project 1980 Austin Princess

[vulgalour]

POP

20180914-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Was a bit more difficult to remove than expected because there was some rust hiding that was holding onto the seal on the driver's side.  The bubbling at the top of the seal wasn't too bad, thankfully.

20180914-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I wasn't aware of rust problems on the driver's side so I've a little more work to do, including this corner.

20180914-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

This flange was fairly damp and crusty (stop it) and once cleaned back the outer panel layer will need replacing while the inner it spot welds to looks okay.  Shouldn't be too difficult to repair since it's a straight strip of metal with good access for cleaning up.

20180914-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20180914-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The other top corner I did know about the rust from when I bought the car and has been dosed with rust potions and covered with tape for a while which as kept things from getting really bad.  Someone had been in here before and squidged some putty into the seal on the corner so this has been an issue for quite some time.  It's the main reason I wanted to take the screen out to do repairs.

20180914-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20180914-07 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I'll be making a start on these repairs this weekend since this is the most difficult bit to do, the corners particularly are going to be very fiddly to get looking nice.  Hopefully the screen goes back in without too much grief.

[vulgalour]

Today was going moderately well, certainly made healthy progress with the surround repairs.  I went around the surround and cleaned back anything that looked suspect, uncovering two more areas that needed small patches.  Then I made cardboard templates for the patches, which you can see here in white, ready to be recreated in metal.

20180916-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

Putting the new pieces in was much easier than taking the old rust out since I didn't have to worry about cutting through too much with the cutting disc.  Welder behaved itself and apart from feeling awkward because this all felt like it needed to be done left-handed, it was looking reasonably good.  I hadn't had any errant sparks go into the cabin or on the glass, all was well (I did protect things better than the pictures make it appear, photos were taken out of order).

20180916-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

Then, just as I got the penultimate piece tacked in...

20180916-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

... black smoke EVERYWHERE.  Something was very on fire.  Something in the boot... the boot I'd forgotten to empty out because I forgot that there's a straight route from the bit I'm welding into the boot itself.  Open the boot, or leave it shut?  You know when an engine catches fire you're supposed to not open the bonnet because it can make things worse... Open the boot because otherwise how am I going to put it out, maybe it's just a lot of smoke and nothing else.

OMG THAT'S A BOOT FULL OF FIRE.

It's something behing the spare wheel, quick hurl that out of the car!  Oh no, more fire, quick grab something to pull out the thing that's on fire!  That's no good, that's a plastic door bin and that's on fire too now you idiot.  Just take your welding gloves off and grab the edge of it.  SHIT IT'S PLASTIC.  Now there's bits of plastic in the boot on fire and bits of plastic on floor on fire.  Grab that leather jacket, it makes a good fire blanket.  Good, boot isn't on fire any more.  Now put out the fire on the floor by stamping on it because... no don't do that!  It's plastic you idiot....

... eventually the fire went out.  I burned my hand a bit but not A&E amounts, just a couple of small blisters.  I breathed in some plastic smoke, not very pleasant that.  I'm okay though.  No harm really done.  Most importantly the harm to the Princess was really minimal with just some soot staining in the boot and a couple of blobs of melted plastic on the floor mat.  The culprit was a welding spark going down the inside of the C pillar and setting fire to the front door moisture membrane and tool bag, both plastic, that were stuffed behind the spare wheel well.

20180916-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

20180916-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

I'm normally really careful, I have no idea why I didn't think to empty the boot today.  I'm just grateful the damage wasn't worse or lasting to me or the car.  Be careful when you're welding, kids, it's a dangerous hobby.

 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Glad you’re ok mate. Kind of mistake we all make. Once.

[purplebargeken]

Gulp. That could have been so much worserer.

[Felly Magic]

Ooft, not good there, glad you and the car are OK

[Mally]

I've done that a time or two, panic sets in.

Have a break until the hand gets better.

[Zelandeth]

This is why having a fire extinguisher - especially either a powder or CO2 one - is always a good idea.

 

Therefore that process would change to "oh crap fire..." *Grab extinguisher, schoosh!* "Hey look, no more fire.". Then you can start looking for what caught fire when the clouds clear.

[vulgalour]

Hindsight is 20/20 isn't it?  Thing is, there are fire extinguishers at the unit but it would have meant navigating the obstacle course that was tools, wires, and two-post ramp to get to the other side of the unit, find the correct extinguisher, remember how to use it, and put it out.  In this instance, a singed hand was preferable to trying to find extinguishers... next time, I'll get the correct extinguisher in my work space ready and make sure I empty the boot out properly.

