repairing safaris

[mynameismud]

i just got in a set of og safaris that are in definit need of repair in both the inner and outer channels in some places. i also have a hinge that needs attention. is there anyone that has had any luck with repairing them, and if so- how, or if you know of someone that has, maybe they would be interested in tackling another set. i just got them so i will try to post pics tomorrow-
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[UZI]

mark rafferty in st pete or david sweinhagen in phoenix are the go to guys for safari repair.
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[mynameismud]

thx- any emails on either?
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[happyhippo]

I just got finished repairing a set of OG safaris that need LOTS of inner channel work and a touch of outer skin work. I did this as one of my project in my welding class. I'm no expert, but a steady hand and lots of patience combined with a die grinder and a mig welder will do the trick.

I managed to carefully lay in a good foundation of solid metal on the inner channel using settings "D" and "4" on a lincoln SP125. I used a die grinder with a very thin cutoff wheel to grind the channel back to the shape it needs to be. I had to work in 1 inch sections at a time and I had to grind down the cutoff wheel to get small enough to work in the corners of the windows. Now that the frames are solid, I'll go back with some metal "bondo" to smooth out the channel and fill in any pin-holes I may have missed. I'll then use a por-15 type product for the base coat and then topcoat with an appropriate paint.

For filling holes in the outer skin I carefully laid in metal as well but instead of using a die grinder to smooth out the welds I used an industrial floor-mounted stationary belt-sander to get the outer welds to blend away perfectly flush with the frame--very pleasing result. I have some scattered pitting that I will use the metal bondo on as well then hand-sand the pits flush.

I had to also repair the part of the channel where the top of the frame inserts into the bottom part. This was trickier since I couldn't afford to get any metal into the back of the channel thus causing the top flange to not fit any more. I took a piece of stock aluminum and ground it down to the exact size and shape of the flange then inserted it into the channel and filled the holes as before. The weld won't stick to the aluminum, so when you pull out the piece you've fabricated the channel is good to go.

Patience is key!
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[NAES]

I repaired mine using a torch with a 00 tip. I prefer gas welding them personally but that's only a preference.

As anyone who saw my 3 roached sets can attest, mine were a waste. I was able to splice them together and I metal finished them, no filler or bondo and you can't see the repairs.

I actually thought it was a fun project to do. If you don't have a die grinder, a dremel tool will work great for cleaning the inner channel. Use POR-15 or similar in the channel and get it through the "tube" so it doesn't rust from inside out.

Good Luck.
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