Led?

[Ken Arms]

Does any one know if Henry used led on some of the bodies during manufacture? I found a small spot on my 34 rocker where it meets the door pillar area.

[scooder]

Lead was used, for example my 1942 pickup has an area on the side of the roof next to the top rear corner of the doors. It covers this part of the join in the roof and upper cab back.
Martin.

[DavidG]

Lead was used to finish welded-together body panels for many years until the advent of stamped one-piece complete body side panels.

[JSeery]

All the bodies I have cut apart had lead in them. Lots of fun when the cutting torch hits it!

[Vanspeed]

I know model A's have some lead in them. Back rear upper trunk area where roof starts on a coupe has lead.

[paul2748]

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Lead was used in body seams in 55-56 Birds

[Drbrown]

I remember watching body men applying lead fill In the '50s. A skilled applicator was impressive to watch. Of course no one worn any kind of protection in those days.

[1931 flamingo]

And the majority lived to a ripe old age.
I watched guys work with lead in the 60's at the pont/cad dealership. Impressive, no bondo, just a skim coat of the old red lead plastic.
Paul in CT

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

And the majority lived to a ripe old age.
I watched guys work with lead in the 60's at the pont/cad dealership. Impressive, no bondo, just a skim coat of the old red lead plastic.
Paul in CT

I did the same (watched) at the Ford Plant in St. Paul. And, they didn't wear face masks....

[51 MERC-CT]

Worked starting in 1952 'BB' (before bondo) using lead when necessary doing auto body repair. Not only did I apply lead with a torch and lead paddle, I also did spray lead. The process involved using an electric spray gun (similar to a paint gun) attached to an air line. The lead was melted in a small pot on top of the gun and applied where necessary.
For those who think that lead is hazardous, the tinning process for spray lead involved a tinning paste that contained beads of mercury that when rubbed on the bare metal surface gave it a mirror like shine.
Never wore face masks, somehow I'm still here.

[scicala]

My '55 Mercury also had lead from the factory. I also used to play with bread pans full of Mercury when I worked at Zenith carb, and I'm still here too. Lucky I guess.

Sal

[petehoovie]

I recall eating the lead tinsel off of our Christmas tree when I was a little kid....

[russcc]

I toured the Framingham MA, GM plant in the late 60's, early '70s, and what stuck in my mind the most was how fast and effectively the body men in the production line torch leaded the body seams. It was truly an art form. I remember nothing else about the plant or operation.

[34pickup]

LED...light emitting diode.....I clicked on this thread because I thought is was about lights.☺

[johnny]

I have just finished applying a lot of lead on the body of a 38 club convt. that I am restoring. My paddles had not been used for some time and had dried out .they tended to burn while paddling the soft solder so I used one of the misses pots to boil them in corn oil they worked much better after. John.

[grovesmr]

Originally Posted by JSeery

All the bodies I have cut apart had lead in them. Lots of fun when the cutting torch hits it!

weee!

ive found some, around the a pillars in the 36 cab im working on, havent tried but torching it does sound like fun

[Frank Miller]

Originally Posted by 34pickup

LED...light emitting diode.....I clicked on this thread because I thought is was about lights.☺

It says "Led" which is the past tense of lead pronounced leed but the correct spelling of lead pronounced led.

[325w]

Local GM plant we used led into the early eighties. The guys who applied lead we're under a canopy that pulled lots of air up to help with the heat and smoke of the lead install.