Master metal guys I seek your guidance. I need to make a master cylinder trap door cover (floor) that's about 12" x 6". Just to be fancy and practice some metal working I wanted to make it capsule shaped (rounded ends like a pill capsule) with a bead run continually around the edge. ...but I don't have a bead roller. Any advice on running a bead without a roller or anything else for that matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ~ Carl
get a router and some wood, route the shape you want, get an oversized piece of metal, screw it to the wood with the screw holes in the part that gets cut off, use the rounded end of a ballpeen hammer and tap the bead into the wood. or use the door and cover from an appropiately sized electrical box.
Check out allmetalshaping.com. There is a ton of good metal shaping info there. There are several HAMB members that are on that board too.
As per Torhino, www.allmetalshaping.com is truly a good one but you can also check out www.metalmeet.com. I like them both and have gotten a lot of information and help from these fellas. Tons of knowledge! Peace, Chaz
David Gardiner has a 2 1/2 hour DVD on metal shaping with just hand tools,he goes by the name mindover on this forum and also metalmeet and all metalshaping.com .He also has video's on you tube. I bought his DVD it is excellent hope this helps. Good luck Doug
Not to disuade you from crafting your own, but Rock Valley Antique makes an assortment of nice trap doors like you describe. I used one for my under-floor master cylinder.
I have built doors for such applications and found using a syringe from the feed store with piece of hose attached is just as easy. Thing to remember is when you get the brakes dialed in most people leave them alone until their is a malfunction. Saves having to pull up carpet and risking brake fluid being spilled on carpet staining it by lifting color on that spot just like paint.
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