Wood is shapable and easily cut. Do any of you mock up “try patterns” in wood, perfect it and then make it out of steel? An example would be engine stands on a crossmember.
Yes,when mock up for seats,an streeing wheel,pedals,shifter,,engine spacing. I see too many times,rods with poor seat n control placement. Some times can be done with cardboard. Time used on getting fit right=All way well done.. Cars that are not both "comfortable an work well",get driven less,an even just often get; parked or sold.
I needed to fab a large spanner wrench. I used cardboard scrap initially. Transferred it to plywood. Fitted the plywood to a spanner nut on a 16x54 American pacemaker lathe. Then used that template to cut out some 1/4 inch plate. It was a fun project.
To that point, modern vehicle manufacturers have poured millions into getting ergonomics correct. There is no reason for you to not simply steal their designs. All of my personal builds have identical ergonomic specifications to a vehicle from VAG/Porsche.
I've always used heavy cardboard to mockup patterns. Then lay them on metal and shoot paint over edges and holes so I have a pattern to cut and drill.
I've currently got my fuel cell propped up on a pair of 2x4s so it's level and the sump isn't hitting. Does that count? It will eventually get proper mounts made, but a selection of 2X4s and 1x2s is invaluable in the shop. Some 4X4 is useful too for bigger, heavier stuff. I don't have a nice selection of woodworking tools so the fine model making isn't normally part of the process.
Masonite or thin plywood is much stronger and flatter than cardboard, which can be handy at times. Plus you can glue it if needed
Several years ago I was building a 29 highboy for a customer. I was using a sectioned deuce shell, one of my 409 to FH water pump conversion. I made a plywood radiator to fit the car and sent it to Brass Works and when I received the radiator it was a perfect fit.
We built a mockup frame with wood to establish proper proportions on my son’s pickup. Cheaper than making mistakes in metal. As well as cardboard for the bed.
If you ever saw me work with wood, you wouldn't be asking me that question. If I have to make a wood mock up, I'm screwed. I have used wood to prop things up so they were in the correct positions, about as close as I'll ever get. I do cardboard patterns and then transfer it to metal.
Rough mock-up/proof of concept for 1" water pump riser. Front Back Finished riser, sans paint Front Back Installed
I make plywood patterns for some stuff. I built my brake pedal assembly myself and made the arm out of plywood a couple of times to make sure it conformed to the toeboard when fully depressed. I also made plywood caliper brackets when I remade new ones to rotate the calipers up as much as possible. Gary
I do something different. I do adapters on a cad program, then print out the design at 1 to 1 scale. Take the print and make sure that all of the holes match the block and transmission bellhousing. If good, then have some sheet metal water jetted and again check fit. If good, then take aluminum and have it water jetted for final product.
Cardboard. From the thick stuff to poster board. sometimes Elmers Glue to hold it together along with staples.
I'll be making plywood versions of disk brake mounts for my 56 Dodge PU. I have a new pair of calipers that I want to use, as well as two spares. No one makes the mounts for these, I have them so making the mounts is worth the time. Plywood then metal. Maybe aluminum as it is easy to cut with my tools. Most are steel and 5/16 to 3/8 thick so I figure 1/2" aluminum would work well. Cut with table saw, band saw and/or wood router run at minimum speed. I can hold fairly tight tolerances with those and get true 90deg faces from those areas that touch the caliper.
I usually use manilla folders or cardboard for mockup patterns but yeah, sometimes wood is preferable. Mocked up my roadster frame outta 2x4's before fabbing it from steel.......
I have used the CAD to paper trick for many years. There are some fairly decent, and fairly easy to use FREE (yes, FREE) CAD programs out there. Some are disturbingly capable. Windows/Mac/Linux: https://www.freecad.org/ If you are doing 3D stuff with one constrained dimension, where you are manipulating just two of the dimensions, they are even easier to use. Like if you can use Paint on Windows, you can use CAD. Given the cost of materials, laser cutting, water jet cutting, and CNC, or even manual machining, this can save you tears and cash, even if you transfer the dimension to wood or print on paper them first.
I used some 2x4 and some other things to mock up before i started my build. When i had the propotions where i wanted i mesured and made a blueprint for my frame.
I made patterns for my windshield, first in cardboard, next with 1/4” plywood and finally in pine. My patternmaker friend added a bit to compensate for shrinkage and I brought the patterns to a local foundry and had them cast in aluminum .
Way more than 2 pieces. If someone wants build one here is my basic process. Stood a spare block on the floor with 4 bolts and jamb nuts in the bell housing holes, leveled it and marked the spots on the floor. Bought a digital level for this. You need the water pump and pulley you are going to use on hand because they are not all the same. (I had an old used pump someone gave me. Bought a generic pump for it and my pulley hit. Found out I had a 79 PU 250cid pump. The SBC pulley works on this with out hitting) Mostly material from my scrap box. Had to buy the 3/16" plate for the main body. All welding done with the riser bolted to the block. Took the back off an old SBC water pump so I could mimic the necessary cross sectional areas. Half inch bar stock for the bases with drilled out heavy walled 3/4" tube for the bolt bosses. Rear plate was cut out to include the sides. Then cut slots on the bend lines leaving 1/4" uncut tabs to maintain alignment and welded the slots shut. Bent the ends of the rear plate to fit up to the bases/bolt bosses and welded. At this time I made the cut out in the back to clear the timing cover and welded in the piece of 16 gauge. If I was doing it again, I would leave the back solid and put a 1/4" spacer behind the crank pulley instead of the 1/8" I had to use use. Of course if the lower edge of your riser is above the timing chain cover you can go as deep as you need with out spacers or cut outs. Use the level to trim the sides to parallel with the block. I cut out the top plate following the upper contour of the water pump and leaving a couple of tabs on bottom to rest on the sides. Also, weld nuts on the back side for the lower water pump mounting bolts. Lay the top plate on the riser and mark where the top water pump bolts will intersect with the sides. I had a piece of 5/8" rod, so at each location I made starter cuts into the top of the sides to mark where the rod would be welded in. After the top plate was welded in these cuts are finished into slots for the rod, which after it is welded in, is drilled and tapped for the top water pump bolts. Clamp the top on, using the contoured top and the small tabs on the bottom to keep it from falling in, and use the level to check that it is parallel to the block in both the X and Y axes. Then it is a game of tack and check. Getting the ends fitted is a matter of heat, hammer and cool several times. Last piece is a small reinforcement under the bump out for the unused by-pass. On the water pump I drilled out the heater hose connection for a 90* fitting to run a bypass back to the intake.
No doubt it was complex. A 5-axis CNC machine can make it in two interlocking pieces, with the correct cutting tools.
The Jalopy Journal
