Modern Vespa

Looking so good!!

Don't know how you did the leg shield blend, but looks great.

So what was this leg shield for?

Dont think its the same as a 50s.

I don't think mine has the reinforced dimple/embossing around the brake pedal hole.

This set of spot welds look much better.
Penetration is legit.
Random item catching fire behind you: reason number 37 I prefer tig.
🙂

How long was it before you moved from - hmmm, that's a weird smell. To shit! That's a weird smell, something must be on fire!

Trust me, I'm as happy as anyone not to have done something that merited a timer reset.

The welding is coming along. That first effort was kind've a disaster in every way, but I'd put the center section in more the "very minimally competent" category.

I upped the heat and wire speed a little bit, plus the not messing up the cutting, so I wasn't having to build a freakin' Bridge to Hawaii to match up the panels.

Second round was better, for sure. Another round of spot welds and grinding and I'll be in good shape along that left (in the picture w/ the red marker) side.

I need to get a mask or something to protect my face from the grinding dust. It's still sore this morning. I think I'll just wear an N95 because black boogers are gross and hopefully that and safety glasses will be enough.

Getting this ball rolling has been a huge relief to me personally. I don't usually get hung up on analysis paralysis, but I had it pretty bad this time, especially with the width mismatch.

Now, I'm about to hit the point where need to do a bunch of stuff like fabricate a legshield edge tool, replace the legshield stiffener, deal with the *back* edge of the legshield, and add some shelving to the workshop so I can have room to paint.

And sweep/vacuum up as much of the grinding dust as possible.

LOL! Longer than I'd care to admit?

At first, it smelled like burning paper, and I looked around but didn't see anything, thought a spark must have hit something but just singed it. I did a few more welds and when I paused, I was like...hmmm...the smoke smell is getting stronger...and more complex. Like a good bottle of red wine opening up as it breathes.

Eventually, I was like, "I think it's getting smoky in here. I gotta find this," and by that time, a pretty good column of smoke was coming out of the trashcan, so I grabbed it and took it out to make a giant trash-flavored sno-cone.

Oh lord.
Yes. Welding helmet above head shielding view, back to fire, they can get going.

My welding helmet has a grinding setting. Push a button on the side and it doesn't auto darken. Full face protection and I don't have to keep taking it off between weld and grind if I'm forced to do that.

My welding helmet also has a grinding option, but I can't wear hearing protection with it, and that's an absolute must, especially on the Vespa frame since the legshield acts a megaphone to take the grinder from loud to literally deafening.

foam ear plugs are your friend

(bonus - the dampen the sound of explosions)

They're not effective enough, even the good OSHA-rated ones, for grinding around a legshield (big sound amplifier), especially in an enclosed space.

Bear with me, C'man:
Make two small balls with seran wrap or some other thin plastic and stick them in your ears. Just make sure you leave a kind of tail to pull them out
You should really use a helmet.

*Forgot to mention welding blankets.

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-ft-x-8-ft-fiberglass-welding-blanket-95015.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=19231709477&campaignid=19231709477&utm_content=150063521931&adsetid=150063521931&product=95015&store=3224&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAkp6tBhB5EiwANTCx1N90A5_A4ddqBkXGKPSUtEc-A7mJk93fKDzL5fwk7kqTlNM87NtlixoCF50QAvD_BwE

The counter does say explosion, so I'd argue that a small fire caused by an errant spark does not qualify. Fire does not equal explosion.

Like I've never been told *that* before!

I mostly took the evening off last night. All I did was fabricate a legshield edge crimper.

I expect I'll get back at it tonight and tomorrow, though.

Talking with CM2, I think I'm going to add 3/16" metal rod around the edge of the floorboard and legshield. That'll stiffen things up a lot, plus further reduce the likelihood of bending things up in general. I need to do some dry-fitting of the legshield trim and floor rails to see how that will all work, too.

And CM2 also had some great observations on my welding in a text thread, so I figured I'd share them here so we can all benefit from his wisdom. Thus endeth the lesson.

If the mig spatter is annoying there is a spray you can use. It's inexpensive and lasts a long time. Lots of places online that have it. I use it on bigger jobs.

I have it, I just hate the way it makes the workshop smell like cooking spray, which is basically what it is.

Non-Foodsafe Cooking Spray. I wonder if it's toxic, or just not certified safe for kitchen use...

