Body Solder of Pinholes

Welding pinholes on thin, rusty materials is difficult. Instead of cutting out a large piece, fill the holes with solder instead. Details here: www.inditravel.org/en/body-so...
Stronger and better against rust than filler/bondo. Car is a 1976 Land Cruiser 40.
Site for travel, overlanding and technical stuff.

[@joewahrerMotorcycleMan]

Three years later and we are still learning from you! Thanks!

[@edgarasvas]

For those, who complain about tin. I have removed a lot of old paint from old cars. There, where tin was on the surface, no rust around, no lifted paint or something like that. Also after some „masters” work with fiber glass bondo or just bondo, underneath whole thing is rusted all the time. Talking about 10-15 years with filler and 50 years with tin.

[@inditravel]

That sounds fine. Old methods work. Problem with bondo is that it sucks water and rusts. Must be covered with epoxy to avoid rust.

[@kurtiswa-k-8346]

Very informative! Thanx for the tip, 35 yrs doing body, This is a great solution to many problems... Cheer's

[@Whateverpoopiepants]

Beautifully done and really well explained . Thanks

[@speedy_pit_stop]

Very nice repair. Much better than body filler or even fiberglass.

[@email4664]

old school, and far better overall.

[@jessejohnson159]

Nicely done sir!

[@charlespartak2435]

Always wanted to know how to do this. Thank you sir , you made it look easy

[@inditravel]

Same here. Was easier than I thought. Remember to clean well after solderling, else rust will Come.

[@peterduxbury927]

Problem here - is that you must first check underneath the work before starting. Hazards could be electrical wiring, rubber items, melting / removing any Underseal from your vehicle, then you have rust forming underneath!! Or the worst scenario is a Fuel Line. I have done this work many times, but (first) use a Dremel and diamond bit. Dremel does a superior job of removing the rust and other contaminants. Cleanliness of the metal is critical to achieving solder flow - and the best results. I would never use a gas blowlamp. Go out and buy the biggest (that's not a knife) and highest wattage Soldering Iron that you can find. 150 to 200W should be OK. Don't forget to wash off any remaining flux residue - after the job has been done. hope this helps.

[@zdravkomomci7570]

Wouldn't you need the flame for the flux tin to adhere to the metal? Just asking I have a big iron never tried this but have body spoiler bolt holes that need filling without too much heat was going to solder then weld them

[@peterduxbury927]

@@zdravkomomci7570 There is a huge difference between 'Pin Holes' and 'Bolt Holes'! I am guessing that your Bolt Holes would be at least 10mm in diameter. This is more suited to the job of a MIG Welder, where you could make 'blanks' of similar gauge metal / hole diameter, and then weld them into position. Hope that this helps you.

[@NRDavis-wl8vn]

I Restore shot out Rifle Barrels by drilling out and reaming for a Rifled Tube which I Solder in. Found that a Very Large Electric Soldering Iron is perfect for Thinning the Outside of the Liner. Biggest problem I had while using a Torch was getting the metal up to Temp but not Overheating it. With the Iron I can just Walk the Puddle down the Tube.

[@peterduxbury927]

@@NRDavis-wl8vn Glad that you have found the use of a large Solder Iron to give good results. I swear that I did not know that you could renovate a Rifle Barrel in such a way!

[@track1219]

Nice job!

[@eirikmurito]

Nice repair

[@motorv8N]

Thank you!

[@terrytytula]

Great video, especially appreciate the lead vapor warning. Watched a video from India where they were rebuilding car batteries with no protection, left me wondering how long they could do this before they got sick.

[@marktiltins8845]

A true craftsman 👍

[@grubmuntedlunchbox1599]

Can this be done to pitted steel before chroming?

[@johnsarab4500]

When body/paint shops want $12-20K to paint a classic, you need to know this (even if you have to try several times to get the bloody bother right!). My '69 is from less rust CA, yet the cheapo chain est. $12,500!!!

