Aluminum C10 Grill Restoration

[@paintucation]

To be totally transparent.... this is a much bigger job than I wanted it to be... surprise to me, ( it always happens) Regardless, I think when I'm finished it'll look really good!!! and if it doesn't, I'll call @autometaldirect and order up a new shell... Thanks for watching!! Comin at ya'' with a cool F100 very soon!!

[@JamesWarnock-mk7up]

@@paintucation love the show have learned a lot from u hope to learn more keep up the good work

[@thebluewormbin3444]

The other consideration is how important originality is to your build. I might tackle this project on a numbers match build but probably not for a resto-mod.

[@paintucation]

@@thebluewormbin3444 GOOD POINT! If it matters that it's all original, it's well worth the time investment.

[@bajnaj73]

oh my god you are Awesome! I am not to far from working on my '70 grill! Wanted this truck for 40 years! Thank you so much!

[@paintucation]

Hope it helps!!!!! Thanks man.

[@davidcampbell4995]

Having worked in the trade for 42yrs it is great to see how you guys in the USA work, restoration work in the UK can be slightly different but the satisfaction of the finished product is no doubt the same , keep up the good work Video's are great to watch and this old tin basher can still learn new tricks Cheers David C Scotland UK

[@paintucation]

Hey David!!! It's an honor and very exciting to me that somebody from across the pond is watching. Thanks for your comments, and feel free to interject if there's anything you feel I should be doing differently for a better outcome. I hope you continue watching this channel! Got some neat stuff coming up. :-) have a great day.

[@craighansen7594]

I watch all your content, it's that good! The timing of this video is perfect! I just purchased a 1971 C10 from a person who had to let it go. The price of a "new" repro grille is crazy.

[@paintucation]

Thank you so much! I appreciate you watching. :-) glad it helps.

[@timkaldahl]

I love your willingness to fail. So many never start because they are afraid of failure.

[@paintucation]

Failure and mistakes are the ONLY way we learn 👍

[@rexoverbey9531]

Great job on the grill. There's one thing I've found also on shaping aluminum is it is soft enough that in some circumstances you can simply push your tool instead of hamming it making less distortion or at least in minor damage. Just another way to skin a cat. You do great work in showing step by step procedures. Look forward to each week of your shows.

[@paintucation]

I appreciate the insight! I'll try the "push" when I jump back on it.

[@ericfallis6202]

I enjoy my coffee to and understand it's effect but when it comes to polishing the slower the better from what I've experienced 😊

[@jimmyjam813]

I joke around about Kev being a nerd but that's all in fun. Kev is a wealth of knowledge for us car guys and I appreciate him passing on what has taken him a life time to learn . Thanks Kev :)

[@paintucation]

I'll own the nerd part. .. I love the rabbit-hole science, it's fascinating to me!! Thanks for watching!!

[@videoswho5151]

I ve went to John A Logan college an I have a Degree in Autobody collision repair an done prototype for crownline boats for 27yrs .I love watching all your stuff I learn alot from you an your videos .I love learning new to me stuff thank you !!!for all you do !!!

[@paintucation]

That's a huge compliment! Thank you , sir!

[@nick540g]

Thank you for making this video. Great camera work and editing plus your excellent narration makes a perfect one hour lesson. And about 2/3 of the way in, I was thinking "how many hours is this going to require?!?" and boom - right at the end you reveal the answer. Nice!

[@jimarmstrong5868]

You have the patience of Job!

[@buckshot3495]

Tedious Kevin Tetz. Love it. We have been schooled

[@Onemoretake01]

I recently restored a 1974 Suzuki Trail Hopper, and this is definitely a page from the same book I used for that project. Sometimes time and creativity are the best assets you can use on a project. Love the content Kevin

[@paintucation]

Right on, thank you!!

[@jimmyjam813]

Great tutorial Kev ! I just got a new heel dolly last week. I'm wanting to hone my metal shaping skills and this video certainly helped that cause. I think the big take on this video is slow and steady and patience to the process.

[@paintucation]

Take the advice of a few comments here.... Use heat to soften the aluminum.... It helps!!! I didn't do it at first, soni didn't show it. Good luck!

