Just passed 500 frame pulls without a single tear

Back in '08 I was lucky to get 3 good pulls out of 10 without something ripping. Hit my 500th today on a rusty F-150 in Austin. How many jobs did it take you to feel like you really knew the metal?

2 comments

2 Comments

hill.andrew15d ago

Man I remember pulling frames on a '79 Bronco in the Hill Country back in '09. Took me a good 200 jobs before I stopped second guessing every little crease in the metal. You learn to read the rust by feel more than sight after a while. That first one that lets go hot on your arm still gets me sometimes though.

hannahw3015d ago

Oh wow, I have to admit I used to think the whole "reading rust by feel" thing was just old timers being dramatic. I figured you could see everything you needed to with good lighting and a wire brush. But a few years back I was working on a '72 F100 bed and there was this spot that looked solid as could be from the surface. I ran my gloved hand over it just to check and felt this subtle softness that you'd never catch with your eyes alone. Sure enough, tapped it with a screwdriver and it went right through. Really changed how I approach any older vehicle now, you start trusting your hands more than your eyes.