We met Ed West on the cruise...
We met Ed West on the cruise to the Mopar Nationals. Ed's ride is a trick custom Dodge Ram truck. Discussing the smooth-filled seams of the truck, Ed gave us the lowdown on his metal spraying business and how effective it is at filling in bodywork applications. Here, Ed points out where the fuel-fill door has been seamed into the fender of his truck. It sounded good enough to go and have a look.
You never know what you'll come across on the run to the Mopar Nationals. This year, taking the drive from Chicago to Columbus, we met Ed West. Ed was riding in his highly customized Hemi Orange Dodge Ram truck, and we got to talkin' bodywork. When Ed described his RustBuster's operation in Nebraska, we were intrigued by what we heard. At first, we were a little skeptical, but as Ed told of the process, we wanted to know more. Essentially, the system involves spraying pure metal into a repair or fill area, using a specially manufactured metal-spray machine. Zinc or a zinc alloy is arced at the tip of the gun, and then the molten plasma is rapidly propelled onto the prepared repair area, fusing with a mechanical bond. Zinc has a natural affinity for steel and acts like a corrosion barrier, and in fact, the repair material actually galvanizes the steel.
The process sounded as though it would have some very useful applications in resto and custom bodywork; from filling and repairing holes and seams to building up areas as a filler. Ed related that the material could be shot on as required, either paper-thin or as thick as needed, depending on the repair. After making the repair, the filler can be worked much like lead, though it is harder and more durable than typical plastic repairs. It sounded good enough to make the trip to Nebraska for a first-hand look. We were impressed by what we saw.
This machine is the key to...
This machine is the key to the metal spraying system. Resembling a heavy-duty MIG welder, the system sprays a molten zinc alloy to the area being filled, a material that looks and acts similarly to old-fashioned body solder or lead.
At the back of the machine...
At the back of the machine we find the fill material (actually spools of zinc wire) which are fed through and arced at the front of the gun with compressed air spraying the molten material to the work surface.
In his shop, Ed has this '55...
In his shop, Ed has this '55 Dodge panel truck; a nice classic in need of a touch of body and rust repair. It would afford us a first-hand demonstration of the metal spray process.
The rear quarters on the '51...
The rear quarters on the '51 were as solid as Gibraltar, but were showing some rust at the wheel lips. No, there aren't any repops on the market that we know of, so these would have to be fixed.
The repair begins by sandblasting...
The repair begins by sandblasting the rusted area. Blasting will clean the rust and scale, and is an essential step in the system to create a clean surface for the zinc spray to stick. Ed blasted the outer skin until it was completely free of rust, right down into the pits.
The area was lightly rapped...
The area was lightly rapped with a hammer to recess it, and shake out some of the scale from the inner panel. Further blasting cleared the last of the rust, and the repair area was blown down with air to clear any loose debris.
The metal spray process shoots...
The metal spray process shoots a molten-plasma of zinc-fill material directly to the damaged area, which it then fuses to. The operator can control the amount of buildup from very thin to heavy.
Here's the repair area as...
Here's the repair area as it appeared after filling. Notice that the fill closely resembles the required final shape.
After filling, the repair...
After filling, the repair can be worked by filing, grinding, or sanding. Ed just roughed it out with a die grinder.
From here, all that's required...
From here, all that's required is the final finish work. The result is a repair in metal that's quick and effective. Because the process transfers little heat to the base metal, panel distortion is not a problem.
The lower areas of these doors...
The lower areas of these doors were pretty rusted out. The same basic technique was used to rebuild the sheetmetal with the metal spray machine. Ed has developed techniques to back up a repair in areas where much of the original metal is missing, to preserve the original shape.
Filling various holes in bodywork...
Filling various holes in bodywork can be quickly accomplished with the RustBuster machine. These doors had large aftermarket mirrors installed at one time, leaving the skin riddled with mounting holes. Not a problem, according to Ed.