How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Jordan Baker]

Bob, Ive found the soldering really easy. Just make sure there is no fuel vapours that can ignite. I use a sanding drum on my dremmel to clean up the sopt im going to be fixing. Ive found using it does two things. Number one is it cleans it up to nice bright metal. Number is that the sanding gives a nice "key" for the solider to really stick. If using a patch I clean the backside and edges the same way. I then blush flux onto the surface. I put the patch in place and then using a small propane plumbing torch I heat up the surface. For solder I use plumbers solder from Cnd Tire or any hardware store. I continue to heat up the area with the torch and then apply the soldier. Once heated to the proper temp it will flow really well under and around the patch. I then go back with the sanding drum and give it a quick once over clean it up a bit cosmetically. As for the large copper soldering irons I have seen them but never used them.

I couldn't find the drawings from Phil's site. I had what was left of the original strips so I was able to get the widths from them. I think it took me about 2.5hrs today to get the one side done. It is a lot of measuring, edge cleaning and hole drilling and further burr cleaning to do. Friday I will be going to a local canvas repair place to see about the clear window vinyl.