Customs Finally starting on the wife’s 56

Not fast. Just juggling a bunch a ****.
I finally got my shop cleaned up enough to walk in and work.
Kinda nice.
I need to got this wagon over the hump on this metal work.
Gotta bunch of **** to work on
guys keep offering up rides/parts for metal work.
A couple of 50s COEs have been offered for metal work. Plus another truck for some fab work.
Plus my merc and a 49 gmc.

 

Anthony, Anthony, Anthony. I’m starting to think you need a little vacation ( rest that is, get your mind right, back together that is) .

 

Paw paw said you rest when they put dirt on top of ya

 

Roughed out rear pan.

 

**** welded. A little more finish work and I’m good with it

 

i'll bet you are!-looks great

 

Me and the kid pooped one more part after dinner.
I’ll buzz it in the morning

section of floor under the drivers seat, next to the rocker.

 

These popped up for sale close.

she kinda likes these.
I dig this look. I’d prefer Astros but the reverse helps these.
Hmmmmm

 

Well, the wheels sold before we could go check em out.
That’s ok. It got her thinking anyway.

 

I lost this thread for a couple of years. you've made good progress!

I completely understand the desire to not paint. One of my cars is the same. Not just the painting, but all new trim to make it look right is just way more than I want to get into.

Devin

 

Rocker #2 in

now to finish up the lower A&B posts and the dog leg

 

A post handled

 

Roughed in B post.
I’ll finish up tomorrow

Time for bed

 

I'm guessing you used a bead roller on the floor pan? Surely that's not all hammer formed is it? What tool are you using to finish off the ends of the beads/channels, please sir, and thank you!?

 

****py harbor freight bead roller. With bracing.
I’ve got an interchangeable hammer/chisel set that I use to stamp or form pieces.
you can do bead work with it and sharpen up things done on a bead roller.

 

Pic of the bead roller in action.
The wife turning the handle

these floors were made on that Cheapo set up
Here is the hand held interchangeable chisel in action

has several different bits
This recess is just a chisel body hammer, block of wood and a dolly

this is hammers on a panel bag.
And some chisel body hammer work. The dimples is an old push rod hit over a block of pine

 

loads of great techniques here, I thought hammering on the edge of the bench like this would just bend it 90, I have always made a 'pocket' the right shape and depth to hammer in to, because I thought thats teh way it would have been 'pressed' in manufacturing, so try to copy that technique, but I get issues with the metal being pulled into the recess and the metal on the outside of it distorting, looks like you dont get any of that.

I tried bead rolling with a cheap roller, I had to go over the beads at least 4 times to get any depth, which meant more 'errors' and wobbly beads. I tried crossing the beads as well, like your last floor pic, but the rollers just crushed the bead they crossed over, so didnt do that...

Trying to work out if you mig or tig these parts? Ive always found mig welds really hard to move around afterwards, but tig is a dream (comparatively) but i'm no pro, all this work you've posted would probably have taken me at least a year, if I was brave enough to think about taking on a car with that much rust.

Following now, enjoying the insights

 

This cheap bead roller was **** until I beefed it up. Now it can do a good bead in one p***.
I’ve even flanged 16 gauge with it.
The beads crossing over requires some hammering to get em to look right at the intersections.
Hammering to get recesses and body lines will distort. A hammer causes and reverses distortion. I lay out a recess and start in it with the chisel end of a body hammer (usually with a piece of wood under it or a panel bag. I have used stacked cardboard) then flip the part over and start sharpening up the step the hammer creates. Fine tune with more hammering with dillies, the bench or my rail road track anvil.
All these parts were made with hammers

This corner is all hammers with a little shrinking with a shrinker on the edge. One piece of metal. The bead work is 100% hammers. You can see distortion. You remove that with the same tool that creates it.
this gas tank strap recess was missing in the replacement pan on one side. All hammering over the edge of a block of wood and stacked cardboard.


this 32 styline all hammers. You can see the chisel marks in it.

these stylines are mostly all hammers. A bead filler will only make a flat flange Most stylines are arched. With hammers you can create them with an arch and different depths as they transition.


The curve along the door edge is vice grip work. The curve will raise or distort the edge upward but you correct that with a hammer.
The contour in the qtr panel patch is hammer work over an acetylene bottle cap welded to my bench.
To make a good part you need a good pattern. For a floor pan one simple pattern usually works. For a body panel I usually make 3. One overall pattern, one for the style line, especially if it’s curved, and a profile if it’s contoured.
Hammer the contour in first, then shape the style line. Then the edges.

 

Anthony, nice work! You have the same motorized bead roller I have.

 

I beefed up my Eastwood bead roller, and motorized it with a reversible DC motor. Put a reversing switch on it. It's a pretty good tool now. I sort of copied a guy that made one for Gene Winfield. I bought a cheapo variable speed foot pedal since I don't have a wife to turn the bead roller. I need to clean the bead roller up and give it a nice cost of paint. I bought a deluxe set of dies from Eastwood and need to experiment with them. They weren't cheap.

 

I’ve been thinking about turning a radius on the edge of my flange dies. They are too sharp. Can turn into a shear if you ain’t careful

 

I watch Carl Fisher on Youtube, Make it Kustom, and he does some great work. He sharpened some of his dies for specific body lines and such. There are endless things that can be done with a bead roller for sure. Keep hitting that car and pieces of the car with hammers! I am enjoying your thread!

 

...An Inspiration for you and the Missus...

Really enjoy your perseverance...Our province and your's are not kind to metal that's for sure...Go Anthony Go!!!

​

 

Its coming along nicely

Keep them update(s) coming . . .

 

Cool
Thanks.
nice stance. Ive tried to talk her into skirts on the car. So far it’s a no. But she digs the chrome OE style steelies. Only issue is finding em.
I’ll round some up by the time we need em. She’s good with painted steelies as well. Bout got her ok with spider caps.

Took a few days off on the car.
Well. A week off. Had to rest a back and hands. But I’ve also been doing a few other things in the shop.

I just noticed the rear door

cool

 

My be a couple weeks before an update. Center post is done inside and out. The inner dog leg done. I’ll post pics when I finish the outer dog leg.
Got a few things to take care of.
Ive been an AC tech most of the week. Fabricated a bike mount for the camper and been practicing some aluminum welding. Fingers crossed.

 

A/C work takes precedent over anything else this time of year. I just completed installing two 2.5 ton minisplits in my bardominium. Have been putting that off for awhile. In between that though I've been working on the Sedan Delivery.

Not that you asked my opinion but I'm not a fan of skirts on your wife's wagon. I think it looks cool without them. I like the painted steelies and spider caps! And some www's! Keep on keeping on. And rest that hammer swinging arm. You don't want shoulder issues, trust me..

 

Back at it. Took a couple weeks off. Had other things to handle plus pulled a back muscle or something.
Spent the last week at the beach. Anywho, I’m not used to being able to buy engine mounts and such for things I build.
What engine mounts would you guys recommend?
Looked at these
Yes I have the OE front mounts but I’m using a trans without bell housing mounts.