I did some lead work today. The first pics are the supplies. The kevlar gloves are heat and burn proof material...a must have. The brillo pad is used to scuff in the flux as you heat it onto the panel. Have at least 2 paddles already dipped in the tallow ready to go prior.
This was tricky to do. You really need 3 hands. One to hold the paddle, one for the torch and one holding the lead. So you are switching things very quickly because the lead hardens in a split second. Too much heat and it runs off like water, Not enough, and you're paddling a rock into the panel, not accomplishing anything. After washing the panel clean with baking soda and laquer thinner after tinning; I heated up the entire area gradually. The most recommended thing is to get the work surface as close to horizontal as possible. This is so you won't have lead running off so easily. I was able to get my car to about a 45 degree angle for the lead work. Put the lead on above the area you are targeting and then let it run down to the target. At the same time quickly paddle and smooth while keeping the lead to the consistency of soft mud without watering away from too much heat. When to heat and how much to heat is the key. Another trick I quickly learned was that I would take leftover chunks that ran down and layed them on the areas to lead. Since they were thinner, they mushed quicker than the rod itself. So then I took one inch pieces separately and layed them on, then did the work. This proved to be easier to mush into place than using the heated end of the whole lead rod. Body filler will now be less than 1/8th of an inch throughout thereby eliminating any possible telegraphing that body filler alone tends to do on the quarter panel seam. Telegraphing is when the body filler expands at a different rate from hot and cold. Once you get the idea on how to do this, I think you will discover how much better lead is to use over body filler.