[@charlesdalton985]

Sorry for the delay in commenting, it's a full weekend. Thank you for taking the time to go through the entire process. And several laugh out loud moments - enjoy your humor. I had tried a similar process years ago on door sills with mixed results. If I had seen this prior, the results would have been better. Have a great week ~ Chuck. P.S. - great camera work in your videos!

[@paintucation]

We're coming back to the Camaro pretty soon, next up is the awesome F100 build with my family. I'm recovering from that right now, back to work this afternoon! Getting the video edited down, we have six days of footage to go through.

[@williamr1499]

You are my huckleberry. I have watched you for years from the beginning single-handed your videos help to give me the confidence to tackle a paint job on a 1989 BMW 635 Csi I had the ball to take most of it down to bare metal. Fixed some rear glass drip edge rusting. Paint and polished took me six months I was sick of it! But the hard work paid off and I sold it..

[@paintucation]

That's awesome!!! Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to motivate us.... Glad I could help with that!

[@jpackard2723]

Especially thankful that you show all the steps in your videos. So tired of guys just showing two minutes of work and wow it looks great. This was the real deal on the parts you did. I have greatly appreciated the Camaro project for the same reason because you show it ALL !! I also remember that silver trailer project, so yep, I guess I'm old too. Just glad that you are still willing to share and are explaining everything to us hobbyists.

[@craigstrickland1572]

That thing is turning out mint!

[@705on8]

The 5 cups of coffee had me in tears Ivan totally relate!

[@paintucation]

I love my coffee! ☕

[@RoninDosho]

I like the way you are willing to go out on a bit of a limb to find out what works. That's important. I really enjoyed this one.

[@howarddavis2193]

someone like me with ime than money this is a great option . I learn something new every time i watch your shows I went too voc school in the mid seventies so this is a great way to keep up with new products and techniques

[@martyschmidt2725]

I’m a Dodge guy and resto-modding a 68 Dodge Dart but I love your content and have learned a lot with your newer videos and the content you put out when you did the Eastwood videos. Thanks for your tips and info. Watching from southern Alberta Canada 🇨🇦

[@amsparc]

Perfect timing as I'm starting on straightening out my 71 grille surround today. It will be a challenge, but the experience gained will carry over onto the lower body trim pieces.Thanks!

[@paintucation]

You got this!

[@johnpawicz292]

As a blacksmith and knife maker, I am always using dykem!! I love the stuff! Lol

[@chetSeminole]

Never would had expected you to have to hit thin aluminum that hard. Fascinating.

[@silvertrain7945]

I just started to rework an aluminum taillight trim last week. It is in very rough shape but I figured it would be great to learn on. Now with what I have learned from this video, it could be possible to make it great again. Thank you.

[@paintucation]

Awesome! Glad to help!

[@evertzander6924]

What a great job. 👏👍 This has now been my favorite show on youtube. 🙂🇸🇪

[@ronsherfy6291]

Great video! In the past I’ve used C lamps with homemade bar stock dyes to push the dents out. Once I get the clamp set add some heat and let it cool. Remove clamp and repeat until dent is removed. Looking forward to the finished grill!

[@paintucation]

I will definitely try the C-Clamps! Great idea!

[@scottdean6459]

I use a small tack hammer for aluminum. If you look at one you can see how it can be used. It's doesn't put too much force and can work smaller areas with better affect.

[@danb2122]

Excellent content, love your videos. I appreciate you sharing tips and tech! I have an original grill on my 65 Chevelle I need to restore. Thanks again!

[@dougeaton2446]

Loved this episode!!!! Gave me alot of ideas!!! Thanks again Kevin for posting stuff that no one else dares to thinking its too boring. Love seeing new tricks!!!

[@archstanton9206]

Love this kind of effort. I would polish it too. In the early 90's my friends and I were building hot V-8 sand rails using a Caddy FWD automatic. I polished the whole trans case. It was completely visible at the rear of the car. I had a cast on my leg and would duct tape a hefty trash bag over it and sit down at the bench and go to town. Finish work was with a Dremel. I had about 50 hours in it when done.,

[@dave3156]

Anxious to see the finished product. Are you going to show the paint process for the lines and lettering? Would be a big help! Thx!!

