Changing the headlights on a truck is a fairly easy task, and it can give your ride a completely new look. This month’s column discusses a couple of easy ways to make this modification.
Q.
I have a 1950 Chevrolet pickup and I want to clean up the headlights. The stainless bezels of the original units stick out from the fenders, and I want get the lights to fit flush or be recessed. How do you suggest making this modification?
Stan Blum
Via the Internet
A.
There are many ways to make your headlights fit flush, or to recess them. (Recessing them is called “frenching”). If you find a car or truck with headlights that you like, you can simply cut the original headlight buckets out of your fenders, and weld the new buckets back in, making sure the hardware is left intact for mounting the sealed beam unit, the adjusters, and the bezel.
For frenched headlights, there are some aftermarket manufacturers who offer great kits that make this job fairly straightforward—one example is shown in the photo. Again, you cut out the old headlight bucket, and the kits have a new, slightly larger and deeper bucket that is welded into place, and all of the hardware is included that’s needed for the bezel, and to mount and adjust the sealed beam unit. This modification really cleans up the front of these older trucks, and the installation is fairly easy.
Q.
I’m a beginner at all kinds of welding, but really want to follow my passion of building modified vehicles, so I am about to start by setting up a small workroom, then gathering and learning how to use the tools required. I purchased a TIG welder, and I’m really enjoying learning what I can do with it.
I have one question, which I haven’t seen addressed in my research. Where is the best and safest place to put the ground clamp? The last thing I want to do is fry myself, and those electric welding machines seem to pack serious power, so I want to make sure I’m informed, and safe.
Many thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Ronnie Bass
Via the Internet
A.
It’s best to put the ground clamp right on the part that you’re welding, close to the weld. Steel parts seem to ground reasonably well if they’re resting on a metal surface that is grounded (like a steel-topped workbench), but it’s still better to put the ground clamp directly on the part. Aluminum parts will not be grounded reliably by simply resting them on a grounded surface, and arcing may happen at the interface, so it is much more important to attach the ground cable directly to aluminum parts.
As far as safety, I have received many accidental jolts over the years, and it’s not generally life threatening. A TIG welder set up for welding sheetmetal will typically run at less than 40 V, and while you certainly don’t want welding current flowing through your body, if it should accidentally happen, it’s not likely to knock you out or to stop your heart, unless your health is quite fragile. Your risk of getting shocked is greatly reduced if you’re wearing proper safety gear, including proper gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and closed-toed shoes.
The worst shock I ever got happened when I accidentally dropped my TIG torch, and the red-hot tungsten electrode plunged through my pants, into my leg, and I reacted by flooring the foot pedal, increasing the current to the maximum. That gave me a BIG jolt, but fortunately, there was no permanent damage.
You can email your questions to Professor Hammer at covell@cruzio.com, or mail to: Covell Creative Metalworking, 106 Airport Blvd Ste 105, Freedom CA 95019; you’ll receive a personal reply! Ron Covell has made many DVDs on metalworking, and he offers an ongoing series of workshops across the nation. Check them out online at covell.biz, or call for a current schedule of workshops and a free catalog of DVDs. Phone (800) 747-4631, or (831) 768-0705. You’ll also enjoy Ron’s YouTube channel; www.youtube.com/user/covellron.
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