metal shapping advice needed, specifically how to shrink.. Options

[brant]

Hello all and John if your reading along today.
I've been doing some fender slicing and welding...
of course lots of pounding also...

specifically, I need some technique advice.
So I've got a spot that I want to shrink or tighten extra metal in.

I know John sells the shrinking disks which I'm considering, ... but in the interm, what is the old fashioned shrinking technique.

I know to heat the area with a torch.. but then do I cool it rapidly with water or something... or do I let it cool slowly to get the most shrink out of it?

hope this makes since
brant

[brant]

John,

thanks for the advice. Sorry I don't have a digital camera (how many times will I say that!)

the area I want to shrink is a 914 front fender side turn signal area. I mig welded in a small round disc to fill the hole. I hammered and dollied it for an hour. I think in all of my hammer work I stretched the metal, because now the area is bowed/bubbled out in a 6inch area. I can flex it in, causing a low spot, or flex it out causing a high bubble.

This brings up a question for me. When I first welded this hole, should I have used water, or a cooling method. obviously I didn't, and let it cool slowly which I thought would cause less shrink.

So now, I will heat a very small area, and use a cooling method to try and shrink it... then re- hammer/dolly it.

is the shrinking disc worth it for such a small 1 time use?

thanks for your time John.
brant