[@jeffnunley1861]

What kind of solder u using

[@raitshots]

Old variant 👍 😎

[@timschmidt3784]

I'm repairing rust holes in a child's wagon. The wagon was sandblasted and epoxy primered. Do I have to sand or grind the epoxy off to bare metal to solder the holes?

[@inditravel]

Yes, you need bare, clean metal.

[@BurningSteel69]

I use short strand dynaglass or just mig weld when possible

[@eddiepesadilla4904]

To anybody.... Is that solder the same plumbers use on pipes...? And what's the material he apply with brush...? I'm in Spain and world like to know the equivalent materials. Thanks

[@inditravel]

No, not same solder as plumbers use. That is for copper. But it might work. The brushed stuff is flux. A mixture of acid and tin used to prime the steel. Important to get the solder to stick to steel. More details here: www.inditravel.org/en/body-solder/

[@311superfly]

Curious about drop thru. And adhesion.and filler material. Otherwise awesome job

[@inditravel]

drop thru is not a problem when soldering because of the much lower temperature than when welding. No problem with adhesion when using flux. Material is tin with some additives, which can be lead. If so, use mask.

[@ticklemypickle270]

awesome. i have some tiny rust pinholes in the roof on my chrysler 300. its not bad but i didnt want to mig it fearing i would warp the panel

[@bbbk53]

Have used the same procedure to fix motorcycle and loan mower tanks, but never primed it with solder first....did it all in one shot. Good hint. Btw years ago my friend was electronic genius...at the age of 13 he used to build radio transmitters and all sorts of stuff. One day his brain stopped working and his body became a vegetable. I blame it on constant flux and solder exposure

[@MrGrxxx123]

Paint don’t stick to the lead repair??

[@_Dwarkin]

You should cover it with a primer first

[@311superfly]

Ever heard if a Lead Sled. .i think vw/Porsche used lead for seamless seams back when.

[@totalforyou6362]

Soldering material name please

[@inditravel]

Body solder is tin based. Previously it contained lead as well, but normally not today as it is toxic

[@shawnfellows5306]

@@DenJSmith do they have a website?

[@dave9271]

Is this durable and dont corrode as easy?

[@upyours1256]

@@dave9271 no wont corrode easy where solder is , buuut , most of the rust is behind where you are soldering , so its only a matter of time before it comes back !

[@dave9271]

@@upyours1256 ok thank you very much for your feedback appreciate it.

[@davidm4160]

This will not last, rust never sleeps.

[@inditravel]

Like here, steel is sandblasted, tinned and painted with epoxy. Close to zero chance for new rust from front side within 30 years. BUT, rear side is a cavity, not sandblasted, and if it is gonna rust it is from this side. To prevent that, cavity is sprayed with a creeping non hardening rust inhibitor (Fluid Film) and sealed.

[@andrewallen9993]

Define won't last? WHERE I have done it it lasts about five times longer than bondo :) But mig is easier.

[@eyeballproductsoy]

Why not really fix the problem by welding or making a repair piece

[@NordicDan]

I wondered that myself. A pitted/thinned section of sheet metal I can see leading being a viable option, but not once holes have fully penetrated the sheet metal.

[@kurtiswa-k-8346]

Because of location, and being that tight, You would make a bigger mess cutting an welding, this is Spot-On! Well done!

[@_Dwarkin]

It's not easy to weld rusty materials. Sometimes the leftover steel just burns and you end up with more and more holes to fill. Tin soldering is a very gentle method to repair thin and rusty panels

[@andrewallen9993]

It's easier to metal stitch with a co2 mig welder surely?

[@inditravel]

It is better, yes. But in this case it was rather rusty so welding would only burn holes. And it would be difficult to fabric new pieces to weld in.

[@freeatleast]

Why not just weld those tiny little holes and be done with it?

[@311superfly]

Have You the ability? Show your work please

[@ArthurFleck-tx9di]

I was thinking the same... light heat might weld..

