Road Runner Nest

I just don't currently have the budget to do a huge metal replacement and weld job for this - does anyone have suggestions as to how this rather difficult area might be tackled at home with over the counter stuff?

I've got Eastwood rust treatments coming - was considering following up with either lead or fiberglas and putty/filler...

From outside:


From inside:

hi ive done alot of rust repair like this at the shop i used to work at.i can tell you everything except cutting out the old and welding in new will only be temporary. the biggest thing is make sure you get the area as clean as possible if you can get a small sand blaster that would be best. then you can put a good sealer on it before you start your work. if not the eastwood products are decent just follow their directions. then either rivot in or fiberglass in a patch to start with. then use a good fiberglass or metal containing putty(duraglass,all metal,ect) then do the fine finishing with a lighter filler. just make sure its clean and dry and it will last longer. hope this helps,jeff

Well, mine on the 72 was similar but not as bad. I simply cut it out with cutting wheel. then, I shaped 3 separate pieces and laid them in place to make a nice fit. The I put them together like a puzzle........all welded up. Look very nice........took a very thin coat of filler afterwards. My opinion is, the only way to get rid of rust is to cut it out. I wish I had taken pics of that....it really wasn't that bad.Oh, this is my first time really trying to do that kind of work............I mean, I have done some but anyway it turned out very very nice. Can't even tell

The only way to get rid of rot is to cut it all out and replace it. Any other repair will not last and most likely cause more damage in the future, then it will take more time or cost a lot more to do it right. You could cut and shape the the patches you need out of scraps that would cost nothing.You could bend the metal with tools you probably already have. You dont have to do it all with one piece. It could be done in a few separate sections (that would make this a pretty simple repair. Welding it could be done by a friend or a friend of a friend for a 12er. That would make this a low buck repair. Dont boogger it up by doing it half assed. Do it right. Good luck!

*sigh* Well - how would one go about doing some at-home welding? What's a comparatively cheap setup for just little jobs, and how much learning do I need before I attempt it (do I need to take a night class, etc)?

I think I could fairly easily cut some metal for it - I work at a shop where we have small aluminum, stainless and brass sheets. Which would be most appropriate?

Would a Dremel with an HD super cutting wheel be able to tackle this, or do I need something more serious?

billzilla wrote:I think I could fairly easily cut some metal for it - I work at a shop where we have small aluminum, stainless and brass sheets. Which would be most appropriate?

Would a Dremel with an HD super cutting wheel be able to tackle this, or do I need something more serious?

You should use sheet metal,The same thickness. You could use a snips, hack saw, file, hammer, pipe, vise, vise grips or anything that will get the job done. That rust is in a good spot for practice. Go for it!

I dont know if youve seen it but on spiketv,around noon on weekends theres a group of shows called "The Powerblock Shop"
And one of the shows is called "Musclecar"
They guy on there did the same job that you need to do,but it was on a 67 Pontiac Lemans,but its pretty much the same idea.

I went to their site but they dont have the episodes to watch.
But the good thing is they play reruns like all of the time,

billzilla wrote:*sigh* Well - how would one go about doing some at-home welding? What's a comparatively cheap setup for just little jobs, and how much learning do I need before I attempt it (do I need to take a night class, etc)?

You can weld with car batteries. I've seen it done while 4 wheeling in the middle of the woods on a rainy night. Google it. There are some strong auto body adhesives too. I've never used them someone here might have. You can get a low cost mig welder (under 300). Take a course at a tech school (less the 200) You can get a dvd ( about 20).

Just to make you feel better, I probably had 1 1/2 hours doing mine. Use metal snipes to trim excess..........much easier......also, used a regular hammer..........do it in section like me and the other guy said....it is much easier.

I think I found a guy who will do the bare metal work (fabricate the replacement lip and weld it in) for about $400 or so. I'll have to fill and primer.

Man, that price is rediculous. If you had a way to weld it in, I would weld up a couple of pieces and send to you.............all you would have to do is trim it to fit. that price is crazy.

Well, I don't have any welding buddies out here (lol), and labor for this sort of thing in CA is through the roof ($75/hr is cheap here). He said around 4 hours, so it might be more like $300.