Clive, Andy & Slarti: - Cheers chaps, thankfully I've almost finished my Christmas chores.
Scottie - Thanks. After today's effort I am finally getting closer to the home stretch on the bulkhead.
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Quick Christmas Quiz:
Can you spot the difference?
9am
12.40pm
3.50pm
Answer:
That's right, there is pretty much no difference, it has been cold and miserable all day long.
Pea Soup Anyone?:
I left the welder
inside the summer house while I did my welding just outside, as there was so much moisture in the air.
Despite the "less than ideal" conditions, I did manage to make a bit of progress today.
I finished off the welding on the repair panel I started yesterday so the "A" pillar is complete on the inside.
I can't wait to get some filler over this patch work quilt of repairs (mine & previous owners).
There was still a small gap on the outside between the new panel & the old metal.
But I put a small repair panel over the top of the two edges to seal the area.
I also hammered over one remaining edge of the bulkhead to meet the box section.
I then welded those edges together and added a small patch to cover the gap.
The more I looked at this bottom edge, the worse it looked with holes and rotten metal.
( Obviously the bulkhead is upside down for ease of access. )
So drastic action was called for and I cut the whole lot out.
Initially I was planning to run a single repair panel across the whole length.
But then I remembered that there was a curve in the bodywork that I couldn't match.
So I cut my repair panel into sections and welded the first two pieces in.
Then I cut the next repair panel at an angle that allowed me to hammer it into shape.
This is what the outside of the bulkhead looks like now, with more work still required.
Note: There is a rock propping up the bulkhead that makes the bottom edge look odd, but it is straight.
The final job for the day was to get some anti-rust treatment over the repairs, inside & out.
Whilst I have definitely broken the back of the bulkhead welding, there is still a bit to do.
As long as I can keep chipping away at it, the passenger side should be completely finished before Christmas.
(
Touch wood. )
Cheers, Paul.