[MarvinsMom]

at least there is no real harm or damage done...

[155V6]

Just glad you & the car are ok.

[danthecapriman]

Great work despite the accidental flamage!

 

I’ve done it myself a few times, mostly it’s just seam sealer or old foam insulation catching and easily dealt with but I once set myself alight while laying under a car welding. I didnt notice for some time as I had the visor down but it began to get intensely hot down one side which I thought wasn’t right!

It’s funny really how you don’t think straight for a while in the blind panic!

[PhilA]

Yeah. I would always put the fire extinguisher next to the welder- that's easily to hand and where you remember it being, also because stick welder that's the first thing that needs to go off, then grab extinguisher before the smoke gets too bad.

 

Glad you put it out, and minimal bodily harm was done.

 

Take care cleaning that up, goodness only knows what is in that black sooty crap. Wear a mask and gloves cleaning it up.

 

Phil

[dozeydustman]

Glad it was only a minor hiccough and Princess is fine.

 

More importantly that you are relatively unscathed and safe as well.

[SiC]

Oops! I feel less wasteful now that I refill a bucket eveytime that temporarily lives within a grab distance of where I'm working. Also have an airline nearby which seems very efficient at stopping smoldering underseal.

[vulgalour]

I'll make mistakes like this so you don't have to

[Skizzer]

Like for the (relatively) happy ending and the evocative account of the experience. I know some of us are old hands at this game, but lots of us (=me) aren’t and people being honest about stuff going wrong is immensely helpful.

[danthecapriman]

Like for the (relatively) happy ending and the evocative account of the experience. I know some of us are old hands at this game, but lots of us (=me) aren’t and people being honest about stuff going wrong is immensely helpful.

It was your Granada that set me on fire!

[Timewaster]

You won't do that again

[eddyramrod]

Bloody hell!  Glad you (and the car of course) have survived the experience!

[Rocket88]

Today was going moderately well, certainly made healthy progress with the surround repairs.  I went around the surround and cleaned back anything that looked suspect, uncovering two more areas that needed small patches.  Then I made cardboard templates for the patches, which you can see here in white, ready to be recreated in metal.

 

20180916-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Putting the new pieces in was much easier than taking the old rust out since I didn't have to worry about cutting through too much with the cutting disc.  Welder behaved itself and apart from feeling awkward because this all felt like it needed to be done left-handed, it was looking reasonably good.  I hadn't had any errant sparks go into the cabin or on the glass, all was well (I did protect things better than the pictures make it appear, photos were taken out of order).

 

20180916-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Then, just as I got the penultimate piece tacked in...

 

20180916-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

... black smoke EVERYWHERE.  Something was very on fire.  Something in the boot... the boot I'd forgotten to empty out because I forgot that there's a straight route from the bit I'm welding into the boot itself.  Open the boot, or leave it shut?  You know when an engine catches fire you're supposed to not open the bonnet because it can make things worse... Open the boot because otherwise how am I going to put it out, maybe it's just a lot of smoke and nothing else.

 

OMG THAT'S A BOOT FULL OF FIRE.

 

It's something behing the spare wheel, quick hurl that out of the car!  Oh no, more fire, quick grab something to pull out the thing that's on fire!  That's no good, that's a plastic door bin and that's on fire too now you idiot.  Just take your welding gloves off and grab the edge of it.  SHIT IT'S PLASTIC.  Now there's bits of plastic in the boot on fire and bits of plastic on floor on fire.  Grab that leather jacket, it makes a good fire blanket.  Good, boot isn't on fire any more.  Now put out the fire on the floor by stamping on it because... no don't do that!  It's plastic you idiot....

 

... eventually the fire went out.  I burned my hand a bit but not A&E amounts, just a couple of small blisters.  I breathed in some plastic smoke, not very pleasant that.  I'm okay though.  No harm really done.  Most importantly the harm to the Princess was really minimal with just some soot staining in the boot and a couple of blobs of melted plastic on the floor mat.  The culprit was a welding spark going down the inside of the C pillar and setting fire to the front door moisture membrane and tool bag, both plastic, that were stuffed behind the spare wheel well.

 

20180916-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20180916-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I'm normally really careful, I have no idea why I didn't think to empty the boot today.  I'm just grateful the damage wasn't worse or lasting to me or the car.  Be careful when you're welding, kids, it's a dangerous hobby.

 

 

 

It's amazing how stuff that wouldn't catch fire if you soaked it in napalm and lobbed it in a blast furnace will combust at the merest hint of a spark from a MIG..............

