Time to do the dirty work

Welcome to the third post of the Hahn and Woodward "Restoration Times" blog!.....

So, you think the restoration of these Classic, Vintage and Collector Cars is a glamour job? Time to talk about doing some of the dirty work....in this case, sand blasting and metalizing.

Metalizing (a.k.a. ArcSpraying) is the process of spraying molten particles of metal onto a surface...in this case car bodies and components. Metalizing allows us to quickly build up a corrosive resistant metal surface over body seams and panels that can then be sanded and shaped as needed. Because it forms a solid bond with the underlying metal, it is not prone to cracking like regular body filler would be. It can also be applied to parts (such as aluminum, etc.). Check out our web site at www.hahnandwoodward.com for a more detailed explanation of the process (and pictures!).

To give the metal and better surface to adhere to, the body panels/part need to be sandblasted. Since its still winter here in Western Pennsylvania, we’ve got to do the blasting inside the shop. We have a special booth set up to contain the dirt and the dust but for the poor guy doing the blasting it’s still hot and dirty work that requires protective clothing and air filtration. Similarly, the metalizing process itself requires full garb including welding gloves and shields as well as a separate air supply due to the fumes created. Once the weather breaks, we’ll be able to move some of this work outside, but for now we’re working indoors. Currently, the 300 SL roadster is in the booth. It will soon be followed by the 300 SL Gullwing along with various other parts.

If you have any questions about the process or have parts you’d like to have metalized (we offer this as a service) feel free to drop us an e-mail at info@hahnandwoodward.com

Check back soon. We'll be soon posting a fresh blog updating everyone on our progress.
Happy motoring!