front hood skin removal

[badsix]

I just started to remove the skin from my front hood to repair a mild kinking, and to clean and paint the two parts. I made some tools to do this with and they work good. i'm also wondering if I unfold the lip to 90 deg. on the rear half and then just lift it a little on the front half. could I just lift the frame at the rear and pull it out of the front half. or should I just prepare to lift it 90 deg. all the way around.
thanks Jay D.

[Don C]

Bad,
Which one of those tools works the best? Or do you need all of them to slowly open the seam?
Thanks!
Don

[JTR70]

Nice job fabricating those tools Jay D. They look similar to the ones Tom made for his project. I would recommend not opening up the flange anymore than you have to, to get that substructure to slip out. That would also include not bending the flange back to 90 degrees all the way around; relax it only as much as is necessary for removal. There's no need to do it and you'll just be creating more work and potential trouble for yourself when the time comes to reassemble.
Justin

[badsix]

the hose pliers I use to get it started, they will lift the edge about to a 45deg.. then the channel locks with the flat piece welded to it to bring it on up and flatten it out. they work really good. if I had it to do over I would turn the hose piers around the leverage and grip I think would be better. the others I thought I might need but haven't used them. the job is so far easy, note I said so far. like said before I would like to unfold the back half then just lift the front fold a little. then pull the frame up and to the rear to remove it. I just don't want to molest the folded edge any more than I have to. it doesn't like to unfold at the radius corners and probably the nose.
Jay D.

[badsix]

[quote="JTR70" post=25191]Nice job fabricating those tools Jay D. They look similar to the ones Tom made for his project. I would recommend not opening up the flange anymore than you have to, to get that substructure to slip out. That would also include not bending the flange back to 90 degrees all the way around; relax it only as much as is necessary for removal. There's no need to do it and you'll just be creating more work and potential trouble for yourself when the time comes to reassemble.
Justin[/quote

yes sir I here you, i'm going after it tonight.
thanks Jay D.

ok, I've got it unfolded to 90deg. about half way down and the rest just lifted a little. the frame won't move! it looks like a spot weld up by the hinge mount into the outer part of the skin. they wouldn't have done that would they?

yep, they sure did about 7 of them its now apart.

[bbspdstr]

This may be search-able, maybe not, but this topic has come up before.

http://www.abcgt.com/forum/14-356-Restoration-Projects/12171-tools--products-for-restorations.html?limit=6&start=24

My posting, #17563, shows the de-crimpers. Glad you found the spotwelds. Often, those also weld through to the outer skin and I use a thin stainless spatula from inside-out to break that part free.

Others may disagree, but I've found over many, many de-skinnings that the whole perimeter needs to be 90* up and the edge where bent needs to be annealed to not crack at the bend. (Small torch, not too hot, just blue'd almost, to relax the molecules in the steel that have become 'work-hardened.')

This also allows complete cleaning and de-rusting and a good recoating of a weld-through or etch primer before rebending (anneal the second time, before priming and reclosing...re-spot weld after final fit on car's opening).

Tedious work, but know not to EVER pry, as that creates a riser on the outer edge that cannot be made to go away easily.

Have fun and good luck,
-Bruce

[badsix]

THANKS Bruce for your words of encouragement. I did get it apart by just unfolding the 1/3 of the nose area just enough to pull the frame out. now to get it all cleaned up. its in surprisingly good condition lots of shinny bare steel, can you believe it. there is some scaling in the nose area as expected. now then the problem of getting the kink out of the one side. its not bad but to get it down the line up with the fender may be a challenge. tedious to say the least.
THANKS Jay D.