Using Round Bar to Shave Your Drip Rails?

[Runupifudare]

I've been searching around and have decided to shave my drip rails. I've seen photos of people cutting, tacking, cutting, tacking...you get the picture. But I've also seen another post in which round bar was used and it gave it an even cleaner look but I can't find it again. Has anyone ever used round bar, and if so what size to shave thier drip rails?

[ProdigyCustoms]

We use 1/8" round bar makes for a clean edge. i will see what I have for pictures.

[Ron Fox]

I heard from someone that the drip rails, and I forgot the word he used, stabilizes or supports the top part of the car. Is this true?

Thanks.

[ProdigyCustoms]

BS! They just tie the inner and outer together.

I heard from someone that the drip rails, and I forgot the word he used, stabilizes or supports the top part of the car. Is this true?

Thanks.

[camaro2nv]

Makes a cleaner edge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/tiller2nv/DSC_0314sesized.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/tiller2nv/DSC_0313resized.jpg

[Roblee67]

Got any pics with the 1/8 bar Frank...I would like to see...I am considering this...Does it have any effect on the tightness or seal of the window when rolled up??

[Runupifudare]

CAMARO2NV-----I searched far and wide and the picture that you've posted is the only one I can seem to find over the web as well. And he's right it only ties the two together. Who drives wit the window down in the rain?:willy: Weatherstripping takes care of the water. In the photo???, you must have cut the entire rdrip rail out in order to a) shape the rod, and b) insert the rod to be welded, so how did you clamp the structure together or keep the seams close enough to be welded? Did the roof hold its shape enough along the edges that you could spot weld along the length of the rod?

[SWAPMEETCRAZY]

Try 67-72 pickups --triple lips all meshed into 1 !!! I was sreaming my ex-wife's nickname the whole time!!! LOL Used 1/8 rod--lot's of time!! jim :D

[Roblee67]

Thanks Jim, that's beautiful work!:thumbsup:

[Mrfixit]

I've waffled on this modification for my 68 Camaro. I love the look but just can't find enough pictures or details to give me the confidence to tackle the project. Some of the details I'd like to see is how the A pillar is finished and how the bottom of the B pillar, the area where the pillar and rear window ledge is finished.

[The WidowMaker]

im with mrfixit. i understand why the bar is added, and i love its look, but how are you guys finishing it?

are you welding the roof smooth and then attaching the bar?

are you cutting the rail off and then attaching the bar to the open roof?

are you fully welding the bar to the roof and then using filler to smooth the transition?

Tim

[SWAPMEETCRAZY]

im with mrfixit. i understand why the bar is added, and i love its look, but how are you guys finishing it?

are you welding the roof smooth and then attaching the bar?

are you cutting the rail off and then attaching the bar to the open roof?

are you fully welding the bar to the roof and then using filler to smooth the transition?

Tim

on the truck it's a combination of the last 2!!! jim

[Runupifudare]

So lets get some for sure steps down...
1) remove the entire drip rail in one piece.
2) Bend 1/8" rod to contours of window.
3) Tack weld 1/8" rod in between roof and former window channel.
4) Completely weld in entire rod moving around and pacing yourself to reduce warpage
5) Fill in area with filler, using window edge of rod as your new defined line.

Now I started this post and am trying to put together the necessary steps to complete this project. I'm just guessing at these steps from the info. gathered here and if someone who has done this before can give me a thumbs up :thumbsup: on the above steps that would be great. If its not the right way please correct them so that we may follow in your footsteps:hail: .

[Mrfixit]

So lets get some for sure steps down...
1) remove the entire drip rail in one piece.
2) Bend 1/8" rod to contours of window.
3) Tack weld 1/8" rod in between roof and former window channel.
4) Completely weld in entire rod moving around and pacing yourself to reduce warpage
5) Fill in area with filler, using window edge of rod as your new defined line.



From what I've read, the drip rail should be removed 4" to 6" at a time and tacked as you go. This will keep the layers from separating.

Also if you look, the drip rail hangs below the window opening. :question: Do you remove the whole rail or leave the back of the rail and weld round bar behind it?

[camaro2nv]

So lets get some for sure steps down...
1) remove the entire drip rail in one piece.
2) Bend 1/8" rod to contours of window.
3) Tack weld 1/8" rod in between roof and former window channel.
4) Completely weld in entire rod moving around and pacing yourself to reduce warpage
5) Fill in area with filler, using window edge of rod as your new defined line.

Now I started this post and am trying to put together the necessary steps to complete this project. I'm just guessing at these steps from the info. gathered here and if someone who has done this before can give me a thumbs up :thumbsup: on the above steps that would be great. If its not the right way please correct them so that we may follow in your footsteps:hail: .
This is the way I did it.

