Filling holes in Landy birmabright panels??

[matchlesswdg3]

My Lightweight is plagued by (around 3-8mm) holes drilled in the alloy panels - mainly in the tub floor but it looks like a previous owner decided that he would make the Lightweight lightweight!  And/or he got a new Black & Decker for Xmas.  Question:  what is the best way to fill them before painting over?  My inclination would be to use a patch of glass fibre mat on the rear and fill from the seen side.  "Obvious" solution is to weld them - expensive!  Difficult?  The panels are otherwise straight so I don't want to replace them.

Edited September 29, 2021 by matchlesswdg3

[tankdiver]

Aluminium is difficult to weld and being thin  old plate it is near impossible The best repair is to get alloy plate and rivet it on as it is not a main structure it will pass an MOT.

Laurence

[matchlesswdg3]

Hmmm, Laurence.....I am not too fussy, but with all the patches it would need, it might look a bit like this!  Various Landy forums suggest TIG welding works and is the "non-bodge" option....but I do not have a TIG welder and that seems a lot of work (a lot of holes!).  I am going to give JB Weld Steelstik putty a try......it says this is the sort of job its good for and I have used JB Weld to repair all kinds of tricky stuff when stuck out on the road.  We shall see, but any more suggestions welcome.

Edited September 29, 2021 by matchlesswdg3

[ruxy]

Tub floor -  just overlay with one of these :-

https://www.bits4landys.co.uk/lightweight/rear-floor.htm

If the X members under floor need changing then you would best change them using suitable fixings (without special equipment - you can't renew the original Avdel rivets , but you can replicate .  By time the URS anchor loops are bolted down - you would just need a single pop-rivet at each corner - nobody would ever know that you had a LWT +

Also the  U alloy longerons under floor corrode badly where the pressed & galv. floor cross members go - that is best repaired with new metal Tig welded in.

I don't think it a good idea to bust the spor-welds and remove original floor - too much strength lost.

[matchlesswdg3]

The tub floor and its underpinnings are pretty good, if riddled with holes and it even has most of its original strakes, but thats an interesting link - thanks!

[Citroman]

How thick is the floor? I blocked some 24 holes in my Citroen 5hp dash. But that is about 4mm thick. I took aluminium rods in the size of the hole. I took it 1mm longer than the plate was thick. Than hammered it in on the anvil and it widens and sticks.

 

[matchlesswdg3]

Looks like a good solution for the floor which is heavy gauge alloy like yours.  Thanks!

[LarryH57]

I agree thanks for these suggestions. I have some minor holes in my Lwt tub, at the moment not big enough to lose anyone or anything. I like the idea of the replacement floor and just need to figure out how much else needs to be removed to fit it

As for the Citroen 5hp dash, I guess filling that hole was done on the bench?

[Citroman]

Yes on the anvil.

After that cleaning the oxydation away and did a "bouchonnage". With a cork in the drillpress and some valve grinding compound. After that clean with a cloth with a lot of petrol to avoid scratches. It's a job that needs a lot of attention to avoid errors...

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Citroman

[67burwood]

You could try counter sunk bolts for the bigger holes, nut to the underside and fill over the top, pop rivets for the smaller holes. 

[tankdiver]

Must admit  the picture of the wings would NOT pass the test of a man on a galloping  horse passing  by it.

If its structural proper repairs  by welding   Thick plate is easier to weld but it must be very clean as alloy does not take prisoners ,Pay out the money and get a good welder