Featured Technical Throw out the hammers and sandbags

New way of making sheetmetal shapes.
https://www.s3dsolutions.com/

 

Think of the possibilities!!!!

 

The first part was quite interesting. The wave of the future; us old guys will finally be able to get the old parts we wanted. When we don't need 'em.

I could have done without the doofus in the funny cap and tattoos, though. The host didn't seem to be to taken with him either.

 

Yea, I get what you mean. That is Bad Chad. Some like him, some don't.

 

Repro panel/bodyshell market has been doing this for years. Started life as a rapid prototyping process.

 

1/8" aluminum and 14g steel, not a bad start for doing parts, but some fab afterwards is still needed for a lot of things.

 

No thanks, I'll keep my hammers, sandbags and tongs. I seem to get by just fine.

 

Time is money - Once the program is written and in the machine just about any floor sweeping level employee could clamp in a new sheet and punch the start button. 1 week v a couple hours for a fender. Also repeatability L/R end up being the same. Anyone looking at a hand hammer body can pick out the differences side to side. New Tucker -

 

Cool stuff. Some OEs have been using this for prototype pieces.
I’d like to know the cost of this tech.
I been doing this manually for years

 

I agree with price. Can the average guy afford it or is he better off spending time making noise.

Edit: I think it’s neat. But some 30 years ago I called a shop to bend up some sheet metal for me. Was like 300 a panel, unless I asked for a production run, the cost would come down.
Then the guy told me the majority of the cost was in “set up”. I guess they used a CNC type brake? I dunno.

 

My point of view is, is this a Hobby or a Business? If it's a Hobby and you need this kind of product made for one vehicle higher the Co with that machine to make it for you. You can't afford that machine sitting in your corner. If your a Shop and have a customer project that needs several panels made, same thing. Higher the shop with the machine to make the parts. Reason being you're not going to make a pile of Scrap learning how to operate it (lost money) and if it doesn't fit you go back to the guy with the machine, and he eats the loss or does the adjustment at no charge. If you are the guy that wants to be a panel beater buy the machine and make body panels but don't be building the Cars. And now you're not a Panel Beater, you're a Machine operator.

 

THAT is amazing. A big step forward in fabrication.

 

This isn’t taking jobs away from anyone. It’s a reflection of the lack of skilled people in the field or entering it. Very few folks have the want-to to find, learn, and master metalshaping, myself included. I can handle a fair bit but I hate doing it. But I can weld a piece in and straighten it out like nobodies business…so I welcome the idea of this.

 

Up to 16" in depth and a just an impression (like vacuum forming). It would still need to be cut out welded together, rolled, bent or pinched edges. Still some work to be done, but a great starting point as a time saver.

Now me NOT being a shop owner or a professional in anyway.....I personally like the idea of learning with hand tools (powered or not). I do see the allure for productions shops though.

 

That's a $ 1/2 million machine from what I've seen.
Laser blaster and welder are nice too, but way too pricy for now.

 

I keep my sandbag, wooden, plastic and steel hammers.
I hope Bad Chad has money for that machine. He really need it.

Remember: Handmade is handmade doesnt matter is it hot rod fender, helve or boots....

Aulis

 

I inherited my hammers and dollies from my dad. (I wish I had inherited half his talent.) They don't owe me nuthin'. I will keep on keepin' on. But I am glad to see that progress is being made in ways to sustain the old car refurbishment hobbies.

 

500k ain’t bad for the capabilities of this tech. And it’s only going to get more advanced.
Friend works for a company that does low production vintage vehicle manufacturing.
This is perfect for that.
Plus the ornamental architecture possibilities.
Think about the patterns and bucks used to create parts. Now program each piece and reproduce panels skipping all the pounding by hand.
Would still need bucks/fixtures to assemble panels with multiple pieces and complete bodies.

I lot of shops I visit have CNCs. Why not this as well.
Could hire it out for making outside pieces when not making car parts. I know of custom shops with CNCs that do this. One shop built guitar parts for a manufacturer when not making hot rod parts.
The other is selling parts you developed while building cars.
I think it’s cool.

 

I recall the G-15 video from a few years ago, it really makes a person wonder what took so long for it to come about, the computer technology I presume had to coincide coupled with a substantial investment by someone to realize the possibilities. Thinking about it further it mimics & mechanizes the strokes of the hammer & dolly on a rotating format creating a tech position in the name of progress for an otherwise laborious yet gratifying talent.

 

I like anything that will bring the next generation into anything close to what my generation grew up doing with Hot Rods. That said at 77 years young I'm not going to stop what I already do pretty well and learn how to operate space age machinery any more than I'll accept E,V's.

 

Someone will adopt this technology and put all the patch panel hacks with their close, but no cigar rust repair parts out of business. Hopefully they start with old Ford parts!

 

If a person developed a full panel, using this tech you could reproduce any section of it the operated wanted

 

If Rob Ida is using it, I'm for it. Ida is doing some incredible things and his work is simply flawless.

 

The 32 5w parts from U.P.I. have been a real savior to scores of otherwise neglected projects, while made offshore I'm okay with its roots having been established on American soil the least of which we could hope for.

 

The depth of the draw is limited. The deeper the formation the thinner the material gets. Might be the same for hammer and sandbag, I just don’t have much experience with that.

 

The same with the bag. That’s why so much shrinking is involved when forming panels.
We’ve measured panels during shaping. The inside areas that are usually stretched, thin out.
The outside edges are generally shrunk and get thicker.

 

Amazing technology! Considering how little the operators make to just feed the machine and watch it, the cost should be affordable enough to make rare and hard to get parts affordable once the program is loaded.

 

I figure that for it to make sense, it will be like the laser cutting tables. Not for the home guy, but would be nice to have it as a local business that could do some stuff.
I could see a few companies going big time like https://sendcutsend.com/ where once they have enough files in house or you can 3D scan your stuff and either model the part yourself or ship the scan off and have them do the CAD work, it could be a huge boon to restoring old stuff or custom fab.
Imagine a pair of roof corners for your chop job. Imagine having an interior brace that is accurate to replace that rust and air. What if you wanted to sell a drop base air cleaner for multi carb setups and have them turn out a limited run of 20-50?

 

The original owners of ididit, the steering column people, had CNC water jet machining centers that they made available to customers to cut out pieces during after hours. That is one way to keep the lights on.

 

Investing that much is not for a small shop, but it has the possibilities to help out with orphan brands and rare cars, hopefully it will phase out all those part manufacturers who's part fitment is calculated in approximation.
The cost will be in creating the 3D models of the parts, not the operating of the machine. 3D scanning can help cut that cost but you need to have someone to clean the scans and finish off what can't be picked up by the scan.
I personnaly tried to learn how to 3D design parts to have them printed or cast but I just can't, I have 0 interest in the computer world : I get bored in no time. I need to fabricate stuff with my hands. But I know people who can spend days programming or drawing on computer, they find that exciting.