I am in need of advice. Again.

Whist restoring my Sprite, there are places that I need to put small puddle welds, such as inside the A post. Doing the welds, whilst fiddly is fine. However, as these places are visible, I would like to be able to grind them flat, as the originals were spotted welded.

When I do the other side, I will do the welds from within the foot well and have full access, but it's too late for the current side. So what tool, or attachment, would best allow me to get into these tight places? I know a Dremel might do it, but at only 100-150W, would it take me all day to grind a few welds flat? I've heard about the Rotozip range of stuff, but I don't really want to spend much, as I only have a few welds to do. I'd do it with a file, but it's been taking me ages and making my hand hurt.

How about a flex's drive chuck is a drill ? with a small grinding wheelhttp://www.thesitebox.com/Category/5381/flexible-drill-shafts.aspx

[Edited on 26/12/10 by jacko]

That's kind of what I've been looking into, but I've never used one before, and the only drill I've got is 1100W, and I don't want to overdrive a shaft and bust it the first time I use it, or lean on it too hard. There also seems to be a much bigger array of them available than I first realised. Will a cheap £10-15 one do what I need, or would something like this be a better idea?

http://www.bndabrasives.co.uk/industrial-tools/pneumatic-/-air-powered-tools/ut5765-20mm-belt-sander/prod_943.html
we use these at work if you have a compressor
there good for getting in small places not cheep though

quote:

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Originally posted by DIY Si
That's kind of what I've been looking into, but I've never used one before, and the only drill I've got is 1100W, and I don't want to overdrive a shaft and bust it the first time I use it, or lean on it too hard. There also seems to be a much bigger array of them available than I first realised. Will a cheap £10-15 one do what I need, or would something like this be a better idea?

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Over on retro rides they seem to use a black and decker power file for this type of job

[Edited on 26/12/10 by Bigheppy]

I use a black and decker power file
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-350-Watt-Powerfile/dp/B000XSP72K

i buy the silverline belts from ebay, cheap and last a long time

[Edited on 26/12/10 by deltron63]

[Edited on 26/12/10 by deltron63]

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Originally posted by deltron63
I use a black and decker power file

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As above, a powerfile will feel like it was made just for that type of job.

Cheers

Fred W B

If I wanted to possibly have a go at some light head porting and so on in the future, would that swing things in favour of the flexible shafts, or would it be better to get a proper tool for those jobs, and get a powerfile for grinding/sanding in tight spaces? I'm on, as we all are, a limited budget and I don't have loads of room left in my workbench to store lots more tools if one will do the job. But I want to be able to do both jobs properly rather than get one thing that'll only do an all right job.

I had a Powerfile for Christmas a couple of years ago and have found lots of different places to use it, shaping and grinding down. I get belts from ebay, johnt1102 who is on another forum I read and with 80 grit belt you can shift some material pretty quick.

+1 for the Powerfile. It's one of those tools that you don't realise how really useful they are until you've got one!

+1 for the Powerfile. It's one of those tools that you don't realise how really useful they are until you've got one!

Id use a powerfile, or an air powered die grinder with a carbide bit but wear goggles, full googles, that seal against your face! After a long lie in casualty I can say that the flakes produced by a die grinder in steel arent cool stuck in your eye after wearing glasses.

If you have compressed air then without doubt THE tool to have is an air angle die grinder, plus a 3M Roloc backing pad and a load of roloc discs.

Look it up on the net.

I do this sort of thing for a living (www.retropower.co.uk) and would not be without it. it gets into tiny spaces, amd grinds stuff that would shred a small belt sander belt (I have one of those too and rarely use it, by comparison)

Roloc discs come in 38mm, 50mm and 75mm dia. 75 is too big to be useful, but the 38 and 50's are brill

I was recently cleaning up welds at the bottom of the a-pillars on the Porsche 356 we are restoring and nothing else would have got in there.