Priming & painting a 35-40 frame

I put a 4 link rear end on my 56 f100 and drilling out the old hangers was a pain in the butt! even when you center punch them the drill would wonder, making a nice keyhole mess. granted some were not a problem, but most just fought me. re-sharping drill bits. working upside down. I don't want to have to do much more of that. I could see frame re-alinement being a pain too. the acid dip sounds good though.
 
Thanks for all the info so far, my frame is so nice it could go out for chrome if there are tanks large enough. Step one is welding up adaptors to fit it in two engine stands so I can spin it and clean it, then get the sand out and primer & paint in. the outside isn't any problem. It is so awkward compared to a Model A or '32 frame. Bob
 
ford nut said:
I put a 4 link rear end on my 56 f100 and drilling out the old hangers was a pain in the butt! even when you center punch them the drill would wonder, making a nice keyhole mess. granted some were not a problem, but most just fought me. re-sharping drill bits. working upside down. I don't want to have to do much more of that. I could see frame re-alinement being a pain too. the acid dip sounds good though.
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I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but there is a BIG difference between working under a car and attempting to drill something at strange angles (been there, done that) and working on a bare frame out in the open where you have good access.
 
JSeery said:
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but there is a BIG difference between working under a car and attempting to drill something at strange angles (been there, done that) and working on a bare frame out in the open where you have good access.
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yep. my 56 was still a truck. I didn't break it down and could put it on saw-horses. those rivets came to a peak so the drill wouldn't want to stay put. and depending how the hot rivet was installed, it could be slumped to one side not showing it's true center! nothing like hot metal shavings in your hair and face.
 
ford nut said:
yep. my 56 was still a truck. I didn't break it down and could put it on saw-horses. those rivets came to a peak so the drill wouldn't want to stay put. and depending how the hot rivet was installed, it could be slumped to one side not showing it's true center! nothing like hot metal shavings in your hair and face.
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Best way I found for those rivets is to grind them down till you get a flat surface, then centerpunch and drill.
 
never done a v8 frame, but have done several A and T frames. getting them apart, not so bad, but my rivet jobs never look like henry's when i put them back together. i have the correct tool and a good air hammer, takes two people, and you gotta be fast or the rivet cools, and they still look like hell, and some end up loose and need to be redone. then, theres the hard to get ones around the cross members that i'm sure ford had a nice special tool to do. its a lot of work, but on the v8 frames that are double wall i can see it being the proper way, especially if you live in a swamp like me
 
After I had my '40 frame dipped and all the rust removed, I took it to a galvanizer who dipped the entire frame and galvanized it. They let me watch the whole process. I then primed it with PPG DP40 which will adhere to galvanized steel.
 
Roadster62 said:
Step one is welding up adaptors to fit it in two engine stands Bob
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Didn't think engine stands were tall enough to spin one of those frames; at least mine weren't. Made a taller set of stands a while back, gotten quite a bit of use here and at my kids.
 

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I found the titanium step drill (item # 69088) from HF works pretty well for drilling frame rivets.
I think the first step size is 1/8 inch on the smaller step drill.

Must be something about the cutting surface angle versus a standard drill.
Difficult to break these as well.

An accurate center punch location is a given.
 
I've found that if I grind a flat on the rivet head, center punch it, drill down with a 3/16" or so bit, then drill a 5/16" hole about the depth of the head, knock the head off with chisel, go back to the small drill and go to a depth of the first layer and half thru the last, open that hole with as large a bit as your centering allows, and then knock it out with a punch.

Many times the rivet is swelled or even bulged between layers, this way the walls are reduced and the punch draws the rivet out.

It also helps to clamp next to the rivet with vise grip so the inner isn't deformed when punching the rivet out.

I usually grind all the rivets, then center punch them all, etc; kinda like an assembly line.

Good drill bits and a little care make this actually a pretty easy process; whether you are taking off a spring hanger, cross-member, or a complete frame.
 
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