Finished Photos
Before & After
Existing Truck
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Cab
Before blasting I grabbed a pick and jabbed at each rust spot in this area. All the spots that I could punch through I drilled out. Followed by a good blasting focusing not just on the holes but what was behind and inside the hole.
Now for these holes, I am planning on welding them closed and then sanding them flush. But before that, with a rattle can of rust converter/inhibiter, I will be treating the metal that I can not get to. Like the area behind these holes along with other areas in the cab.
In order to get in these tight areas I am planning on switching out the spray nozzle on the rust converter with that of one from a can of carburetor cleaner. This way I can utilize the small tub that you insert in the spray nozzle that came with the can of carburetor cleaner. By doing so, I should be able to insert the tub into the holes and tight spots. Of course this will leave runs. Runs that I will have to clean up, but at least I know I have given it my best shot for those areas that otherwise would of been left untouched.... I will let you know how it works out.
A few days later: As it turns out, it worked pretty good. I was able to get into the areas needed. The issues I ran into was first, with the rust converter coming out the tub, it was a stream. To fix that, I flattened the end of the tub and spread the spray out. Second was where the converter ran out on the primer, it soften the primer and had to be cleaned up and re-primed. The last part was only due to me not wearing gloves... Boy is that rust converter hard to get off your hands.
With having a small metal brake, I am limited on the size and thickness I can bend. With 18 gauge metal, I am pushing it at 12 inches.
So with four pieces of metal cut and bent to size, they were clamed down to the work table.
With a sheet of aluminum on the work bench, I clamped down a piece of flat stock and used it to align the new pieces.
After welding the new pieces together followed by grinding and sanding; the new was clamped to the old. With the cutoff wheel, cut through both pieces, new and old. From there, the parts were welded, grinded and sanded.
After the floorboards are finished, it will be welded back into the truck and ready for a small about of glazing putty and primer.
As earlier stated, there is issues of rust on the back side, bottom part of the top half of the cab. This would be rust.
In order to fix this, the only logical solution I could come up with is to do filler welds.
Here is a shot of the first round.
Keeping in mind that this is a very rusty area (now blasted) the metal is very thin. With every touch of the welder, the wholes got bigger and bigger until there was enough weld to absorb the heat.
Now I won't lie to you and say everything went according to plan because it didn't.
With the more I sanded away on the welds, the more I thinned the existing metal and the more welds I had to do.
"If you have or had the same issue with your truck in this area, let me know how you address the problem. I would like to know how it could of been fixed that was better than what I did."