Metal spray fender repair

[Norton47]

I got back from Singapore yesterday and went and pickup my fenders.
I had taken both the left and right to a fella to have the lower dog leg area repaired due to rust holes.
He sandblasted them, then sprayed the fender inside and out with a silicon bronze. Never going to rust there again.
I have before and after photo's of the right side. I did not have time to get a photo of the left side. The left side was the worst. It's lower lip edge was actually rusted away.
On this area he built it up and I will have to finish to what I want it to be. He also sprayed the rust through on the right fender where the valance attached, which is what started all this. I found out how bad that was when I took measurements for the other poster who was attaching his front spoiler.
Here are some photos plus a link to more.

This is after wire brushing. This was worse after sand blasting.

Now the after metal spray photo.

The right valance rust through and repair

Heres the link to more.
https://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd50/Norton47/Fenders%20and%20Rust/

I think this process is a winner. It will still need some finish work, and most likely a little bondo to smooth it all out entirely. It was $125.00 per fender.
The silicon bronze will sand and grind to allow shaping. As I do that I will post some more.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

That is really neat and inexpensive. Looking forward to the final finishing.

 

[beaulieu]

is this going to have any problems with paint sticking ?

I know brazing does but that might just be the flux

Beaulieu

 

[TR6oldtimer]

is this going to have any problems with paint sticking ?

I know brazing does but that might just be the flux

Beaulieu

There is more brazing on a TR6 then meets the eye and where it was used the paint stayed on. The issue with brazing and painting is the flux. Norton should have no problems if the surfaces are properly prepared.

 

[BOXoROCKS]

....thats right the flux turns to a glass like substance. Paint sticks fine to clean braze

 

[Norton47]

Here's a link to the web site of the fella who sprayed these for me.
https://www.diversifiedcustomcar.com/
As a very young man worked in a body shop and we never had an issue with paint or primer sticking to braze. I think the others concur, and it usually had some grinder action so the flux was long gone.
I think this is a very price effective way to repair an original fender and have to buy new and deal with the fitting issue's. I know this will fit.

 

[beaulieu]

Also does this process have any flexability in it ?

if you bend the metal does it come off in a chunk like bad bondo ?

Metal spraying has been around for 50 years or more,
just wondering if there is a reason it was not used before on fenders etc ?

why not metal spray steel if you are going to do it ?

If I have it right , the basic idea is you heat metal wire as it goes thru the gun and the air pushed it on the panel, but since is loses heat as it travels its really not a bond like welding,

Many questions , just wondering if there are other applications....

Beaulieu

 

[Norton47]

beaulieu
Good questions.
Other types of metal are available. Including hi carbon steel, and aluminum. They have repaired tire rims on old tractors with this process, and a cast transfer case where a bolt had went through it.
I think this silicon bronze is a natural for this as it won't rust.
What the owner told me was when he first got the machine they sprayed various pieces of sheet metal and it took a lot of bending and hammering to get it to come loose. Will it take bending 90 degree's may be not. Will it come loose if the piece is crumpled in an accident, probably. Can you work it with a hammer, yes.
The amount sprayed will affect this also. When doing this type of rust repair, the thickness is not much more than the original metal. Most of the filling was done from the back side and just a smoothing coat on the outside.
On the right fender the one lower edge has a thicker fill to it as the original metal was gone,and I figure it may have less flexibility than steel and will be careful working it accordingly, but once installed I don't think that is going to be an issue.
FWIW

 

[beaulieu]

somewhere around here I have a lead sprayer , which was used in the 50s ,

I also know they metal spray zinc to slow down rust,

how did they prep the original rusty metal , looks like it was wire brushed , but anything more ?

Beaulieu

 

[Norton47]

beaulieu

I did the wire bushing before I took them to be sprayed.
They sandblasted the area's before metal spraying them.

 

[beaulieu]

Thanks for the info.....

please let us know how it works out , with paint and any added body work you do to it ,

Beaulieu

 

[martx-5]

somewhere around here I have a lead sprayer , which was used in the 50s ,

Don't even THINK about using that sucker... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nonono.gif

I think lead is a great repair. I've used it on my TR3 in many situations such as where I seamed repair panels in, and along any places that see an edge. Paddleing on the lead is one thing, spraying it is asking for trouble. You shouldn't even sand lead. Use body files, they don't make dust.

 

[prometalshop]

Hi Guys
Just found this site yesterday, lots of great info. I remember years ago seeing this product and I'm sure since then it has been improved. I guess I would rather see metal filler than poly's.
My thoughts are it will most likely work just fine on the bottom of panels were the chance of flex is less than in the center of a long panel as a quarter or even hood.
My self I like staying with the same thickness threw the entire panel when doing a repair so at different temp changes do not affect the metal expansion and contraction.
Even the choice between but weld and a joggled repair, (Lapp joint) can see fatigue at the repair site from both panels stressing in change and leaving print threw in fillers or cracking.
Again being srayed evenly across the bottom of panels as your's are has a great chance of lasting a very long time.
And the price per fender is realy inexpensive compaired to welding new repair panels and metal finishing. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[BOXoROCKS]

....it looks like a good idea, but what if the panel has some high spots, can they be knocked down with out damaging the sprayed metal.What I am getting at is how workable is the stuff.

 

[Norton47]

Suppose to be workable, although not as easy as bondo. I am in the middle of installing the rebuilt engine, right now. I hope this is done this week.
As soon as that is done, I will start on these two fenders.
My plan is to try some 36 grit sand paper on a air powered in line sander and see how the flatness looks and how well it cuts. On the inside to knock down and high spots I am planning on DA with a soft backing pad to all it to conform to the curve.
Will continue to post.

 

[Norton47]

I thought I would provide a short update on this as I have just re-fitted the fenders.
Overall this is going to work. Not as well as I had hoped, or maybe I should say as easy.
Based on what I feel is original fit and quality, the fender lays over the rocker and follows it closely in curvature. The fit hand in glove, so to speak.
I had both front fenders metal sprayed. The right was more damaged by rust pin holes and the and part of the lower lip was rusted away. It was sprayed with a heavier application. This leads to less flexibility. If over flexed it will crack. I was able to weld the crack and it only cracked on one side, again lending some creedance to thickness being the key. The extra shaping was required due to the rocker shape changing as all of the outer rocker panel back to the A post was replaced. The new part has different curveture and the installing shop did not reshape the new part to match the old. This made it more triangular than rounded on the outer curve. Thus it did not closely match the existing fender curvature. I ended up reshaping both the fender and the rocker to reach a compromise.

If I were to do this again, I would spray the outside of the fender with it in place. I think it would be best to do this after the rocker repair, if required is completed, as that is what positions the fender mounting points. These mounting points define the amount of flexibility required.
The left side which had less damage to both the rockers and the fender, is much easier to install. Most of the original rocker was left in place and only patched in, thus leaving the original curvatures. Thus the set of fender matched more closely. Also the thickness of the sprayed material is thinner as the lower edge of the fender was intact, unlike the right where the edge was rusted away, thus causing them to build that up with the silicon bronze.
Here is the right side install and a skim coat of filler applied.

I will post some more as I finish the left side.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Wow, that is looking good!