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Sheet metal work to install the fuel tank

I was trying to repair a part of the trunk floor around the fuel tank using the sheet metal I got from a person of the repair shop.  My purpose was just to add some patches for the reinforcement because I had never done the sheet metal repair and didn't have a skill.  My only experience for the sheet metal work was to make the dustpan in a class when I was a junior high school student.  I liked that class and was good at, but it was 32 years ago.  I didn’t know how it would be.

After watching the trunk floor for a while, I started making the pattern paper.
I found some moderate thick papers at my house.  And I attached it on the repair part and cut it to fit the shape of the flange to be repaired.


Next, I copied this pattern paper into a sheet metal and cut it.
At first I tried to cut it with sheet metal scissors, but it was difficult because the sheet metal had 1 mm thickness and it was too hard.  Therefore, I decided to use the disc grinder.  I aimed close to the pattern paper line on the sheet metal as much as possible, and cut it with the disc grinder carefully.


I was a bit nervous because it was just 2nd time for me to use the disc grinder.  But it went well.

After this I adjusted the shape with scissors and a file.


The sheet metal became like this.  It was not bad!


Next was to bend the sheet metal using a vise and a couple of wood pieces.


Then, I formed the sheet metal adjusting to the shape of the area to be repaired.


Finally, the joint part of the wall and the flange was soldered.  I knew welding would be better, but I didn’t have a welder.  I thought solder was okay because the base flange was still strong.


The formed sheet metal would be fixed on the flange like this. 


This was the work for this day.

Next work would be…
-       Remove the rust and old paint at the body side to be repaired,
-       Fix the formed sheet metal on the flange with steel rivets and JB Weld,
-       Paint the remained POR tank sealer on the repaired parts to prevent the rust.

It was a sheet metal work for the first time in 32 years for me, but it was very interesting.

(My original blog was written on 22nd Sep. 2008)
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