The ups and downs of owning a W123.130 (non turbo 300D) - Conversion to petrol / gas! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stretch · #1 12-03-2018, 11:48 AM

The plan is to make the repair patches for each of the panels that make up the structure and where possible spot weld the parts back together as per the factory design.

I'm hoping it will all look like solid parts once I'm done - rather than patch here - patch there.

I've shown this approach before - hammer form to get the approximate shape - then use gucci new mushroom stakes to smooth it all out.

Much like the designer dent made for the headlight housing assembly => hash tag free wood rules!

Note I'm not using hard wood - this soft wood junk they make buildings from these days is perfectly OK for my purposes. I've seen beautiful thick steel hammer forms on forums like MetalMeet - for Metalshaping Enthusiasts & Professional Metalshapers and I could also spend weeks making them too if I was going to go into production - but I'm not - wood is good - it'll end up in the wood burning stove once I'm done and that'll be one bit of crap that won't be cluttering up my workshop.

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Introduction to "Project Binky" - brilliant series on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hCPODjJO7s

If you have the time it is well worth the watch if you've not seen it already

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Project Binky advocate CAD - cardboard aided design

I do something similar with masking tape given half the chance (cos I too like to keep up with the times)

Because it is already sticky the tape is easily peeled away...

...and then stuck on the surface you want to cut to shape

So as before clamping between two bits of wood and then hammering around the sides forming the designer dent =>

{More in a bit in the next post cos I'm limited to 5 attached photos per post)

Stretch · #2 12-03-2018, 12:29 PM

Although these chisels are not meant to be used on steel (roofing ones for lead flashing) they are quite useful - especially as they tend not to leave marks

Another handy tool to have is a set of these hand folding pliers

As before the reason for making the dent from the flat sheet first and then folding helps to make sure I'm not as likely to have to hammer so hard - easier on the old joints and also less likely to end up ripping the steel (if I get too enthusiastic)

Flipped round for some unknown reason - I should have adjusted that picture - doh =>

Quick comparison - need to make a curved corner on the lower right hand side...

...and then smooth out the lower parts.

Not all of this panel will be used - in fact most of it will be cut away as I want to preserve as much of the original structure as possible

(To be continued)

Stretch · #3 12-04-2018, 11:37 AM

...rather than you! I had a crap day today with lots of other stuff that got in the way of twatting metal for the floor pan.

Still persistence and pig headed-ness is the only way this'll get done

So today - despite the crap - I made sure I got to the workshop to start this =>

I can't fail to stress the importance of a sturdy workbench - a decent vice - and some decent G-clamps that don't bend like the cheap ones (also shown in the picture above!)

Simple decent stuff like vices and decent G-clamps are seriously expensive these days - so be warned if you fancy a bit of shopping...

...the vice I got second hand - great deal despite the play in the screw - one day I plan to restore the vice but the problem is: It is so damn useful there never seems a moment when I'm not using it.