[@paintucation]

Actually, yes!! That's the plan. It'll come back in a few weeks.

[@dave3156]

@@paintucation Great!! Really interested in how you get it painted like OEM

[@peteward8125]

Working aluminum takes patience… I drive trucks for a living but I enjoy polishing the aluminum wheels on my truck … the polish I have found that works best for me is zypher… there is a green bottle for the heavy cut and a pink bottle for the high luster . you can find it in most big truck chrome shops … as well as T/A or petro truck stops … give it a try. I think you might enjoy how fast it cuts and the finish is really pretty good !

[@craighansen7594]

Have you ever tried using a little heat to keep the metal from work hardening? My Dad and I worked a lot of stainless trim this way. I ground scraps of hardwood to do the pushing and mild striking to the back side of the trims. Some aluminum would get very soft when you annealed it with heat and you could push and rub the backside instead of hitting it.

[@paintucation]

Great tips!!! I'm gonna try annealing!!!

[@AFO1]

Kevin, get yourself a hydraulic press and press those raised areas flat with some machined blocks. Then for polish, mix 2/3 Mothers paste aluminum polish with 1/3rd liquid detaill spray. Chuck a polishing ball onto an air drill (you need it high speed) and it'll make it look like new.

[@JeffreyLee63]

Kevin I just love this channel, you are funny you talk to yourself like I do. You make the job, well its not a drag, thanks Kevin keep it going!!

[@markiacono5177]

Excellent work kevin. Ive been watching you since your days on trucks and its good to see you being yourself and showing us how to repair parts that most of us would have just went out and purchased a new repop of. Great job ill definitely give it a try.

[@stevennapodano4289]

The shop looks great 👍. Love your humor, keep up the great work.

[@paintucation]

Thanks 👍

[@nolanhill3400]

I've learn ALOT. Just this video. I alway wondered how someone fixes Aluminum grill. Now I know. That was Awesome! Keep being a nerd I like the knowledge behind it🤙🤙🤙

[@paintucation]

Glad to help! I learn on all of these episodes too... gonna try heat when I jump back on it.

[@nolanhill3400]

@@paintucation That's cool. That would for sure make it soft. My Dad was a blacksmith. I've alway loved metal. I have always wanted to do body work. But everytime I've tried to get in it something happens. Couldn't make no money. People didn't want to take time to teach me. Or teach me the right way. It's alway hurry. Love watching yall (VGG, Full Custom)

[@HeyKnight]

@@nolanhill3400the truth is you’ll learn most from practicing & trying things. Buy a junker & go ti town. You’ll figure out what works & what doesn’t just trying things yourself. Of course Kevs got great videos to learn from too.

[@lxman93]

Great video and perfect timing. I have a 62 Galaxie and the outer headlight rings are impossible to find that are not dented up. I am going to give these methods a shot.

[@paintucation]

Glad the videos help!!

[@larrybeussink7737]

Great video Kevin ! A little compressed air will dry the Dylan in seconds.

[@jefscoupe32]

Not a brown recluse. We have hundreds of those around my place (SW TN). They love old stacked cardboard, cardboard boxes (look under the top flaps when you open) and other dark, dry places. I save big boxes and cut big sheets out for laying on the concrete, catching drips, setting spray gun patterns ect. and when I move them, I always find at least one. Drying Dykem can be done with an air hose. Just a light wind will dry it pretty quickly. I've even used a shop towel, held by one corner and whirled around perpendicular to and above the surface to fan it dry in seconds. You can get it in blue, red and yellow (that I've seen). I get the bottle with the brush. The spray is easier and quicker but it gets used up quicker and easier too. I learned this as a lead man in a prototype machine shop. Boss asked why we were having to reorder Dykem so often... We switched to the brush/bottles and boss was happier. WE (machinists) liked the spray but I admit, we were going through a lot of it. I have a brush bottle that I've had for years and it's still half full. Great episode. That grille is going to look like new. And it'll fit like new because it came off that truck...or one made back then. It takes patience. LOTS of patience and mine seems to run out sometimes, to my dismay.

