Thanks guys! This is a learning curve like no other for me, thru the years (back in my younger days) i have run Mig, Arc and Dual Shield burning close to 3/4" wide beads but this body work stuff is a totally new world.
The Miller Pod, Just my country boy slang term for my Miller pro hobby welding helmet, yea its an auto darkening helmet, i had it to full dark and maxed sensitivity outside but still had some residual flash burn, I don't know if maybe i need to add a different lens or even if that is possible, still gave me a little trouble today but not as bad as the other day.
Well, today i decided to contact a guy about a craigslist add and he gets back to me and made the truck sound like a perfect truck (another project for me) Said he kept it parked in his barn so no rust at all in the gutter and windshield, so i get to his place, about 1 hour from my place only to find out he was lying thru his teeth, about where there is and isn't rust, windshield flange had major problems as well as the firewall, even the dash was cancered out, the rest i wasn't worried about, and it had a pretty good bed and front clip, i told him I'd be interested at about $700 but he would never answer back, I just hate it when people miss represent the trucks they are selling. Wasted my time, should have went after another truck that was listed, but i didn't wanna spend that much money, its gone! My loss.
Anyway back at the filler, I got the filler cut down, kinda pie sliced it like they used to do with the old 2 stroke exhaust pipes, and pieced it back together, then i had to figure out how to hold it together while i tagged it, had to get creative being as i have no fab table... A little wood shop welding??? Got out my Great Grandfathers old parallel clamp and it ended up working out nicely both for tagging (Country boy slang for spot welding) as well as helping hold it while welding it up, which is nothing more than more spot welds..
Ugly as all get out but its almost done, the 3 main welds are finished, I water tested and still have 2 weeping holes on the lower bead i need to fix. Sorry no side pic but I sure hope gas flows thru the S bends ok without flipping off the gas nozzle.
And i still have to remove the 5/8 vent hose elbow from the leftover section and get it welded on the new filler.. I also ended up cutting about another inch out of the bed floor dang it.. If i ever do this again i will go ahead and lower the filler as low as possible to that body line