Tool needed to remove welds for floor board and trunk

[catjim813]

To all, anyone know what type of tool do I start with in order to remove the welds in order to remove floor boards and trunk floor?   Thx 66 blue for the info on the hard top all chrome done top painted and new rubber with head liner looks great.  I was ready for the paint shop for the bottom half until my floor boards and trunk thought other wise.  Again new to the group but really enjoy the great knowledge this group has thx in advance.




Catjim  69 280sl

[steves sl]

Use a spot weld cutter, available at most any Auto Body Paint Store, Eastwood, but the cheapest are available from NAPA. THe cutter heads are reversable, buy several. Heres a tip, drill a 1/16 pilot hole for the spring loaded center, and drill slow, you will get the hang of it, good luck!

[George Des]

Be careful using these cutters. All you want to do is to cut through the top layer. This will leave a circular nub on the lower flange that you will need to grind down flat with an angle grinder. If you are not careful, it is very easy to drill through both the top piece and the flange causing you problems later when you go to spot weld in the replacement.

George

[ja17]

Prepare for weeks of tedious labor if you use this process. This process works but is normally used for critical body panels and inner body panels.
Rust damaged floor panels are usually rough cut out (using a plasma  cutter, grinder with a cutting disc, or a torch or an air chisel or a combination of those. Afterwards the remaining attached metal and spot welds are  ground off smooth, down to the original frame base metal. New panels can be spot welded and fitted back in place exactly like the originals depending on the equipment you have on hand. Results are the same, time saved is significant.

[Shvegel]

I'm with Joe. A spot weld cutter just ends up making a bunch of extra holes in everything. I rough cut it out then used a small angle grinder and ground down the layer I wanted to remove until it was thin enough to peel away with a pair of pliers and finish grind. Not fun work especially on the thick rocker panel sections. Whenever the fabricator on my restoration stalls I know it's time to fly up and grind welds for a few days.