It will take skill and experience to get the results I desire. We will compare these first efforts to the later versions.

I started by guesstimating the size of the patch needed. We ordered material in a 6" width, thinking that would be wide enough to be above the rotten walls and into good existing metal on the walls.

 

I held the new material against the caboose and traced around the new metal. The wall of the caboose is ballooned out because of the rust behind the skin.

I cut the shell and exposed the inside and removed the rusted area.

The metal behind the skin had a rust build up that had to be removed too.

I prepped the edges to accept the welds

 

Removed as much rust from the frame behind the skin

This is the new material to be welded in place

The first pass was good for attaching but not sealed like I want.

I grinded away the extra weld material and it exposed the pin holes that still needed to be sealed.

 

I tapped out the bulge in the old skin and it flattened out nice 

These are some of the pin holes left. I primed the area to help expose them. Since we are going to need to do a skim coat of fiberglass or filler, I think we will be o.k. The real problem is that the existing skin is very thin because of the rust. When welding to it, the existing material was falling apart. The patches may need to be 10" wide. That may get us into better material on the skin.

 

Not bad for the first of many patches.