TECH: Bonehead tech, making a hood with a hammer and pliers only

hope it's OK for a newbie to post tech here,
here's a few pics of my bro and I making a one piece hood for the A. Turned out pretty good considering we have no english wheel or planishing hammer.


start out by making a cardboard template. It helps if you have better cardboard than this, that isn't corrugated and covers the entire hood. It also helps if you take the old hood OFF first!


transfer the template to the sheetmetal, we used 20ga steel. Leave one extra .5-.75" around (dotted line) to fold over


cut the shape out (plasma cutter works OK, would rather have an electric nibbler)


set that bad boy up there and check that your lines are straight


then start folding over along the solid line using pliers. It won't work in a brake since the line is arched


when you get it over 90 degrees take a dolly under the lip and pound it all flat so you have a nice arched 90 degree folded lip the whole length, whether it is front or back


using a 2x4 to hold the sheetmetal flat helps when pounding the edge all the way over. Since you have your nice smooth arched edge from the dolly, bending it the rest of the way over is easy. You may need to cut some slits on the back of the hood since it will want to stretch quite a bit. It is too large and gangly for us to put in our shrinker strecther!


pound the whole lip flat as you can, but make sure you don't go nuts or that there is anything under the sheet when punding you'll getn a few high or low spots


once you've got one edge done, put it on the car and check for fit and that your lines are still on. It helps if you don't bend the hood all the way just yet, as you still need to fold over one more edge. Mark your lines to bend over the edge front to back (the hood "side")



with the back and front lip folded over (and some grinding and re-hammering later) it's ready to be folded over on the sides. We marked a line with a level and bent that 90 degrees on each side. Now's the time to file and sand all the rough spots down.


with the sides folded over we could paint it. Now the last step is figuring out a hold down, something that is quickly removed. Either dzus fasteneres or leather buckles. We'll let you figure that out

 

Sweeeet

Nice to see people making cool parts that look great with out a huge shop full of equipment at their disposal. The real back yard roots of hot rodding.

Keep up the good work.

How about some better shots of the whole car, looks good from what can see here.

Canuck

 

"hope it's OK for a newbie to post tech here,"

I wish all newbies were so useful!

I really like this post, I need to do the same for my RPU and was wondering how hard it would be.

Thanks!

Rich

 

thanks guys

will need to get some more new pics out in the sun when I get the carb hooked up, and I dropped the *** 4" yesterday so I lost a little rake but gained a much better ride height. But you don't want to see the tech article on that!

And yes, that's a tarp top!

on a side note- the hood is pretty stiff with the folded edges, and easily light enough to lift off without trouble. I wanted something simple but that provided quick access and also kept just enough rain out

 

I agree. Great tech, easy enough for most people to try and looks great, too. Would be a great way to tie a non-matching grille shell to a cowl.

You should post up some more tech if you have any. This is the kind of stuff we wade through all the drama posts to see!

Edit: forgot to mention, my vote is for the leather belts, or maybe some kind of army surplus canvas belts. I love that look.

 

this is o/t but its nice to see the shop is full of tools spread all over the place and you guys are making parts and "gettin' r done" My managers at work are so busy haveing us keep the shop clean{"This place has to look like nascar garage at all times"}we cant get any equipment fixed! if I got something apart on the work bench he tells me to "clean up this mess, now!" I try and explain that stuff has to come apart befor it can be put back together, but his mind is made up and I shouldnt confuse him with facts!
great looking hood and with a simple technique. nice stuff guys. dont clean the shop !you will never find anything again!
R.R.

 

stay tuned- we made a rear rollpan to cover the ugly frame drop downs, but made it out of two pieces cause we didn't have enough metal for a one piece. It runed out great- except the warp in the middle where it was welded, and since it will be black we're remaking it as one piece (we made a trip to the steel shop! ouch $$$$$$). That should be done in a few days with a minimum of tools

 

yup! if you wanna make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs! We clean up about once a month, or about once after every three projects

 

Good tech, nice car. More people should do post of what they are doing in the shop. keep it going.

 

What are those black things over the front and back tires connected with a running board? I've never seen those on a model a. are they some sort of mudflaps?

