Got some more work done on the bed, 1st photo shows the 4 major damage areas which I numbered with red numbers. #1 a long crease, #2 the bullet was smashed down, #3 this area was a real mess, when the bed was a trailer it was dropped and bent upward and it looks like some one with a large "shall we say, back side" caved it inward. #4 creased, folded and bent. I think in an earlier post you can kind of see the damage.
The second photo is the results of a lot of hours of work, My wife bought me a stud welder for my birthday and wow what a great tool, took care of a lot of dents with it especially in area marked #1, as for the bullet (#2) I pulled as much as I could but still ended up about 1/8" away so out came the filler, now I have almost no experience with body work and that compound curve with a body line down the middle was a chore. I ended up marking the body line and used a long board to get a flat, level start, I then remarked the body line and using the long board worked above and below my mark until I had it close, took a couple of attempts, had to go back and add a little plastic and sand it off again.
The reason I am spelling this out is that I am not sure this was the right way if any one has a better technique I am all ears as the other side is just as bad. Oh as for area 3 another new technique for me shrinking metal but after a few hours had it close enough that a 1/16" skim coat covered it nice. Area 4 I cut it off the truck, beat it with a hammer and shot bag then welded it back on, a skim coat and it looks good. I deliberately filled over the seam and went back with a cutoff wheel and put it back, now its nice and even.
Still have a few low spots but I was tired so I sprayed a coat of filler primer and when I can get the truck outside I will wet sand and deal with them.