[@paintucation]

Well, whatever it was, it's dust now.

[@rlfaulk]

Great video! Just what I needed as I have a grill shell to refurbish for my 78 Bronco project. Thanks, Kevin!

[@paintucation]

Glad it helped!

[@TheMuskokaman]

Told ya I couldn't wait until Saturday morning! LOL Got my bowl of cereal & Coffee ;-)

[@paintucation]

Thanks!!!😄

[@majobis]

That stretch wrap you had would have worked. I have used that stuff before for shipping things You just needed to have one end started one side first. Then a slight bit of tension while pulling the roll over the part and then slicing it after the stretch wrap covered the part The stretch wrap should stay straight when pulling it over the part. Think of it like saran wrap covering a food dish when you cover a car part You can use that stuff under heavy tension to really wrap stuff up tight if needed It will be cool to see the grill when you are done finishing it up with the new parts on it.

[@markpaterson-v3m]

Absolutely beautiful

[@JuanRivera-xo3wo]

Mi amigo, excellente video, donde esta con otro video nuevo

[@paintucation]

Gracias amigo!

[@robertwilliams9384]

Love this show..very humorous ..Great job Kevin .. keep being you

[@johncorley4506]

I had a miss match 71 just like that with the grill this is an awesome deal. I really like old pickups and I know you can buy almost every repoped but I can always afford it

[@blahblah4125]

Definitely better descision choosing to polish vs. re-coat it. Better and more durable outcome and of course way cheaper!

[@RobertMiller-b5l]

When I have worked with thin Aluminum Alloys I have learned that it gets age hardened. Carefully, "CAFEFULLY" heating it to near its melting point (1000-1200 F) will soften it for days. Then you can straighten, flatten or even make 90 degree bends in it without the dreaded cracking.

[@darylhudson777]

If you don't want to use one of those manual hammers you can use a small air hammer to planish the metal.

[@kenstevens5675]

Thank you for the tips.

[@jimmyjam813]

Another episode of Nerd Alert with Kevin Tates. He's the Car King of all the Nerds :)

[@paintucation]

Sure..... I'll own that! LOL!

[@jimmyjam813]

@@paintucation Never change Kev ! I love the channel and you brand of humor. If we was all the same this world would be a boring place. I was a painter in a production body shop 20 years ago and I enjoy learning about new products and techniques.

[@jasonprice3335]

Enjoying the content

[@georgetalley7847]

Awesome work.

[@Mcgiever100]

prep for my rc parts I used lapping compound before buff and that took forever gl lol.

[@paulshurmon138]

Thanks for the video.

[@jackdonkey22]

I saw a 58 Buick grill in person and it was not what i was expecting based on pictures and videos online. The dull metal look is not something we're used to. It didn't look like an Acura grill, although online it kind of does. I'm thinking the diamondy acura grills. Probably from 10 years ago.

[@kevinching1975]

one thing about spiders is they don't eat much When i had my trucking business i transported aluminium bull bars for a manufacturer and took them to a metal polisher and they would look like chrome and stay that way for ages I sacrificed one of my snapon hammers that had a sharpish point opposite the fat hammer and made it flat about half an inch so I could hammer small indentations with it.

[@gregu6354]

Should have soaked those brackets in your evapo rust.

[@paintucation]

You're in my brain!

[@drivewayshop]

I find it interesting that you just worked around the spider instead of evicting it. 😉 The SDS for the remover says it's sodium hydroxide.

[@jonathanhicks7725]

I use distilled vinegar, a fine steel wool and the garden hose. As soon as that vinegar hits the old anodizing it turns to milk and comes off real easy

[@JamesWarnock-mk7up]

Lets be honest that grill is better than anything u can buy today

[@paintucation]

That's why I'm saving it...👍

[@Iseerightthruyou]

I never had the patience for reworking a grill like that. I'm that guy that would buy a new one and sell the old one. Or sanded it down and painted it to match the body... 😂😂😂

[@D.Barcode]

I never use WD40 on corrosion. Let’s see if it works haha! Great idea to restore it rather than replace!!

[@michaelstrafello7346]

I'm not waiting Eastwood makes a coating for aluminum also

[@craighansen7594]

I will go back to Eastwoods catalog, good stuff!