 

that brings back some happy memories, 'cept i didn't have a plasma cutter, all done by hand with shears. go with leather hood straps, i like 'em.

 

yeah, sheesh, I wish i didn't have a plasma cutter. I love Lincoln products, but damn, I am VERY disappointed in this cutter, I only have 110 volt, and it says it can cut up to 3/8. Cool, I figure it'll cut at least 1/4 then. Get it, and find out that rating was based on 240v. WTF! So, needless to say it is a glorified sheetmetal cutter, and I can't even do that straight!!!!

Will probably sell it and buy a good sheet brake and Makita electric nibbler, or a Greenlee hole punch and nibbler, maybe some very large hole flaring dies.

 

there were some requests for full body shots of the coupe, so I'm posting them here.

Yeah, I know they **** but it's the best I could do while at work hehehe, it needs some bodywork, a top, a new windshield, etc. All in good time. But, this is with the newly debuted 3" lowering job in the rear. I lost a lot of the rake, but it's much better when the roof isn't higher than a truck sitting next to you Next up is the chop, maybe 4"? and 460. The banger will eventually go in our T roadster since it has more of a shot at acceleration than a fendered steel coupe!

 

Yeah sheesh I just HATE it when you have to use a plasma cutter. Just send that POS to me & I'll do away with it for ya'.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing.

 

HEY!!! i am closer i will come and pick it up...just leave it infront of the garage, and it will be gone by morning (what is your address again)

anyways, did you decide on what hood straps you are going to use?

 

Your only a NEWBIE to this site, you really know your ****. That is pretty cool.

 

I know I sound like a Boydster complaining about having to use a plasma cutter! LOL but next to the mill and TIG welder that's the most expensive tool we own, honest Just wish we'd have gotten some other more effective tools in its place is all. When we sell it we'll cut a fellow HAMBer a deal on it, but be warned it does better on 240!

PS stay tuned for "making a rear roll pan for your A"

 

yup- gonna find four cheap leather belts with some solid buckles, and cut them up and rivet the ends to the hood and grill shell/cowl Gotta also replace the cowl lacing on the shell so that the hood sits up off of it another 1/4". Will try to distress the leather with a buffer as well


stay tuned for pics

 

Can't comment on the plasma, but the brain seems to be workin ok.

 

How did you form the contour of the hood over the radiator shell?. Was there any difficulty in accomplishing this. The hood appears to fit the radius well.

PB

"Some pop rivets and JBweld we're good to go"

 

I bent it mostly using the cowl and radiator shell underneath it, then took it off to bend the sides down more. All the bending was by hand. The folded over lip does stiffen it up just enough, but it doesn't resist hard bending. Taking it on and off doesn't warp it any though

 

I used small turn buckles to hold down my hood, just mounted them out of sight between the hood and the rad shell.

 

Great tech piece...go with the leather straps...

 

Those straps are awesome. You make those?

 

They look a whole lot like the ones made by Limeworks.

I think that hood is incredible.....AND it's something even I with no metal skills could do.

Yer so my new hero.

 

MAN that's lookin awesome..everyone seems to be just beatin all these awesome parts outta steel with a hammer and a board...maybe i should get on the stick and get to work on those kustom skirts for my chevy....
creepy

 

This belongs in the tech-o-matic!

Do you bend over all for endges or just those that sit accross the cowl and grill?

Danny

 

i always try and plan all my mods down to the finest points and usually over complecate my job and process involved its great to see someone who can make such a complecated piece so easily with minimum tools and cash ,great job ,ill try bending one up this week end at home!!!!

 

hey Shoot, didn't see these responses til just now- thanks. The edges of all four were hammered over. Actually, the edges of the hood that don't sit against the cowl and grill shell were only bent 90 degrees, rather than all the way. Gives it a smoother look (less hammer marks), and adds a nice thickness when you look at it from the ground.

 

That hood looks great! You should feel proud man. Thanks for posting. This is going into my tech archive fo sho! It always kicks *** to see people like yourself get the job done and not be brain-washed into thinking you need special tools.