[JRouche]

Yeah, a drip rail removal post. And really, more info is better than none at all. Good to ask.

I have a 62 nova and didnt do too much research cause really, there wasnt much info out there. So I just went to town with what I knew. Turned out great. In person its better than the pics show. So, Ill kinda give my opinions and what I did, you may have already seen my thread. But here goes.

On my car the roof panel was folded into the window channel at the factory to produce the drip rail proper then topped off with a stainless trim. And a sort of caulking was laid in the gap between the roof and drip rail (dont know what this was for cause there wasnt any sealing issues. It was a thick, maybe 1/8" caulk. Maybe for looks so the drip rail didnt look so deep.

So my first plan was to remove the caulking. I ground down an old screw driver to the width of the channel and to a nice knife edge to scrape the caulk out. I got lucky, the caulk was old so it came off in nice long lengths, not so sticky after many years and it was stiff. So the lil tool removed all the caulk in a few minutes. And for the stuff that was still a lil sticky I used a narrow wire wheel to remove the residue. Oh, and this happened after I removed the stainless trim. Carefully mind you, some one can use it.

So my idea was to remove the caulk then go in with a thin abrasive cutoff wheel on the air angle grinder and cut off the drip rail, welding a tack every three or four inches to keep the roof from peeling away.

So I started with the wheel and realized real quick I couldnt see my cut line all that well. So I decided to bend the drip rail down about ninety degrees to gain some looksee space. I used channel lock pliers and hooked the rail top with one jaw while the other jaw was braced on the window frame. Pulled down till it was parallel to the ground then moved down a few inches and pulled it down some more till all the drip rail was opened up. MAN!!! Wish I woulda known I was gonna do that from the get go, it would have made cleaning out the caulking easier. Something to think about, learn from my setbacks :)

So now I am REALLY committed. It looked really bad. I went back to the abrasive wheel, thinking all the while Im not all that good with a cut off wheel, not like all the car and bike building shows you see on TV. I cant do what they do with a cutoff wheel.

They make it look easy. So I start off. I know I need a straight line. And I start off slow, I am using the slight rolled section left as my guide, I taped it off to on the roof for protection. But DAMMM!!! I just couldnt get it (the wheel) to ride a straight line. It would start out ok, then I would get a lil wavy, then it would bounce a lil, nick the roof, then more wavy. OH NO!! I had to stop that hack job. I had visions, of a really bad cut that wandered all over the place. And because its a fairly straight line, at eye level it needs to be good. I stopped hacking after about a minute or two and not even getting much cut, really only an inch of scored, not cut metal. It was gonna take me forever and it would have looked bad.

So, time to turn on the plasma cutter. I already had the MIG welder fired up and ready to go. Tape line was already in place. So you ask why didnt I use the plasma to begin with. Well, to be honest, LAZINESS. Thats my MO. All I needed to do was plug in two air lines, one for the big drier and from that to the machine. Didnt even have to move the machine, just unroll the 20ft torch and turn it on. Talk about lazy. Maybe I watch too much TV and the guys make it look so simple with the cutoff wheel. Not for me...

So I used the curve of the metal from the transition of the roof to the window frame as a mechanical guide for the torch tip.

The tape was a helper for well, not much. But it really did keep alot of the welding gases off the body. I found out the gases are really tenacious on bare metal, the orange brown staining from MIG welding is really hard to remove, even with sanding. Its like an instant rusting for adjacent bare metal. High heat and whatever gases are released from the welding. I imagine its the oxygen in the CO2. I have welded alot but never saw this nasty gas contamination. And I could tell it was the gas, not heat cause the staining flowed up and over the turn on the roof like a gas would, trailed off as the roof went horizontal and the hot gas continued up into the air. Weirdest thing. ANYWAY, where the heck was I LOL

Oh yeah. So with one torch (MIG) drapped over one shoulder and the other (plasma) over the other I made small cuts, looking for three inches of cut, drop the plasma, grab the MIG, spot weld, drop it, grab the plasma, three more inches and swap. Took about a minute for each side, rails gone and roof tacked up solid to the window frame. Auto helmet helps :)

Then it was a matter of just placing some HOT tacks all along the edge. And it was nice to have only cut three inches at a time. The seam never separated, they were still butted up tight together, I could see both edges of each panel, they were tight. No peeling of the roof, you DONT want that.

And I say hot tacks cause thats what you want. Some separated tacks but they need to be hot but fast. Dial up the machine a lil hotter than you would for doing a butt or lap weld of the same gauge sheetmetal. You have two pieces you are heating up, and its just a short pulse. Dont go so hot where you get meltback of the two, bad!! You just ruined the line. But dont lay cold tacks that sit on top, bad. You dont want to ball up the tack, too cold. And dont want to melt in. Not too hot and not too long. Hot setting and fast tack, on and off with the trigger. That quick. If its hot enough on and off will give you a spot weld that is melted into the parent metal, not sitting on top, the nugget will be half in and half out of the base, but doesnt melt the parent metal back. I like hot and fast.