[@mrfatbobrider1969]

Come on Bro, stop playing with your TOOL on TV.. 😂😂😂 just jokin Bro , I’ve done a lot of aluminium wheels and parts by hand with Autosol hard work but worth the effort, it took me 8 hours to polish billet aluminium front wheel and front end, a lot of hours but it all came up better than chrome to a point some mates were asking if I just had it all chromed , great video Brother… ✌️😎👍🇳🇿

[@paintucation]

Thanks very much! And it's my tool, I'll play with it all I want to! Lol! Thanks for watching. :-)

[@GenderSkins]

Hey Kevin, this is a little tip for the jewelers rouge that you are using. Try using a cotton polishing wheel, like what you would put on a bench grinder. They make a drill bit that you can mount the cotton polishing wheel to and use with a drill, which will make polishing any metal easier. It’s a trick I picked up while working in a Jewelry store while in high school, as it’s that cotton wheel that jewelers use to polish gold, silver, platinum and gem stones with once they are mounted in jewelry. Works for brass, and aluminum as well.

[@paintucation]

I actually got a kid from Amazon of just those very tools, I will definitely try it. I was going to wait until I got a little farther along with the pick and file but I will definitely use those smaller buffs and wheels. Thanks!

[@HeyKnight]

Ah yes. BOBS YOUR UNCLE 🤟

[@blahblah4125]

Pro tip, when unrolling suran or cling wrap, stick it to 1 side of surface with some tape, then when you unroll it to the other side, it then won't stick to itself and become a mess lol

[@jgray8879]

To help with your rust bits, try soaking in cola over night. Cheap hack that works wonders

[@opietwoep1247]

When I first read the title I thought you were restoring a bbq grill 😂

[@dwaynelejeune3508]

Wow how many shops do you have???? I’ve only got one and piled with shint lol

[@cindyh8822]

Once you get grill done and completed is it a good idea to spray with 2k clear coat???

[@paintucation]

No, unless the clear is DTM and made to stick to metal. Most clear will just peep off

[@hickeyskustomresto]

No worries Kevin, I don't like em much either lol Working on a 69 dart that just came in, the little buggers just keep comming out of it.

[@nathanbopp6163]

An easy way to remove that blue dye is to respray and wipe off before it dries

[@brian2359]

Kev, my stainless trim around the windows of my 68 Firebird look like they left them on during the sanding stage. How would I go about cleaning that up? 0000 steel wool and then metal polish? Thank you!

[@paintucation]

Yes, that should work great. Try not to scratch them too deeply, but you can always send the scratches out. The three-step polishing process that I show works great if you use a cotton buff. It's a lot of work, but you can make them look like a brilliant Chrome appearance. Stainless is very friendly to polishing and looks great if you invest the time to do it.

[@brian2359]

@@paintucation Thank you!

[@michaelstrafello7346]

Hah I remember the airstream resto ,yes I am old

[@paintucation]

Me too!!! LOL! Thanks for sticking with the content for all these years!

[@cindyh8822]

Why didn’t you lay the plastic on one corner and just pull it across when you get it sprayed???

[@paintucation]

Cause I'm a moron.... Pretty simple 🤣

[@darylhudson777]

Now that's the way to do it use that penetrating oil as much as possible to save yourself some broken snapped off fasteners, bolts, screws. Work Smarter Not Harder.

[@bajnaj73]

I finally called Eastwood and this product is no longer available. Do you know of another good product that is as easy to remove the anodizing?

[@paintucation]

No, sorry. You'll have to go after some of the homemade recipes. Start with oven cleaner

[@bajnaj73]

@@paintucation no problem, thanks for getting back quickly.

[@coinman1972]

is it amt parts or amd parts, or ...? gotta link? Please let me know. I'm a parts guy at a chevy dealer and i'm always looking for more sources.

