It has a really short radius, (1") right above the door, and as you can see has a really long radius from front to back.. So far I have been unable to wheel the short radius as it is just the wrong size and so close to the edge for my E wheel. Or should I concentrate on the front to back shape and then try to fit the radius in?
First off your cut patern is not correct and is not giving you enough sheet metal for your radius . Second issue is that you need to shape the panel and get it to fit long before you put the flange on the ends . That is the last thing you should do as it seems as though you are relying on the flange to obtain the shape . If you don't have the original panel ,if it were me , I would either use the other side to achieve a correct patern for cutting . Or you could make a simple wire form made of simple 1/4 rod laid out to represent the shape and cover with masking tape for easier surface feel . Now take some butcher paper and lay it out to fit the shape exactly by either making folds , or cuts to get it to lay down on the surface .tape over the folds and slits to maintain your pattern and remove and cut your metal and get shaping . Where there are folds you will need to shrink , and where there are slits you will need to stretch . The flanges will only lock in a bunch of stress in the panel and won't allow any correct shaping that is required . Get your panel to lay without any stress and then put in your flange with a tip wheel or use your flat lower anvil on your Ewheel .
Looks as though the 1" radius to meet the door needs pie-cuts and/or shrinking, as you form the curved 'large' sweep radius. Rouye is spot-on!
Thanks guys, I DO have the orig piece to make a template from. yes, it seems as if I was fixated with the edge radius first.
Why would you advise someone to shrink an area that is obvious by the picture to not have enough metal already is beyond my thinking . Here is a member that is asking for advice on a procedure he is unfamiliar with and needs direction in the right way . your suggestion would give him a correct radius without any thoughts of where the panel will fit to the door top . I don't mean to be confrontational , but there are many things I don't know and ask for help but would rather have someone direct me through knowledge learned from doing rather than gleaning from seemingly a rectal data base .
I made a similar roof section and it was about 3" Radius at the front, and 4.5" at the back. anyway.. I pulled a flexible shape pattern off the original and made the new one fit it. Once you pull a pattern its as simple as stretching or shrinking as necessary until the new panel fits the pattern. then set the arrangement over a post dolly.
I'm working on an OT project that had a similar issue. I made the part in 2 pieces. The "top" piece I rolled a half radius in, using a go cart wheel on my English wheel, to the proper "long radius" Then did the bottom half to match. Making the seam in the middle of the radius makes it easier to keep it from warping, and easy to planish out any problems. If your small radius is only 1", then you might have to do this with a proper size tank roll in a bead roller, or hand hammer it over some 1" rod, curved to the proper "long radius".
Hammer form 1" radius needs a 2" round Here's one for a 31 Vicky door top. I doubt you could ever Ewheel roll a piece that tight without a large diameter narrow wheel. Grab a chunk of wood and carve what you want. Beat the metal over it.
you can english wheel the proper shape into it. and put the form/arrangement into it after by hand over a post. the key is to know the difference between shape and form. The flexible shape pattern is the best way of capturing shape. if you make simple radius gauges off the original, you can use the flexible shape pattern to make a new one, and then set the form with the radius gauges.
This is really deceiving pic. If that's a 1" radius it should be a small piece You figure the door is some where around 30" or so then the radius looks like its 3-4"
Your advice in making a larger piece is correct. The tighter roll down to the door top may need to be shrunk in the final vert. region. It's transitioning from a sweep of large radius (similar to arc of door top) to a vertical edge. Similar to making the crown region of an inner fender well. Chopolds has a method that would work, I'd use oxy-acet and work the curves to fit. Steve may have made some inner fender wells. If it was in his thread, it's the same issue of using a shrink effect. He had lent some wisdom above as well. Steve's thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1930-pontiac-3w-rescue-sheetmetal-heavy.704547/page-4
You are correct. I apologize for not making myself clear, and you have a good eye for things. My "NEW" piece I want IT to have the 1" radius. in the photo I have my new sample piece laid above the door, and in the background is the old original 3 or 4" radius piece. (I just bent this test piece over a piece of 2" tube,NOT pipe)
So do think you have a handle on some ideas for another try? Or do you need some more help? Can you figure out how to cut your piece in the flat?
LOTS of good ideas in this post,thanks for all of the replies.I will get some more material and get something banged out this weekend. 31 vicky- this new roof will do two things for me, drop the overall height of the car without cutting thru the doors (chopping it) and replace the really poor pieces that I currently have. Torador- that piece you posted a pic of is gorgeous!
Making the piece or individual pieces is one thing, changing the profile of the car is another completely different adventure. I'd ask on the photo shop thread be fore making any real commitments. My prediction is that what you want to do will actually make the windows appear taller or bigger than they are. Then coaxing the 1" radius around to the back will be way more work than a chop. Don't let my prediction discourage you, I thing you really should try your idea and make the parts you want. Just don't make any commitment
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