I bet we could eat it. I roofed houses back in the day so it probably wouldn't effect me!🤣

Oh, trust me. I've eaten all sorts of stuff you'd argue was not food-safe (or even food) over the years.

It's pretty amazing what you'll eat if you just get hungry enough.

I posted how to deal with gaps on your "getting started welding" thread on page 2.
Build-meat tacks can be ugly (cold). You just need to have something for the wire to land on, then pull the puddle across the gap to the opposing tack.

That blow-through is you hitting the middle of the seam. Have the wire hit a bit out to have something to pull off of towards the gap.

Raise heat as you go, so you're not building so much to have to grind back

Yeah but Page 2 was AGES ago

I wound up needing that technique a little bit tonight, too. Good news is that it's finished enough for me to declare victory.

Blending the edges worked just fine, I think. Next up is the reinforcement bar across the top of the legshield and fixing a couple cracks.

Pretty soon, I'm going to have to clean the workshop again so I can shoot primer.

Save both your ears and lugs! I happen to use the yellow 3m barrel shaped foam ear plugs. When they're new they work really well for me. After they go through a few wash cycles in my work pants they loose their effectiveness. Though a grinding hood works really well for keeping sparks out of the eyeballs, i still like to wear safety glasses and a disposable 3m N95 face mask (the one with the little exhaust vent). I got so sick and tired of huffing the grinding dust that i just wait for a dry day and do all of it outside my shop nowadays. It helps keep both my shop and lungs clean.

I would normally do it outside, too, but we had a snowstorm which is now getting covered over with an ice storm, so not really working outside weather.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, the foam ear plugs are simply not enough noise reduction for me. Full cup over-the-ear protectors are what it takes. I've been good about wearing a respirator while grinding, but still need to take some N95's out to the workshop so I wear those while welding.

And I've been extra-diligent about wearing safety glasses when I'm not wearing my welding mask.

I live in the rainy side of oregon, so i know all about the rain and snow. I've been using welders and grinders in my shop for close to 30 years. I got so sick of all the grinder wheel dust that about 5 years ago i finally made a decision to do 99% of my cutting outside. If it means waiting until a break in the rain or snow, then that's what i'll do. If it's 100 degrees out, then i'll still do all my cutting outside in the sun. I usually also set up a fan to blow the dust away from my face when i'm cutting...even while outside.

I've talked to one of my buddy's about dusty shops. He hates cutting metal inside his shop as well. What i'd REALLY REALLY like to do is add an addition off the side of my barn. My barn is 90' long, so if i hit the lottery, i'd build a 90' long overhang with no walls. One bay would have a 2 post lift, another bay a 4 post lift, a few open bays for other auto projects, then leave PLENTY of room for a large area that i can do all my cutting outdoors.

I'm too much of a city boy to have a barn - but boy would I like to.

I try and grind outside or at least near the door with sparks flying out.
Never enough.

This morning - on a total whim - I opened Craig's list and typed in "cold saw". Bandsaw has been good - but feel like I'm out growing it.
Just can't begin myself to running a chop saw with cut off wheel.

Low a behold - there was actually one for sale.
2 miles away.
It now belongs to me.
🙂

I tig and put my face right down in the work to see what I'm doing.
Haven't really resolved how to protect against those fumes yet.
Probably should.

Have a shop.
Dream of pole barn.

What you want is something like this.... I see Home Depot have a similar thing but for some reason my browser won't open it. Comes with a large hose to take fumes and dust outside. About $200.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-OLY-CEX30-Explosion-Extractor-110V-50Hz/dp/B079T6V7Y8

https://www.homedepot.com/p/iLIVING-Explosion-Proof-10-in-Ventilation-Floor-Fan-With-350-Watt-1943-CFM-Red-ILG8EF10EX/314930497

Not sure they're truly explosion proof to be honest. I think someone with experience in the field should be the crash test dummy judge.

Are you sure you're inserting the foam ear plugs correctly, are you pulling your ear up with the other hand to open the ear canal, they should be so far in that you can't see them if you look in a mirror. If just loosely shoved in they're useless.

Also check the snr rating on them, they have the same range as most over ear of around 26 to 38 db and there's a big difference between those numbers.

That's looking good. I made the mistake of welding too cold for many years. MIG is perfect for thin sheet metal. On my ancient Lincoln, I use the second lowest B setting for 20 gauge. C for plug welds.