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

I have a co² bottle by the mig as part of the kit. I also have 2 spray water bottles in the car and by where I'm welding. 

I got burnt (excuse the pun) years ago when I was cutting bits out of a metro. The sills were rammed with newspaper so I found out. I also briefly worked at a welding shop and watched a Merc spontaneously combust inside. 

I always look to see how I can eliminate the risk before welding and put in place measures to reduce it and cover myself in case it was to go wrong. 

 

I was once painting a house by a dead old tree in the summer. There was a wasp nest in the tree preventing me from getting on so I lit a wheelbarrow full of green leaves. The smoke drove off the wasps and things were going fine until the heat from the wheelbarrow ignited the dry grass under it. You would not believe the kaos that followed. The grass fire spread so quickly and one side about 10 yards away I had a can of petrol and the other was this dead dry tree, by the house. The fire overwhelmed me in seconds, the tree caught and went up like a rolled up newspaper made from rocket fuel, all I could do was clear the petrol can with seconds to spare. It took 3 of us to get it under control but the tree was smouldering for hours after. 

 

The fact that it got out of control and overwhelmed me so quickly is the reason why I now carry out risk assessments before doing anything heat related.

[SiC]

They say the best use for a fire extinguisher is using it as a battering ram to get the hell out of there quicker.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Glad that didn't escalate too badly fella - a lesson learnt - and not exactly the hardest way either. Take a break, the anxiety levels will be off the charts if you go back at it immediately..... 

I too had a 'BoggyMires' moment when I started on the Sptifire I'd been given in lieu of cash owed - sills stuffed with oiled rags n paper - first cut is the deepest - the most anxious - and in this case the most flammable! I learned that day to always check the state and DATE on the bloody extinguishers! Managed to smother it - but new extinguishers bought that weekend...... I knew they have a shelflife - but the one I tried to use was literally a block of crap inside once I unscrewed the top later. Made a handy fuel tank for a custom moped though! Upside to everything.......

[Ben_O]

Phew! lucky

I had the misfortune to witness a Corsa go up internally whilst up in the air on a 2 post lift. It was well alight before the flames were noticed and I had the scary job of standing beside it holding the down button so that we could get to the fire and put it out.

Very nerve racking 30 seconds!

[fordperv]

Shit mate, glad it wasn't worse, I will always remember welding up a sierra for the scally rally for sutty2006, the usual sill and rear of sill rot, all was going great until we saw smoke from the inside, the bastard thing was on fire, he rushes for an extinguisher whilst im ripping stuff from the inside of the car and chucking it out of the way, he let off the extinguisher and bugger me that powder makes such a mess but it put it out no problem

[SiC]

The mess from powder extinguishers is why they're no longer recommended for use indoors, as they can make too much smoke and impede escape apparently.

[vulgalour]

Today went better, there was much less fire and hardly any swearing.  First job was to empty the boot and get the fire extinguisher in the workzone, because we're learning from yesterday's mistakes today.

20180918-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20180918-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The most awkward repair was the simplest looking of them all, which was the long strip that had rotted away.  Before welding this in, I cut a long strip to size then drilled holes so I could puddle weld it in place.  Then I found that he welding tip could have done with being chisel shaped to get into the line where I'd made the cut.  There's probably a better way to do this repair, inexperience meant I approached it in this way.  I don't have a finger-file either so I had to improvise by using a grinding disc, flapwheels have spoiled me because grinding discs seem much louder and aggressive and just hurls tiny bits of metal filings all over the place.

20180918-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The top outer and inner corners went reasonably well.  Getting into the inside corner to clean up the welds smooth is very difficult with my tools but the weld doesn't protrude so much it's going to make the seal sit wrong.  I've cleaned back what I can and then I'll use some seam sealer just to smooth out the uneven surface to prevent this being a water trap and causing the rot again.  I also welded up the extraneous trim holes along the top of the C pillar since I shan't be using those again.

20180918-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

It looks okay.  It's certainly free of holes now, which is good.

20180918-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

I was very much taking my time so by the time I was putting rust treater on everything there wasn't time to really do any of the next jobs.  It will give the rust treater time to do its thing and when I go back in I can clean everything down again and get the sealant and filler work done where required, then strip the paint off the C pillars and get the whole lot painted freshly ready for the screen to be reinstalled.  After that, it'll be new lights time, which should be a fairly quick job since I know exactly what I'm doing on that now.

20180918-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

[Timewaster]

I must have turned over two pages..

 

Wasn't there a funky colour block pattern on the boot lid?

[vulgalour]

There was, back in 2013.

[PhilA]

Now I really feel old.

 

 

Phil