[@paintucation]

AMD, stands for Auto Metal Direct

[@57WillysCJ]

The one thing about doing the original is the quality. You just don't find that in repop. Lighter might be better but not usually for me. My first dealing with aluminum was a set of mag style rims. Since I drove it in Illinois winters by spring it didn't look to good. About 5 min per wheel with an SOS pad and soap and water and they were good for another year. They were not high shine but still had a nice luster. I have done motorcycle engines and even old power tool cases since then with the right equipment. It doesn't take long and the shine lasts.

[@ronsautojax]

It work's if you can't get the part's but for me it cost more due to the time it takes to accomplish the goal.

[@paintucation]

I agree with you, sometimes I just don't have the time and it's easier to write a check.

[@landofstan246]

Have any of you auto body guys used a laser for rust removal?

[@paintucation]

I'm dying for one!!! Gonna start looking for a shop unit soon. That and dry ice blaster.

[@arthurmiller-vl6sw]

Kevin, do yourself a huge favour and start using KRoil for penetrating fluid. It’s a little bit spendy but it’s so worth it.

[@craighansen7594]

Never tried it and many say it's great. I'll buy some and give it a try.

[@paintucation]

I will get something better.... WD was all I had.👍👍👍💪

[@arthurmiller-vl6sw]

@@craighansen7594I started using it because that’s what they use at my wife’s plant. Check the Google comparison reviews. WD40 is just a step above water in comparison to Kroil. Not easy or cheap to find in 🇨🇦. I get it at my bearing supplier. It works super well with heat as well.

[@ASmallThorn]

KRoil and CRC's Screw Loose in my trade are known as " Miracle In A Can "

[@kellvarnssen7443]

Industrial strength saran wrap, like that was gonna end well. 🤣

[@paintucation]

Yeah, Not thought through..... LOL! I use it to wrap/pack big shipments and I just knew it was going to do amazing things!!! Nope.

[@kellvarnssen7443]

@@paintucation No, I was just kidding. I've used it for similar things as well. Great tutorial on bringing that grill around. I'll file it away for future use, since I'm usually one of those guys looking for unobtainium. What is that on the periodic chart? 🤔 Thanks for bringing back Saturday morning car shows!

[@mathmark100]

Is there a similar way to get rid of or etch chrome for paint? Sandblasting sucks!

[@paintucation]

No, not really. blasting is best on chrome.

[@kennethstaszak9990]

Muriatic acid strips the chrome layer to expose the nickel layer underneath but it isn't the safest thing to use, is a pain to dispose of and the fumes can cause rusting on other steel if used inside. I tried it on a chromed headliner trim piece so I could sand it smooth. It worked but I don't especially care to do it again. You have to neutralize it with baking soda for disposal. I don't imagine it would be a good thing to try on pot metal parts. A section in the book - How To Restore Metal Auto Trim - by Jeff Lilly describes the process he used to strip the flash chrome on a stainless hubcap.

[@jlawlar]

5:19 lol me too

[@Rick-O-Shay60]

To each his own... but me, I would've got the area back into form, sand the small area of the single dent, filled that small area with alumafill, fine sand that smooth, powder coat the whole thing aluminum, done. Save ya about 3-4 hrs on your method of beating the hell out of it, diechem cost, sanding pads, sweat, frustration. Maybe try a decaf coffee there Kevin. ☕ 🥱

[@1wickedmerc]

I've used oven cleaner before too. My question is how do you know what rhinoceros butt smells like ?

[@paintucation]

Went to the Zoo!!! Got close to the fence Lol!!

[@1wickedmerc]

@@paintucation lol. I figured you would do that 😂😂

[@Martina_Vintage_Motorcycles]

Your full of sarcasm today Kevin… reminds me of, well, Me 😂

[@paintucation]

LOL! sarcasm is my second language..... :)

[@tuffy16]

I have eaten the top right off a aluminum flashlight with oven cleaner lol

[@victorfrulla7829]

Hi Kevin, Sodium Hydroxide is a base the opposite of acid. And is corrosive and dangerous use your safety equipment

[@JonStein-mu5eb]

I'm listening to physical graffiti and your hammering was in time with Bonham.

[@bradhawk-f6c]

😂 “This little wiener hammer”

[@paintucation]

😂

[@BillMulholland1]

🍻👍

[@JohnnyG-b3u]

SARAH N TUNED

[@paintucation]

spam