Technical Frames Fabricated from Sheet Metal?

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-build-your-own-32-frame-rails.299105/

Hopefully you can open this. I built a set using this technique. turned out great

 

A guy I know has bends like these cut on a laser table and uses em to build his chassis.
https://welderseries.com/store/Chassis-Parts-c12959479

 

WOW, Thank you reyn! That's not the thread I remembered seeing though, it's much better! It's much more detailed and complete and will require several read-throughs to grasp all of the steps. You can tell that building the frame was a labor of love by flthd31 who posted it. The fabrication skills and patience are certainly to be admired. It makes me want to build a frame from some of the sheet metal "drops" I have left from my fabrication business days even more. Good Winter project perhaps? Cost would be $0, other than cutting/welding gases and welding wire/TIG filler rod.

Thank you.

Lynn

 

No problem. After seeing that thread I had to build one also. I love fabricating, but it is a lot of work, but cheap and rewarding.

Reyn

 

Be sure to check out Reyn's build thread too. Very impressive. I used the "c" section that Anthony suggested from Welder Series and they worked great in the kick up in the rear.

 

This has been floating around in my brain

would need access to an industrial shear and press brake.
I’ve used an industrial shrinker/stretcher that would work 1/8 steel.
The pieces could be contoured too fit a body profile.
Access to a pulmax and ya could stamp some fancy details in it.

or creatively wack it with a hammer a lot

 

Nothing fancy, but I had a local metal shop bend me up some C channels out of 10 ga for my speedster project. The length (12’) I had bent up was pushing the limits of their press brake.

 

It would indeed require something substantial to bend 12' of 10 Ga (.134"?). My 40 ton ironworker strains a bit to bend 15" wide 5/16"! I'd say 10 Ga. was certainly more than adequate for a lightweight speedster.

Lynn

 

Check out a HVAC shop, the one down the road from my shop can bend anything I believe.

 

At the truck shop plate started a 1/4".
We stocked sheet metal from 16ga up to 8ga and plate from a 1/4" up 3/4".

In the old days before plasma we had a big ol' Black & Decker (?) nibbler that would do 8ga (3/16).

I've made Model A front crossmembers out of three pieces of 8ga. Also made repair sections for a '40 frame out of three pieces of 10.

No reason you couldn't cut the profiles out of plate and jig it up.

Saw a mag article about Just A Hobby rails and there was a picture of the guy using the same nibbler we had cutting out deuce rails.

 

MILLER, Adams, and Stevens built INDY car chassis using heavy gauge sheet metal, they came out good enough to chrome.

 

I have a Milwaukee nibbler that is rated to 10 gauge, and that's certainly all it wants. For what I have in mind, and what I have of leftover steel is 12 Ga. so the nibbler is up to the task but one really has to be careful to cut an accurate line with all of the vibration of the nibbler. IF I ever go ahead with the project I envision I might use the nibbler, but cutting with plasma cutter using a thin (luan plywood) pattern that's been carefully finished would probably make for more identical parts.

Lynn

 

^^^ plasma for sure now-a-days.

Maybe it's just me; but I always ground the edges of plasma cut pieces, seemed it welded better that way.

 

These rails were 100" long and ten gauge P&O, my brother sheared them, but his 70 ton press couldn't do the job. I have a friend with at least a hundred ton mechanical.

 

@Frames
Dennis,
Did you forming yourself or farm it out. I'd be interested in seeing how you formed the 1" radius and bent it to conform to the bow in the frame.

 

I know what thread your talking about. I followed it and thought it was the great what he did and how he made it. I will keep searching but if my memory serves me right that was over 10 years ago that it was posted.

thanks
Ethan

 

Miller frames were hammer formed over a cast iron form. If you wanted to do multiples you could make a steel hammer form, but up to 1.8" steel a hard Maple or White oak hammer from will work.

 

Dude has some pretty fancy tools at his disposal, but knows how to use them. Sheet metal frame is on page one.

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