I never use a respirator for grinding, just a rigid 3m face shield. I always assumed that the metal filings from grinding were too heavy to breath in and would not get around a face shield.

I don't use an angle grinder that much because I am still scared of it after an accident over 25 years ago.

Ginch, that's a great idea. I might add one to the pile as I get ready to paint. Finally upgrade from my box fan exhaust fans, which never really work all that well.

Here's one that's available domestically...

https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Utility-Portable-Ventilator-Velocity/dp/B06XJ22KNZ I've been through all of that. I only buy the 38db plug and can feel/hear them close off the world as they expand. They just don't work as well as a comparably rated set of muffs, at least for me.

I should get out the decibel meter and see just how loud grinding/welding/wire wheeling the legshield is. It's basically a megaphone for the tool's vibrations and noise. I meant to bring some N95's out with me last night so I could wear it for both welding and grinding. It'll keep the smoke particles out of my nose, as well as protect my face a little. I just forgot, but the respirator was right there, so I went with it as an alternative. The downside being, of course, that it doesn't fit under my welding helmet.

I'm not sure if it's irony or a sign of personal growth that one of my build threads turned into a discussion of workplace safety, but it's all good stuff.

Today should see more progress, and possibly even epoxy by the end of the weekend if the stars align.

Yeah, the safety thing. Pretty sure my paint booth hasn't been that safe. At one point, I could smell the paint and realized that the strap of my respirator had come unhooked. I was so focused on painting, I didn't notice for awhile. Usually, I don't smell paint at all.

I know a guy who does VW's and has a pro paint booth. Says it takes him a few days to get his head right after painting a Vanagon.

Welding, grinding, painting…all nasty and toxic but I think the risk is much less for hobbyists, especially if they are using safety gear.

Floorboard video is up. Took me practically all day to get it edited. Given that even with the heater, the temperature in the workshop is still only like 40 degrees, it's not much of a day for working.

Enjoyed your video. You did good with the edges (as well as the rest of the repair). The joys of fitting aftermarket panels. You gotta cheat like hell.

Pretty much!

At this point, I genuinely believe the legshield is not quite straight, period. I had the same width differential between right and left when I did the new stiffener today. The two sides measure the same to the millimeter on my new piece, but fit differently on each side.

Maybe they washed it in hot water one time and it shrank a little.

I can see it in your photos if I'm looking for it. Sort of surprising, but not really. No idea if they used jigs. Cars from the same period would have stampings on the different pieces for alignment.

I didn't see any signs of stampings like that, but that makes sense.

Along those same lines, there's a bulge on one edge of the legshield that's asymmetrical with the other side. Very strange once I noticed it, and now I'm trying to decide if I want to try to remove it.

Anyone got any insights on that?

Meanwhile, I've been moving the prep work along. Paint is pretty much off other than a few tight areas that are going to need the Dremel treatment.

After that will be the last of the panel beating, then I can finally prep and shoot primer.

Which is good, because I'm now at the, "What the heck was I thinking when I decided to strip and paint a running scooter?" stage of the project.

Lastly, I learned this week that there are special drill bits for drilling out spot welds that would have made the disassembly portion of this project a LOT easier.

Hard to tell what's going on, but looks like the legshield got damaged and somebody tried to fix it. It looks pushed in, so the edge ends up pushed out.

I would start by bringing up all the low spots from the back with the pointy end of a body hammer. They will end up as high spots on the front. Level them with hammer and dolly or slapper to try the legshield closer to the original shape, then see where you're at. You might find that it brings the edge back in.

okay..that makes sense, though that seems like a lot of curve to restore.

The legshield is going to need a lot of hammer and dolly love anyway, so a lot will happen before I have to decide what to do with this particular piece of it.

I think there are many points during a nuts and bolts rebuild when the whole thing seems like dumb idea.

Once you get into the hammer and dolly work, it will get less wonky and you will be left with one or two places where you have to cheat. And what's left will get lost in the paint and trim.

Interesting, I didn't notice the noise….. I may be deaf. I guess. Wear ear plugs kiddos!

Am I the only one using active noise-cancelling earbuds? I work in a very loud environment. Grind metal pretty much every day for a few hours.
Also great for riding, once you're sure you've sorted things out on it.

I've been better as I've gotten older.
The damage has already been done though.
I always forget to wear them when riding and I definitely should.

I use them when doing mild grinding… but makes me wonder if it actually works (to protect your ear drums..). Of course it's nice and quiet sounding,