[@5150on420]

Looks like a decent way to get out of doing the repair the correct way

[@notyodaddy1499]

Will be rusted in no time

[@inditravel]

It can be a problem if you dont clean away flux after soldering. It is an acid and has to be neutralized.

[@jaystheone1]

The rust will come back. New metall is the only way to do it if you want it to last.

[@swicked86]

I don't think that's true, for the solder to stick the acid is removing the rust. The lead should protect the steel. Often I see people sanding to bare metal removing the e-coat on cars and absolutely starting a massive rust problem. Maybe your an expert and treat the metal and treat it properly to prevent rust.

[@davebar2017]

Dont! lead poisoning

[@buckhorncortez]

You can get lead-free body solder. I use it all the time because you can grind it just like a plastic filler. Creates less dust and is easier to paint over.

[@heinzgunther9500]

Tinning is not for filling rustholes...

[@craigywaigy4703]

Lead solder over holes is WORSE than polyester/2k fillers as it forms a galvanic reaction! - Just because it's an old technique, doesn't necessarily make it good , kinda like leeches for migraines!! To sort a mess like this as easily as possible, then oxy/fuel weld those holes and you'll have the same filler/parent metal, or better still cut the tinworm out, and start afresh as the holes only represent a tiny fraction of what is actually happening deep below the surface! Cure the cause and not the symptom, a la leeches! ;)

[@5150on420]

Yup

[@inditravel]

I agree welding is better, but soldering can be a lot easier when the metal is very corroded and thin, as it was in this example. Steel and tin/lead is rather close in galvanic potential so there is not a big chance of galvanic corrosion. You also need an electrolyte (water/salt) to start galvanic corrosion, so if you cover with a dense primer like epoxy the chances are small.

[@ironworkerfxr7105]

There is a place for everything. I have a 1959 jaguar, ,,factory LEAD on fenders NO ISSUES.

[@craigywaigy4703]

@@ironworkerfxr7105 "factory finished" is the critical factor as almost all production cars until the late 70s used lead as a filler - Leading over oxidised steel(ie chemicaly active) is worse than using cataloy, which is metalurgically inert. The critical factor is always to remove Tin Worm and start afresh whenever possible, as corrosion is a sign of moisture ingress, either wicking between seams, or condensates within cavities. Leading(regardless of alloy) will not adhere to oxidised steel, so in effect you are creating a boundary layer between filler and parent metals that induces moisture absorbtion via capillary action(and associated corrosion), as well as by galvanic reaction(without even mentioning the chemically active fluxes). In effect it looks good for a while, just like spreading cataloy over corroded parts - we've all seen those tell tale signs of bodged repairs on otherwise great looking vehicles, and know in our head that the tell tale is only the tip of the iceberg re: Tin Worm! I offer this advise based on decades of building and rebuilding classic British cars, and heavy plant(both renowned for corrosion, even from the factory), as I'd hate peeps to fall into the trap of bodging with lead in the misconception of it's superiority to bodging with cataloy - this is in NO way besmirching the YT poster's content, but just helpful advice. :)

[@andrewallen9993]

The tin in the solder works like a sacrificial anode to reduce rust until it has corroded away. It's why galvanized steel (steel electroplated with a very thin layer of tin) takes so much longer than steel to rust :)

[@Wanker59]

Fine if you are getting rid of the car. Totally rubbish if you are restoring a classic

[@peterduxbury927]

Well, I completely disagree. When I restored a Classic car, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the metal. I hot-soldered the bottoms of the Trunk, Hood and both Doors, around the Windscreen (with glass removed) and then sanded to smooth. Then the car went for new 2-Pak Paint. Really, I did this where water forms. I still own the same classic car. Not a trace of rust on anywhere that has received this treatment. That was nineteen (19) years ago. This process stops rust before it begins........

[@RandomsFandom]

This is a bad example

[@makeitup3093]

Horrible!