I split the tacks from the start. If they were around three inches apart I went in the center of those. All the way down the line. Keep splitting the difference. When they got so close to each other and it started getting warm (I could feel it, I dont use gloves for the light work and I rest a pinky finger on the car for control) I used cooling, I used compressed air.

And really, if you have the time you dont need to cool it. Just take a break, many breaks. But compressed air cools great, just make sure its filtered and not off an oiled line, contamination you dont want.

After the entire seam was completely tacked, every part part of the seam, I sanded off the tops of the tacks, being careful to stay above or right at the body panel. I didnt want to sand ANY of the parent metal, just the tacks. After that you will see some small voids, you just will. Not a problem. Just lay a tack on the voids you see and sand it to the body line.

So then, maybe than, you have a nice solid rail thats all metal and looks pretty good. Maybe needs a thin smear of glazing putty, maybe a lil body filler. But you know its solid and wont shift with driving and pop out a nice chip of heavy filler.

Heavy filler?? Well, I have seen some guys use 1/8" or even 1/16" rod to make an edge for some seams, sometimes you have to. The problem I see is the radius of the rod is larger than the edge its applied to. So you have a pretty deep inner edge between one of the two panels. If for example you use it for the drip rail project you can weld the rod in low, so the transition from the roof to the rod is small. But that just makes a large V gap on the underside, at the window frame, the part you dont see. But you still have to get rid of the round rod look, so what happens is you fill the gap. A lead fill would be cool, maybe, I havent worked with lead. But what most folks do is fill the transition from body panel to rod with body filler. There is a pretty big chunk of filler in there. Yeah, its only the distance from the body panel to the curve of the rod, but it has a sharp root and isnt being feathered off dramatically like body filler needs to be. Body filler works on the body cause we use fairly thin sections and trail it off big time with feathering. A small tight area like a welded in rod is just the opposite of that. Thick (compared to the feathered area) and usually in stressed areas. Yeah, roof lines are stressed, they take alot of strain..

So yeah, I dont appear to be a fan of welding in a strip of rod at the roof to door frame line. Not so much of the rod, but the wedge of filler that is gonna be in there.

Anyway!!!! I have talked abunch, I tend to. Some pics???? JR


Stock rail... Ugly IMO.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/start.jpg

Peeled back the rail...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/bent3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/bent2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/bent.jpg

Cutting the rail off..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/tack2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/tack1.jpg

Tacking it up...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/tacked.jpg

The tacks sanded off. See the roll off from the roof to the edge. That was my line I used for my cut an d where I figured it would be a good separation point. The roof and window frame met up perfectly at that point. Be careful to not go inside of that point. You will have major gaps. Go to the point where the roof and window frame just meet up for the first time, just where they start to wrap around each other to form the crimped rail....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/Jrouche/Steves%20Nova/ground.jpg

[Mrfixit]

You did an awesome job. :thumbsup: Thanks for taking all the time to write it up. Your point about the filler and the roof flex is well taken. If I decide to attempt it, I'll be sure to post my attempt.

Thanks

[speedshftr]

lookin great !!here is a pic of mine/
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/viperich/011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/viperich/018.jpg
still some sanding and shaping but im getting there.

[Mrfixit]

Speedshftr -- It looks like you left the back portion of the gutter. Did you weld round bar behind it? If so, did you do that before you cut the gutter?

[oneshot]

So lets get some for sure steps down...
1) remove the entire drip rail in one piece.
2) Bend 1/8" rod to contours of window.
3) Tack weld 1/8" rod in between roof and former window channel.
4) Completely weld in entire rod moving around and pacing yourself to reduce warpage
5) Fill in area with filler, using window edge of rod as your new defined line.

Now I started this post and am trying to put together the necessary steps to complete this project. I'm just guessing at these steps from the info. gathered here and if someone who has done this before can give me a thumbs up :thumbsup: on the above steps that would be great. If its not the right way please correct them so that we may follow in your footsteps:hail: .

DO you have a step by step post of the work being done we can check out. I want to do my 69 camaro

[Ron in SoCal]

DO you have a step by step post of the work being done we can check out. I want to do my 69 camaro

I did not use round bar. There's a good primer on the other site. Search 'drip rails.'

Take your time. Cut slowly and leave a little metal on the upper/lower. Spot weld about an inch apart and fill in after each side cools. Metal finish afterward.

You'll get it :cheers: